At Sea Approaching Samoa, 5/17/2018, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
French Polynesia & Pacific Islands
Our second day at sea brought us within sight of American Samoa as we continued our transit on to Samoa. Our day was filled with presentations, seabirds, and flying fish, and most importantly a ceremony of crossing the date line filled with marvelous music. Kura Happ blew our minds with her island vibes as we entered tomorrow.
Mike learned early on that the best way to escape Ohio was to become a marine biologist. During college at Wittenberg University he attended a semester at Duke University's Marine Lab — that time only confirmed his love for all things oceanic and ma...
Perfect cruising conditions on this last sea day with blue skies and calm seas. Throughout the day the expedition staff offered presentations on marine life and local culture. There was time to honor the 60 crew members from nine countries (48 alone from the Philippines) who put so much effort in making our voyage safe and enjoyable. Not only do they work very hard, but they also spend part of their free time with rehearsals to demonstrate their hidden talents in the very popular crew show.
Our morning began with a presentation on sea turtles by naturalist Cristiana Damiano, and just like those fascinating creatures we on National Geographic Orion have been traveling thousands of miles across the Pacific. By noon, our ship had anchored outside the massive reef surrounding the island of Aitutaki, the second largest of the Cook Islands after Raratonga. A short Zodiac ride later, we were ashore and transferring to transport trucks. These drove us to the other side of the island, where we stepped onto local boats for a journey across one of the world's most beautiful lagoons. Our destination: One Foot Island, a picture-postcard tropical isle. There, we languished on the white sand beach, snorkeled among giant trevally fish and colorful giant clams, and enjoyed the lilting sounds of ukuleles while feasting on local delicacies.
At sunrise, National Geographic Orion found herself cruising east toward Cook Island. It was an overcast morning and what could be seen at the distance was an immense body of water. The distance to covered was around 750 nautical miles. These moments at sea were a great opportunity to enjoy the facilities of our ship. A set of great presentations were given in the lounge and enjoyed by our guests during the morning. In the afternoon, we had the honor of enjoying the music performance of Kura Happ and her grandmother Tekura Ruaporo. At the end of the day, we had to conclude that the Pacific Ocean is a large body of water in which for centuries the Polynesians explored and populated remote islands for generations.