At Sea
Another glorious day at sea. The sun is shining brightly, and the blue sky is reflecting in the water, creating that wonderful deep crystal-blue color that seems almost transparent, as if you could see right down to the bottom of the ocean. Today there is a flurry of activity outside. There are boobies everywhere! Masked, Brown, and Red-footed boobies circle the ship, sometimes only one is there, and then suddenly there are 7 or 8 playing chase in the sky. They seem to know they are being watched, dumbfounding us with their daredevil plunges into the ocean, suddenly popping to the surface with a fish in their mouth, seemingly saying, “no sweat, what are you looking at?”
Just as it seems one could watch the boobies antics all day, the sea also has this hypnotic effect, and quietly sitting in a chair whether it be out on deck, or in the confines of the ship, is a favorite pastime for all. It seems only natural that there are many inquires about the sea: what is the deepest point researchers have studied? What does the topography of the bottom look like? How far does light extend below the surface? and what lives in the water columns? To Lindblad Expeditions learning about and exploring the ocean is just as important as our land expeditions. For this reason we have an undersea specialist onboard, who, using a variety of tools, captures on film what lives below the water’s surface, and brings this film back to the guests on Endeavour to enjoy.
Pictured here is a Puffer Fish from the Cape Verde Islands. These fish look a little bit like the clowns of the undersea world. They have large heads, and very large eyes, and their swimming style is less than graceful, using their pectoral fins, rather than their tails to move themselves around, dropping like a stone to the floor when they stop beating. They are usually quite shy, preferring to peer at you from inside a cave or from under a rock, than be out in the open. Although generally docile in nature, these fellows have a “prickly” temper, and when upset they inflate, exposing long spines, when embedded in their enemy causes an unpleasant allergic reaction.
As the boobies disappear into the dusk, the sea continues to mesmerize us, set ablaze with reds and oranges as the sun dips below the horizon. Our interest is piqued, and one can only imagine what tomorrow will bring from land, sea, and air.
Another glorious day at sea. The sun is shining brightly, and the blue sky is reflecting in the water, creating that wonderful deep crystal-blue color that seems almost transparent, as if you could see right down to the bottom of the ocean. Today there is a flurry of activity outside. There are boobies everywhere! Masked, Brown, and Red-footed boobies circle the ship, sometimes only one is there, and then suddenly there are 7 or 8 playing chase in the sky. They seem to know they are being watched, dumbfounding us with their daredevil plunges into the ocean, suddenly popping to the surface with a fish in their mouth, seemingly saying, “no sweat, what are you looking at?”
Just as it seems one could watch the boobies antics all day, the sea also has this hypnotic effect, and quietly sitting in a chair whether it be out on deck, or in the confines of the ship, is a favorite pastime for all. It seems only natural that there are many inquires about the sea: what is the deepest point researchers have studied? What does the topography of the bottom look like? How far does light extend below the surface? and what lives in the water columns? To Lindblad Expeditions learning about and exploring the ocean is just as important as our land expeditions. For this reason we have an undersea specialist onboard, who, using a variety of tools, captures on film what lives below the water’s surface, and brings this film back to the guests on Endeavour to enjoy.
Pictured here is a Puffer Fish from the Cape Verde Islands. These fish look a little bit like the clowns of the undersea world. They have large heads, and very large eyes, and their swimming style is less than graceful, using their pectoral fins, rather than their tails to move themselves around, dropping like a stone to the floor when they stop beating. They are usually quite shy, preferring to peer at you from inside a cave or from under a rock, than be out in the open. Although generally docile in nature, these fellows have a “prickly” temper, and when upset they inflate, exposing long spines, when embedded in their enemy causes an unpleasant allergic reaction.
As the boobies disappear into the dusk, the sea continues to mesmerize us, set ablaze with reds and oranges as the sun dips below the horizon. Our interest is piqued, and one can only imagine what tomorrow will bring from land, sea, and air.
