In the Tropics at Last!!!

Kira Homola – Geochemistry

We passed the Tropic of Cancer yesterday morning at 3 am, watching the dotted line on the ocean pass by from the aft deck. It was a beautiful, clear night, one of our first where the stars were out in force. While the aft deck was lit, obscuring some of the beauty, a trek to the bow turned out to be completely worthwhile: the sky was spectacular, complete with Orion, Jupiter, the Big Dipper, and a scattering of shooting stars. As we clip along at a steady 12 knots, leaning over the side of the ship to look down at the waves sliding under our bow revealed the glitter of bioluminescence caught up in the waves.
Relaxing quietly against the bow in the middle of the night is one of my all-time favorite activities at sea, as the beauty of the sky above and sea below makes the world around you feel immense, and really brings home the wonder of what we’re privileged to experience.