Two Sperm Whales Walked into a Bar…

Location: Portsmouth, Dominica

Hello to all of the friends and family of the Ocean Star crew,

The day started at a variety of times today, as we were still underway to Dominica. We left St. Lucia last night after cleanup and completed a record-breaking sail raise (00:09:50). There wasn’t a whole lot of wind, and our flappy sails remained center-lined for most of the trip, but a few watch teams enjoyed a couple of hours of helming made easier by the wind-filled sails. Watch team two was welcomed into Dominica by two sperm whales that were only three boat lengths away (see photos taken by our onboard photographer Steve). Fortunately, Amanda sent Tye to alert me of the sighting, and a few other people rushed up the companionway in hopes of spotting the whales. This whale watching extravaganza lasted for around 10 minutes before the whales decided to dive deeper and disappear from view. Every time I see any sort of whale, I am astonished by just how big and majestic they are. They are truly amazing to see. Alex didn’t manage to catch anything on his fishing line, but his effort was appreciated nonetheless. Once we were within reach of Portsmouth, Dominica, we dropped the sails and anchor and promptly began a boat appreciation. The deck team discovered some long-forgotten hair, food scraps, and anchor chain rust that we scrubbed away, while everyone else organized bunks and cleaned the salon and galley. After dinner and a round of squeeze, the shipmates piled into the salon once again to learn more about Marine Biology. We are all anxiously awaiting our day of diving tomorrow, after which we will have loads more Advanced Open Water divers onboard Ocean Star.

Spirits are high on our floating classroom/home, and with every breathtaking sunrise and sunset, I grow ever more appreciative of the people I am surrounded by and the places we are so fortunate to visit.

Lolo