Location: St. Helena
The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived; it is Whale Shark Day! After an energy-packed oat bar breakfast, the first group set off in search of the gentle giants. We traveled along the scenic coast for 15 minutes to one of the hot spots where they are frequently sighted. Once we spotted one, we swiftly dawned our snorkel gear and got ready to swim with the biggest fish in the world.
There are not a lot of experiences more majestic in life than swimming with a polka-dotted shark the size of a minivan. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, a pod of curious, rough-toothed dolphins came to hang out with us. Back on board, the other half of the crew was busy at work scrubbing the decks and taking naps in the engine room.
In the afternoon, the excitement continued when we got a literal boatload of fresh food that we rapid-fire unpacked to make it to shore for our island tour. On our tour, we saw everything from Napoleon’s grave to giant tortoises, spaghetti squash, an airport, and an old fort. We ended the tour by climbing the iconic 700-step stair master, Jacob’s Ladder. We wrapped up the day with a dinner ashore all together and then went to a fish fry street party extravaganza where sailors, expats, researchers, and locals came together to share good food, cold drinks, and some laughs. Isaac even celebrated the accomplishment of officially being the tallest man on the island with the locals.