Open Seas!

Ahoy from the Seamans and co!

Today we left Hawai'i for open seas! As I think about what is to come, I appreciate what is already behind us: six islands, two ripping channels, and almost six full days of incessant rocking. The constant pitching and rolling have required the biggest adjustment from me; seasickness has been a challenge. I am so thankful for my shipmates who offer me saltines and ginger chews as I clip in to the leeward rail.

This morning I went up on the quarter deck to relieve the previous anchor watch and spotted a large pod of dolphins off the port beam. They made a big circle in front of the rail, coming close enough to allow me to hear their breath. Sights like these are becoming normal on the Seamans, but they don't cease to capture my attention. A few nights ago I saw the biggest, brightest shooting star I have ever seen, against the background of a dark, sparkling sky.

This morning as I watched the dolphins, I noticed that they all took their last breath before diving at the same time, despite being spread far from one another. It made me wonder at how they achieve that synchrony. Is it a visual, auditory, or olfactory signal? Is it intuition, memory, or something else? How can my shipmates and I achieve the synchrony of a pod to move together physically and emotionally to send the ship under us towards Palmyra? Noticing small things like this are the reason why I enrolled in Stanford at Sea. There is so much you can learn by just paying attention.

Yesterday was a rest day before our big trek down south. It was the most fun I've had in a long time. We spent the day singing, playing instruments on deck, and snorkeling in beautiful blue water. People who know me know that snorkeling is my all-time favorite activity. It felt so good to get into the water. It reminded me of my time snerggling with my mermaid best friend. I wish she could've been there free diving with me.  While I love the open ocean, I cannot wait for Palmyra to get back in the water.

All is well here on the Seamans, missing my friends dearly, but enjoying the moments of this incredible adventure.

-Courtney Anderson