Programs Blog

Author: Nena Esquivel, C Watch, Eckerd College

Ship’s Log

Wednesday, 26 June 2024

Position at Sunset: 21’03.078’S, 158’23.085’W
Ship Heading: 135 Degrees
Ship Speed (knots): 7.5
Log (nm): 607.0
Weather / Wind: Cloud cover, surrounding rain clouds, Beaufort Force 5
Description of location: A day away from Rarotonga

Good morning (or afternoon/evening) everyone!

Today is day 5 of our voyage to the first port stop, Rarotonga. Nothing
could have prepared me for the first few days of being seasick, however
there is now much to look forward to with good health.

With that being said, I haven’t been capable of completing much indoor
responsibilities, such as lab activities, engine checks, or galley clean ups
yet. But on the bright side, it gave me the opportunity to be on the aft
deck most of the time, which then allowed me to learn about the stars.

Seeing the constellation in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean can be
best described as if you were looking at a whale shark in the sky. Every
star looks like one out of thousands of unique spots on a whale shark. The C
Watch mate Vuk was also very knowledgeable about Greek Mythology and
Astrology and has taught me about certain stars that we’ve observed so far.
We have seen Taurus, Scorpio, Pegasus, The Chained Lady, the foot of
Hercules, and many more.

Image Caption: Zeke and I presenting two different stories we researched,
which was Pegasus: The Flying Horse and Taurus (because we both share the
same star sign.) Credit to Sydney!

Also, I saw two shooting stars in one night! I seem to have luck with that
🙂

Thank you,
Nena Esquivel, C Watch
Biology and Environmental Studies, Eckerd College