Goodbye, Orona!

Michelle Simoni, Seattle University

We officially left Orona! Orona was a fun time as there are all the crazy snorkeling stories from the others. I was able to see coral and sea creatures that I have never seen before and it is amazing. I am really grateful with this experience as life on the boat has challenged me and helped me grow. Getting back on the crazy sea schedule was a bit rough but once I was used to it, I was ready for sail handling and science.

We are now in the shadow phase of deck hands which is pretty fun. In shadow phase we are given more responsibility on jobs that must be done on the ship. Now having a better understanding of the ship also comes with learning a new skill! Today in class we started learning celestial navigation, which is a lot more challenging than I thought. It is an exciting skill to learn and I am looking forward to practicing celestial navigation in the future.

I'm so grateful for this trip as it is in an area most will never see. I love this trip and am excited for our next destination which is Winslow reef! The reef is in the middle of the ocean where there is a shallow spot for coral to grow. I was told we can't snorkel in the water as
it is a bit shark-y but I hope we will be able to see some sharks from the boat when we sail by. The amount of sharks I have seen on this trip is amazing already. Miss my fam make sure to pet cloud and lizzy for me. See you all soon with crazy stories and amazing pictures and videos to show you.

- Michelle, Seattle University