When we crossed the equator new and different wildlife began appearing.

And when I went out for my walk on the promenade deck folks were walking in a clockwise direction rather than the usual flow on the deck which is counter clockwise.  Hmm, the Coriolis effect?  No, it was maintenance.  The deck was blocked aft.  Folks started their walk counterclockwise, ran into the barrier and turned around and I caught them on the rebound.

But there wasn’t as much walking as watching.   We’ve entered the Humboldt (Peru) Current, a cold ocean current that wells up from Antarctica and flows along the west coast of South America before turning westward south of the equator to become part of the South Pacific Gyre.  It brings cold, low salinity water into the tropics and makes this coast one of the most biologically productive areas in the world.  That is one reason that Manta has such a large fleet.  Anchovies are the species that other animals feed on, and the waters are alive with whales breaching (off at a distance) and massive pods of dolphins.  We can see the fish roiling the water near the ship, there are sea birds galore as well as fishing boats.

The sea is smooth, a one-meter slow swell.  We are moving along against the current at a stately 8 knots, trolling speed if you are going after tuna.  We have a lot of ports to visit, and we need some sea days to give us a break between some of them and to experience cruising this current.

While we are in the tropics the weather is considerably colder than it was in Panama.  It is great to sit out and read, looking up occasionally to see thrashing pods of dolphin feeding.

And then a group popped up right below our balcony, appearing from under the ship.

We’re not just standing along the rail and watching.  There are the normal sea day activities, like lectures and playing table games. 

One lecture that I liked was the captain talking us through the Panama Canal from his perspective on the bridge.  He had the whole passage videotaped and edited. He ran it at high speed and stopped it when he wanted to explain things.  He talked about everything from radio call signs, to the difference in Volendam’s buoyance between the salt water in the approaches and the fresh water in Gatun lake.  He talked about the relationship between the captain and canal pilots (The captain remains in command).  But sometimes you need three pilots, one on the bridge, one astern and one on the wing bridge to have a complete picture of where the ship is in the locks.

I treasure these sea days, especially sitting out on deck watching the sunset.