Ocean-gazing

As I have mentioned, one of my favorite parts of the cruise experience is getting outside on the deck and just staring out at the ocean.  When the ocean is flat and calm, it is a peaceful and introspective experience, and I enjoy just watching the ocean breathe (as I call it), listening to some relaxing tunes (Bonobo is still the best), and reflecting on life.  Looking out at the endless expanse of the ocean in all directions is a unique experience that just can’t be replicated elsewhere.  It’s lonely and foreboding and awe-inspiring all at the same time.  Normally, stargazing and sunsets/sunrises are another highlight, but as I’ve said those are a rare occurrence on this particular cruise.  Watching the ocean is also an enjoyable experience from a beach, but it is decidedly different out in the middle of the ocean, and usually when I’m at a beach I’d much rather be in the water than just looking at it.  One major difference that I’ve noticed is the smell.  When you’re sitting on a beach, you smell a combination of saltiness, fishiness, and sometimes a slightly unpleasant decaying seaweed/kelp smell (which I’ve noticed is stronger in CA than HI) that I had always associated with the ocean.  In the middle of the ocean, there is no saltiness, no seaweed, no fishiness, just pure fresh air with no discernable scent (besides the occasional diesel exhaust).  Whenever I’m out on deck, I’m always hoping to see sea life, but those hopes are unfortunately rarely satisfied.  The most that I’ve seen on this cruise is whale spouts way off in the distance, but I’m always on the lookout for sharks, schools of fish, and what to me would be the best possible thing, a giant squid.  On past cruises, I’ve seen a school of tuna, a few mahi mahi, lots of tiny squid that come up at night to feed, and lots of flying fish.  I still have yet to see any sharks (other than while scuba diving), or any whales up close, although apparently there was a blue whale within 100 m of the boat last week that I missed.

Before this cruise, I did not really appreciate the entertainment value of rough seas.  On the rare rough days during my previous cruises, I would usually just stay inside.  But, I’ve learned to appreciate rough seas for entirely different reasons.  It literally makes everything an adventure.  Walking through the halls on the boat, sitting at a desk, or standing out on the deck, the world around you is constantly moving.  You have to adjust your weight on your feet, or if you’re sitting your abs have to constantly adjust, and you never move in a straight line.  Going up and down stairs, your feet alternate from feeling like lead to feeling nearly weightless.  Yesterday was the most fun I’ve had in rough seas.  It was a rare, perfectly clear day, but we still had 6-10+ ft swells.  It isn’t relaxing but it is quite exhilarating.  Musically, hard rock and metal are a much better accompaniment than relaxing instrumental music like Bonobo.  I stood out on the deck for over an hour just surfing the swells, watching the bow bounce up and down, and laughing when the boat slammed into a particularly large swell, sending up a 40 ft blast of spray, and often producing a temporary rainbow.  The tedium of the daily routine on the boat necessitates finding little things to enjoy to avoid going crazy, especially when you’re on the boat for 30+ days.  On the down side, rough seas do make it more difficult to sleep and create a lot more noise in the data, but otherwise I’ve learned to enjoy them.  It sounds like my limits of enjoyment will be tested over the coming days however, we are supposed to have possible 5-9 m seas on the 30^th, which could tip the balance from fun to scary and dangerous.  We’ve had as high as maybe 6 m (~20 ft) so far, so this looks like it’ll be the worst storm yet.  So far, none of the storms have been quite as bad as predicted, and hopefully that trend continues.