Day 86 – Sail the Indian Ocean

Today is our final sea day before we arrive in Africa. Our lectures have begun to focus on this continent, and this morning’s was no exception. When most tourists think of Africa, the first thing that typically comes to mind is an African safari. Richard Lovelock’s talk, therefore, focused on “The Big Five: Africa’s Iconic Wildlife.”

The Big Five: Africa's Iconic Wildlife

Whenever I heard the term “Big Five,” I always assumed it meant the five largest animals in Africa. Wrong! Size has nothing to do with it. As we learned this morning, the term was coined by big-game hunters during the colonial era to describe the difficulty and danger associated with hunting five specific animals - the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and African buffalo. It was considered a feat by trophy hunters to bring them home.

Game Hunters Coined the Term "Big Five"

Richard talked about each species and provided an excellent introduction to the ones we might encounter on our upcoming excursions. Although I would be excited to see any of these five animals, I would also love to see a giraffe or hippo or zebra. Richard also discussed how these animals are still hunted for various reasons and how their numbers have been decimated. Sadly, their conservation status ranges from vulnerable to critically endangered.

Distribution of the Big Five and Where We Might See Them

Our special culinary event at lunch today was a Caesar Salad Station on the Aquavit Terrace. Hotel General Manager Marcel assisted the chefs by grilling the shrimp. Although I’m sure the shrimp were excellent, I selected the freshly grilled salmon, which was a perfect topping for the salad.

Caesar Salad Station with Chef Sanwar, and Hotel General Manager Marcel and Chef Mukesh at the Grilles

I had one more lecture on my agenda. After a quick dinner in the World Café, I made it to Dr. Babcock’s talk on “Islands in History.” He provided an interesting overview of the diverse roles that islands have played throughout history. His examples illustrated the significance of islands in determining the outcomes of colonial, economic, and geopolitical history.

Islands in History