Our first full day on Viking Octantis was a sea day, which I always look forward to. Tim and I enjoyed our typical breakfast from our days on the World Cruise – a croissant for me, lots of fruit, and our favorite café lattes. A slice of bacon and a small portion of scrambled eggs added a bit of protein.
Before lunch, we attended a lecture by Chief Scientist Dr. Kim Galvez entitled “Introduction to Viking Science.” Having sailed on Viking Polaris last year, I was somewhat familiar with the ongoing scientific activities on board the two expedition ships, but I discovered so much more today.
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| Dr. Kim Galvez Discussing "Viking Science" |
We learned that Viking’s science mission is to gather evidence to understand and protect our changing world, and that the company has invested millions of dollars toward this end. The expedition ships are floating research stations, where multiple scientific activities are ongoing. These range from bird and balloon-based weather observations to phytoplankton sampling, passive acoustic monitoring, and microplastics analyses.
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| Ongoing Scientific Activities on Viking Octantis |
Dr. Kim also described the numerous partners and research projects that are underway, and we, as citizen-scientists, may be able to participate in some of them.
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| Partners and Research Projects |
The traditional Viking Welcome Reception was held this afternoon, where Captain Ivo Botica presented the senior officers. I must confess that Tim and I watched the reception on our stateroom TV.
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| The Captain and Senior Officers at the Viking Welcome Reception |
I did attend in person this evening’s lecture by Specialist Matias Cervilla, “Florida – A Brief History.” Although I lived in Miami for 25 years, I was not especially familiar with Florida history, particularly the prehistoric era. I learned a lot, but I’m still glad I no longer live there.
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| Specialist Matias Cervilla Presenting "Florida – A Brief History" |
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