5:25 P.M. EST Position: North 00.00.00 (that’s no typo- we are
at the equator!) W 88 degrees 32.6 minutes
Yep, we are at the equator. Actually we just crossed it and are
now in the Southern Hemisphere. We crossed the equator while
listening to Neil Young’s great sailing song ” Southern Cross”,
then we turned the boat around and crossed it again. There is
only the smallest distance where the latitude actually reads
00.00.00. We decided to stop the boat and go for a swim just to
mark the occasion. There was some wind all day, but when we got
to the equator it was down to pretty much nothing, so the boat
just bobbled in the swell while Matt and Annabelle jumped in.
I decided to join them for a QUICK swim at 8,500 feet of depth
while Mark stayed on board to make sure the boat didn’t float
away from us all. ( Don’t worry we would never leave the boat if
it was just the two of us). The water was cool and it was
exciting to think about where we were. A couple of tiny
jellyfish found us in the water and quickened our exit. They
must have been excited and surprised to see humans out there in
the middle of their ocean.
Earlier today we had some more excitement when a large pod of
pilot whales ( we think) caught up to our boat and swam and dove
next to us for at least a half an hour. They were so beautiful –
very sleek and smooth in the water – each about 15 feet long.
There were at least 16 of them. Some of them swam under the boat
and then emerged right next to us, while others just swam next
to us in groups of three or four, blowing out of their
blow-holes before arching and dipping back underwater. It was
amazing. We hope we will see more tomorrow as we reach the
Galapagos.
Just a note: Last night on the boat we were all freezing. I had
to wear a winter hat during my watch. The water temperature has
dropped from the mid-80’s in Panama to only about 70 degrees,
and you can really feel the difference. Tonight we dig out the
blankets. Not exactly what one would expect at the equator!
L.