A spotted dolphin leaps for joy. (Photo by Kali Armstrong, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

It was a spellbinding first week at sea. The weather’s been warm and the ocean has been calm as we continue our journey south. The first few days coincided with the new moon, which created ideal conditions for stargazing. It has been interesting to follow our progress on Earth by observing the night sky. As we advance toward the equator, Polaris descends, dropping closer to the horizon every night. At the same time, more southerly constellations have made themselves visible, illustrating new sagas in the sky. What a wonderful way to gain fresh perspective on our place in the solar system!

A green sea turtle swims through a calm ocean. (Photo by Kali Armstrong, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

There is plenty to observe during the day, as well. The sun’s rising and setting over the ocean has been breathtaking. The sea surface reflects all the dreamy colors of the sky like a liquid mosaic. Wildlife is abundant in these warm, tropical waters and I have been very fortunate to identify a new species every day. Pacific spotted dolphins have been seen most often and make the most wonderful company. It is such a joy to watch them leaping alongside in the waves made by the ship. Just a day or so ago, we watched an entire pod excitedly feast on a bait ball of smaller fish. In addition to dolphins, tuna and myriad birds participated in the smorgasbord. Ecology at its finest!

An osprey pays a visit to the ship. (Photo by Kali Armstrong, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

Sea turtles–green and loggerhead–have been a delight to observe, lazily floating along the sea surface. Every now and then, you’ll catch a booby bird hitching a ride on a turtles’ shell. (One has to wonder if they’ve somehow been given permission.) There are four species of booby in the tropical Pacific. Possibly the most popular is the blue-footed booby, known for nesting on the Galapagos Islands. However, red-footed, brown and masked boobys all flourish here, as well. Watching them in hot pursuit of scattering flying fish is quite the sight as their razor-sharp wings etch through the air with precision and ease.

It is intoxicating to imagine what wonders the Atlantic Ocean will hold!

Neil Armstrong’s son Mark and granddaughter Kali address the audience in San Francisco during an event to introduce the ship to visitors during a stopover on its inaugural voyage.

[Editor’s note: We are very pleased to have Kali Armstrong, granddaughter of Neil Armstrong, traveling with us from San Francisco to Charleston aboard on the ship bearing her grandfather’s name. She will make periodic contributions to the blog. This is her first entry—and her first sea voyage.]

Dawn breaks over the ocean like a watercolor dream. Colors flood the surface of the sea in dazzling displays of sparkling light. A rosy sun rises to greet the Northern Hemisphere with a joyous day as a cool, blue Earth rotates on its axis to welcome the warmth.

Out here in the wide-open ocean, it’s not as difficult to imagine this blue planet, twisting and orbiting in its rhythm among the vast celestial bodies of elements and gas. Taking to the sea for the first time is like opening your eyes to a world you’d forgotten existed. You read about the sea in epics and poems; you admire its beauty in paintings and hear tales of beasts and long-lost plunder. But you can’t possibly fathom its full depth until you’ve set sail on this watery kingdom.

You stretch your imagination as far as possible, and then the sea stretches it further.

In the short time I have been sailing on this research vessel, I have gained a wealth of experience. My perspective of life on Earth has enhanced, my notions of environmental conservation have greatly deepened, and my sense of being has been renewed. This is where life all started—a here in the briny depths of this aqueous realm. The environment is all so foreign, yet so strangely familiar. As if the cells in your body realize something you do not. Home. A home away from the home you have created. An internal ticking as old as time itself.

R/V Neil Armstrong sails into San Francisco Harbor

The sea is a place for discovery. It holds more answers to the world’s problems than we could begin to understand. But we want to understand! We seek those answers here aboard the R/V Neil Armstrong. She’s a vessel with a heart of steel and a mission to expand the bounds of knowledge. The research to be done on this ship will change life as we know it—expanding our understanding of this planet and our place within it for generations to come. All of that begins with a capable ship and a passionate crew.

The incredible people aboard this vessel operate by the laws of the sea. They appreciate the planet as a whole, functioning organism—interpreting winds, currents, weather and stars—all while operating an extremely complex machine amidst the elements. These are people with a more complete comprehension of what it takes to thrive in a changing planet. The objectives are straightforward—seek, explore, discover, expand, evolve—but the journey is arduous. It humbles me to the point of speechlessness to be a part of this quest for discovery, but I’ll do my best over the next couple weeks to share my experience. I hope you will continue to check in with the crew of this pioneering vessel to see what the ocean may offer you.