Yesterday evening we departed French Polynesia and set a course for a remnant of the British Empire: the Pitcairn Islands. While making the transition from French to British territory, we also made another significant transition as the National Geographic Orion crossed the Tropic of Capricorn and left the tropics. Whether psychologically or actually, it did seem cooler out on deck this morning, and a few people sporting fleeces suggested that the chill was not all in the mind.
Those enjoying the cooler weather out on deck in the afternoon were treated to a changing impression of our island destination from the first hazy glimpse at 25 miles range. Additionally a new set of seabirds were encountered, with petrels taxing the identification skills of even the most experienced among us. New species for the voyage such as Murphy’s petrel were readily identified, but several darker birds may have been Herald petrel or the rare and localized Henderson petrel.
As we approached the island we were introduced to the history and current events of the islands by the three Pitcairn Islanders who are travelling with us. With no airport and infrequent supply vessels, islanders use vessels of opportunity such as ours to travel to and from their remote island home. And who better to introduce us to the fascinating history of this island, inextricably linked to the story of the mutiny on ‘The Bounty’? Upon arrival, the National Geographic Orion dropped anchor in Bounty Bay and we boarded Zodiacs to explore the coast prior to our much anticipated landing tomorrow morning.
