Writing my blog on leap day is something quite special. Leap day serves as a humble reminder that time is truly a human construction, and we tend to mess up. With all the left over minutes and hours from years past, we conveniently have 24 hours to create a very special leap day.

It has been a little over two weeks and those of us aboard the Robert C. Seamans have become accustomed to life at sea. We have docked in harbors, sailed along coastlines, and explored out in the deep ocean. We have experienced calm waters and twelve-foot swells

I felt like I was entering a small labyrinth the first time I stepped onto this ship. The number of doors and different areas made this ship feel much bigger than just 41.2 meters. Yet at only 2 weeks of calling this ship home, I can easily navigate this labyrinth at 3 AM in rough seas while doing a boat check.

In between steep ocean swells, I grip the ladder rails for stability and lower myself below deck. My weight shifts side to side, and I stumble. The light remains dim but it must have looked as if I was walking in complete darkness with my hands out in front of me, making my way to my bunk. The port holes usually offer decent lighting below.

Today marks our first full day in Bequia! We took the small boat in from our anchorage for our field trip to the Bequia Maritime Museum. Boatbuilding, whaling, and fishing have been the predominant industries on this island for generations so it was a great introduction to the island.

One of my favorite hobbies that I’ve picked up from my time at Olin is spinning poi, which I was pleasantly surprised to find had Māori roots. Poi are a set of two weighted balls at the end of strings with handles on the other end, and at Olin, poi are one of several different props people could choose to learn how to spin.

Tucked away in the Bay of Islands, Russell and its port have a layered history, from Māori settlement to whaling and debauchery to more recent recreation and big game fishing. The town’s first Māori-given name, Kororareka, translates to “sweet penguin,” after a tale about the sweet meat of the local blue penguin.

Today we finally arrived in Bequia! It may have only been two days since we left Grenada, but as MJ mentioned in her blog 24 hours can seem like a lifetime on the ship.

SEA Semester in the NEWS
Studying New Zealand’s Oceans
Bennington College News, Feb. 25, 2020

Ella Simon ‘22, who studies Visual Arts, Public Action, and Environmental Studies, is among a select group of 25 undergraduates from diverse US institutions who are spending this semester sailing through the waters of New Zealand. Their goal is to study one of the most pressing issues of the 21st century: human impacts on the environment.

SEA Semester in the NEWS
Exploring ‘Mars on Earth’ and Spending the Semester at Sea
By Nicole Militello
Denver University News, Feb. 25, 2020

Olivia DeWitt remembers anxiously waiting in the University of Denver’s Magness Arena to find out where she would study abroad. After months of dreaming, interviewing and boosting her GPA, it all came down to a little luggage tag in her hand, her destination hidden inside.