Today was such an exciting and action-packed day that three images are needed to express everything. First, we sighted the first bits of the New World just at sunrise. St. Peter and Paul Archipelago sits just on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This small group of islands officially is Brazilian and the beautiful flag was flying in the breeze. As we came close to the islands we could see that they were just rocks, but Wayne Ranney, our geologist, told us they were very unusual and interesting rocks since they are really the earth's mantle.
A few seabirds were flying around the islands and a number of very small fishing boats from mainland Brazil were anchored in the low swell around the islands. The second event of the day was our crossing the equator. We reached this imaginary midriff of the world at 11:05. The Captain slowed the ship in order to ask permission from King Neptune and his court. As the mock international group of "pirates" gathered everyone on the back deck, King Neptune, his Queen, and a mermaid arrived from the stern. A ceremony celebrating our arrival in the southern hemisphere then took place. Finally, as the sun set we all gathered on the foredeck for champagne to celebrate our crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
