My Birthday at Sea

Catherine Mansart
Ship Manager, Steve Irwin

Yesterday was my birthday and I felt happy. As I started the day with my morning watch duty on a bridge that was being tossed left and right by the waves, I looked around and felt perfectly content by my surroundings. The conditions were perfect. All was in place the way it should be. I have traveled most of my adult life and I thought I had seen most of the world but forgotten about this remote part of the world because it seemed so unlikely that I would ever get here. If rainforests are the lungs of the earth than this must be the heart. For the energy that emerges from the deep ocean here breathes life, pure life.

As we prepare to spend Christmas together on the high seas, everybody feels the excitement that comes with the seasonal festivities. Normally we would all be at home with our families and a Christmas tree. This time however, we are here on the ship with our newfound family celebrating birthdays, Christmas and the coming New Year.  I just know it’s going to be a good year. We will stop the whaling fleet from doing their illegal business. We will not tolerate this injustice or destruction of natural habitats anymore. But first there was a breathtaking sunrise to enjoy, and thoughts on this world that do not belong to me but that I am truly fortunate having been born into…33 years ago.