Ambience Day 4 - ORCA and Citizen Science at Sea

“Tonight I leave familiar for the great unknown…

What doesn't kill me makes me wander

And think of what the future will bring….”

Michael Shynes, California in the Spring

Crossing the North Sea

Last night, as Ambience left Scotland behind and began the journey across the North Sea towards Norway, our clocks were set forward an hour. This meant that while Sean was awake and up on deck by 6:00 AM, it was not until 8:17 AM that the sun officially rose. It felt strange to have such a late beginning to the day.  Outside, the seas were relatively calm, and the sky was only partly cloudy, so, regardless of the early hour it was a great start.

I have always been amazed by the fact that Sean, no matter how late he is up the night beforehand or how tired he might be, is up on deck during the predawn twilight of each new day. Because of this habit, many of our days on board a ship begin apart, with me either snug in bed resting or reading while he wanders the decks, regardless of the winds and weather conditions.

Morning on Deck

From the room, I could see an escort of small seabirds through our porthole that seemed to be keeping perfect pace with the ship. I had seen the telltale flashes of white plumage throughout the night.  The birds, seemingly attracted by the lights of the ship, or the fish in the sea, were attracted to the lights and the birds were attracted in turn to them.

When I headed upstairs, I could see from the Gaia App on my phone that Ambience was still situated in the North Sea, just north of the Orkney Islands and south of the Shetlands. I stepped out onto Deck 7 to see if any land was visible on the horizon, but we seemed to be too far out.

A very stiff and chilly wind was blowing, and I noticed that one side of the ship was again sealed off, presumably due to the high winds, so I went back down to the cabin to put an extra layer on.

When I finally made it up onto Deck 12, I immediately saw that the ship was now being escorted by a flock of Northern Gannets that were hovering just above the front of the ship. They seemed to be looking down with mild curiosity at the small crowd of people clustered around the ORCA team volunteers on the jogging track.  At the same time, many of the passengers were looking back at the Gannets with mixed curiosity and wonder. 

Bird and Whale Watching

After grabbing a coffee at the buffet, I met up with Sean, who reported that since he had been up on deck, a steady stream of seabirds had been passing by the ship, travelling in the same direction as us. Overhead, the elegant Northern Gannets were soaring against a sky painted soft pinks and purples by the rising sun.

Below them, a stream of gulls was keeping pace, about midway up the ship. Amid them were various Black-legged Kittiwakes, European Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Then came the aerial acrobats - the shearwaters and Northern Fulmars that skimmed the ocean's surface, disappearing into the troughs between the waves before popping up again, dipping their wing tips into the spray. Somehow, as these tiny seabirds play, they look so wild, free, and full of joy.

Adding to this excitement was the fact that Sean had spotted a long, tall black fin in the wake of the ship – the telltale sign of an Orca!

“Travelling at a slow pace through the water on a day like today –

encourages me to switch off completely and just notice loveliness.”

The Mindful Narrowboat

With so much activity going on, we spent the next few hours happily birding from various parts of the ship, watching as the multi-layered stream of seabirds continued. Many people stopped to chat, exchange observations, and share stories of previous wildlife encounters at sea.

During several of these exchanges, we learned that a number of people had managed to observe the northern lights from the back of the ship last night, although they reported that the lights were not bright enough to be visible to the naked eye, only through the camera lens. Regardless, it gives us renewed hope for tonight!

ORCA and Citizen Science

While I am a birdwatcher and naturalist - let’s be honest if you are voyaging to places like Norway and Alaska, as we did on Queen Elizabeth, then it is likely you are headed there for the natural wonders, scenery, and wildlife.

Indeed, one of the reasons we chose to voyage with Ambassador Cruises is that they brand themselves as being a sustainable and ethical company. Part of their mission is to continually review and improve how they operate to effect positive change and reduce their environmental impact. They don’t just take passengers to nature; they strive to protect and conserve it, too.  Which, I think, is very cool.

As part of this initiative, they have partnered with ORCA, a cetacean conservation group. Since we've come on board, there have been two ORCA volunteers standing at the front of the ship, and they have been almost constantly swarmed by passengers with questions about the wildlife we might see on this cruise. Today I was lucky enough to catch Steve, one of the volunteers, for a quick chat.

From our conversations, I have learned that ORCA is a citizen science-based organization that aims to train volunteers without a science background to collect and report observations of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. On this ship, there are four volunteers who take shifts on the bridge, collecting survey data, including weather conditions, every half an hour. In addition, there are two volunteers who are posted at the front of the ship on the jogging track above Deck 12. They are also tasked with collecting data, but their main goal is to educate, inspire, and interact with the public. From what I can see, this is an incredibly successful program. I am always very happy to see people being inspired by nature, especially when it involves participating in conservation-oriented initiatives.

Captain’s Noon Announcement

After talking with Steve, an ORCA representative, we headed inside to warm up and get a bite of lunch in the Borough Market. Here, Sean had a snack of crackers, cheese, and salad, while I had a plate of French fries. We finished it up with a berry crumble, which was very warm and tasty.  

Perhaps it was not the healthiest of combinations, but this is somewhat of a vacation ....so no excuses or explanations for what we eat are necessary.

While we were enjoying lunch, the captain made his regular noon announcement. He informed us that Ambience had travelled 212 nautical miles (393 km) since leaving Invergordon, sailing at an average speed of 13.1 knots (24 kph). There is around 317 m of water below the ship, and the winds are force 3 (20 kph). Interestingly, we are due to pass into Norwegian waters around 3 PM this afternoon, and we will pass into the Norwegian Sea shortly after midnight tonight.

A few minutes later, another announcement was made – this being an amendment to the original. As the Captain had indicated that we were in the North Sea and still in English waters, to which his first officer insisted that he make a correction to let us know we were actually in Scottish waters passing the Shetland Islands!

Enrichment Talk on Whales

After our short lunch break, we headed to the Palladium Theatre for the first in a series of talks by Steve Jones, the volunteer from ORCA, which was entitled 'Whales in Our Waters.' The lecture began with an introduction to ORCA, the UK-based charity dedicated to the conservation of whales, dolphins, porpoises, and their habitats. ORCA uses citizen science, relying on over 1,000 volunteers from ferries, cruise ships, and beaches worldwide, to collect data on marine life.

The talk introduced the audience to cetaceans and provided insightful tips on how to spot them during the trip. From the differences between baleen whales (large, filter-feeding giants) and toothed whales (smaller, more active predators), to the unique characteristics of species like the Harbour Porpoise, Orca, and Humpback Whale, attendees learned how to identify and appreciate the behaviour of these fascinating creatures.

The talk also emphasized the critical role cetaceans play in marine ecosystems, acting as both indicator and umbrella species-if they thrive, the ocean thrives. Whales’ "superpower" of nutrient recycling through their poop, which fuels phytoplankton responsible for half of the Earth's oxygen, was a particularly eye-opening takeaway. Steve was an engaging speaker and highlighted the importance of protecting these magnificent creatures and their habitats for the health of the entire ocean ecosystem, encouraging everyone to participate in the citizen science efforts during the trip.

Charity Auction

Following the ORCA talk, there was an auction in Center Court to help raise money for the charity. This was to be followed by a formal dinner and the Black & White Gala – themed fittingly after Orcas. Together, these events were listed as a major highlight of this cruise, and we expected a certain amount of accompanying pomp and circumstance. In preparation, we went back to our cabin to change into more formal black and white attire for the evening's special events – as we have done on Queen Mary 2 countless times. The daily programme indicated the auction would take an hour, leading us to imagine a somewhat formal and drawn-out event involving silent bidding.

However, when we arrived, admittedly ten minutes late, the auctioneer was already announcing the last of the items up for grabs - a dinner for 10 at the captain's table. A small group of casually attired guests was scattered around Center Court, openly bidding against each other. Four solo travellers and three couples bid on the dinner, and with that, the proceedings wrapped up. While it seemed a little anticlimactic to us, the bids and matching funds from Ambassador Cruises amounted to £7,000 in donations for ORCA, which was quite impressive.

Medical Evacuation

Having no specific pre-dinner plans, we were wandering the ship when the telltale bells alerted us to an imminent announcement from the captain. We were informed that a medical evacuation would soon be taking place by helicopter, closing the upper decks of the ship. Although medical evacuations are apparently a relatively common occurrence on cruise ships, this was our first one, and we were curious to see how it was achieved. Being at the aft of the vessel, we were “herded” by the crew into the observation areas, and ended up in a spot on Deck 8 at the back of the ship as we waited for events to unfold.

We soon began to feel as though the situation was somewhat surreal – us on the rear of a ship in a suit and dress – as we spotted a blue and white helicopter approaching, but to our surprise, it continued on past the ship, improbably landing on one of the huge oil rigs we were passing by.

Ambience appeared to be closer to Bergen, Norway, than to the Shetland Islands when the announcement came, sparking a lot of speculation as to where the helicopter would originate from. Most bets were on Norway, largely because we all assumed that the closest fully equipped hospital would be in Bergen. However, we were incorrect, as the large, orange helicopter came in from the southwest. It was operated by Bristow, a global helicopter search and rescue service that supports offshore energy companies as well as commercial and public sector missions for the United Kingdom on behalf of His Majesty's Coastguard.

The ship slowed down but did not stop as the helicopter hovered a few meters above the top deck. The rescue personnel lowered a rope down from the aircraft, which the ship's crew somehow attached to the deck. The two medical responders then lowered themselves down the rope and onto the ship, presumably disappearing down into the medical bay on Deck 2. To our surprise, the helicopter remained hovering above the ship for the next hour and a half. We would never have suspected that they had sufficient fuel to do this, given the length of the journey they must have undertaken to reach the ship.

While we photographed and videoed the helicopter and its holding position over Ambience for a long period, we did not photograph or video the lifting of the evacuated individual on board. While other passengers did neither of us would ever want to change someone’s moment of distress, medical emergency or personal crisis into entertainment.  As such, we have no pictures to share of the evacuation - though it was done efficiently and with great dedication by both the staff of Ambience and the emergency medical crew.

It must have taken a while to stabilize the passenger sufficiently to transport them, and by the time their stretcher was hoisted precariously up the rope into the helicopter it was already dark outside. It was not an experience I would wish on anyone, but it was very impressive to witness the skills of the rescuers in operation.

Dinner and Pub Trivia

By the time the evacuation was complete, dinner was already well underway, and so not wanting to show up late, we once again headed to the Borough Market for a quick bite to eat.

Sean again had a small plate of crackers, cheese, and salad, while I had a small plate of pasta and salad with bread again. We had fallen into this routine as a means of avoiding having to navigate the aggressiveness of some passengers in line at the buffet. Ironically, as we discovered, it was the vegetarian and healthy options that we were most easily able to get without being jostled, elbowed and pushed out of the way as people jumped the queue. 

    

After our quick, low-key dinner, we headed to the Purple Turtle Pub for a drink and a spot of 'Nice & Easy' trivia. As usual, we had a lot of fun but performed embarrassingly badly on the quiz itself.

Theatre and Gala

Trying to get into the spirit of the Black & White Gala night, we headed to the main show in the Palladium Theatre, which was titled 'O Solo Mio World' with Aleksandr. This Ukrainian opera singer had a powerful voice and delivered a passionate performance. He included stunningly beautiful visuals of his home country, as well as a stirring folk song.

It felt like this talented artist and musician was doing his absolute best to advocate for his own war-torn country and create a connection between it and the prosperous passengers on the ship. He ended the performance with a heartfelt and important reminder to everyone – “this is your life, it is happening right now, remember to enjoy it!”

Gala Night

Having only ever attended Gala Nights on Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth, we didn't know what to expect on Ambience. We decided to head up to the Observatory lounge on Deck 14 to see if there was a formal dance in progress. However, as we crossed Deck 12 and looked up at the mostly clear sky overhead, to our absolute delight, we were waylaid by ...the northern lights!

The inevitable result was that we turned back, raced downstairs for our jackets and hats and then raced back up again to the jogging track, which was packed with well-bundled passengers holding their phones up to the night sky in extreme excitement. Unfortunately, even on night mode, my phone didn't show the northern lights, and I haven't yet figured out the appropriate settings, so I quickly abandoned my efforts to record and simply enjoyed the show.

Northern Lights

We spent a little over an hour on deck, watching a truly awesome display put on by the cosmos! I am familiar with the basic science behind the phenomena that create the northern lights, although I'm sure we will all learn more about it during the enrichment talks later this week. However, the spectacle that unfolded above our heads was enough to quiet the mind and fill the soul. It was immense, joyful, and entirely beyond words or thoughts, it was like watching the universe dance.

It was truly beyond anything that we could have imagined!

It began with faint white lights along the horizon, which left people asking excitedly if that was actually the northern lights or not, while holding their phones up to check if the streaks on their screens appeared green or not. However, the phenomena quickly built into brilliant green lights that danced across the sky, leaving no doubt in anyone's minds as to what was happening. Soft wavering patches, more defined bands, and long feathery streaks would appear, shifting and morphing and flickering for a few precious moments before quietly fading away. Some of them blazed brightly enough to be reflected off the surface of the sea. We couldn't take our eyes off the magic, and it was easy to understand why Indigenous Peoples believe these lights are the spirits of their ancestors.

Excitement was very high as more and more people gathered on deck. Some of them had turned the TVs in their cabins to the channel showing the ship's bridge camera and been alerted by the green lights on the display. Others had set up northern lights notifications on their phones using apps or websites that monitor solar activity. Other people, like us, had simply come up to check and been pleasantly surprised by the clear skies and spectacular show.

One of the things we greatly appreciated by the evening was that the bridge crew had turned down the exterior lights on key parts of the outside spaces so that it was easier to see the starry sky and the northern lights. On the jogging track on Deck 14, the bright white running lights had been turned off, and the deck was lit only with night-vision friendly red lights on the emergency equipment stations. When we booked the cruise, we weren't sure if it would be possible see the lights from the ship, or if it would be necessary to book an excursion to a darker location. We were very grateful that the crew had done everything they could to make viewing the northern lights from on board possible.

We stayed outside for about an hour, but as the lights began to fade and we became aware of the chill in our fingers and toes, we headed inside to the Observatory for a celebratory coffee and Baileys. If there had been a Black & White Gala dance tonight, it had already wound down by this point, but that was okay with us. It was only the fourth day on board Ambience, and we had already had the privilege to see both whales and the northern lights – everything else was simply icing on the cake.

Night on Ambience

Having been on deck watching the Northern Lights and enjoyed a celebratory drink afterwards in the Observatory, it was 1 AM when we headed back to our room with huge smiles on our faces and memories to last a lifetime.

Tonight we cross into the Norwegian Sea, and tomorrow Ambience will dock in Ålesund, Norway and Sean and I will visit a new country. If all goes according to plan, we should pick up a harbour pilot for the approach into Ålesund, Norway, around 6:30 AM tomorrow morning, and arrive in port around 8:00 AM. We can't wait to see where this adventure takes us next!

See you on deck!

Nautical Term for the Day: Bottoms Up - Naval crews often drank from tankards with rounded bottoms that had to be emptied before being set down. Raising the mug fully upright became “bottoms up,” now a casual toast.