THE OCEANS AND SEAS OF PLANET EARTH

I've lived on the largest ocean, the Pacific, for virtually all my life.  I'm now on my longest cruise, across the Pacific Ocean from Sydney to Honolulu.  Almost 71% of the Earth's surface is completely covered by water, representing 96.5% of the water on this planet.

There were once seven seas.  These became five oceans.

#1  Pacific Ocean

• Area:60,060,700 square miles.
• Average depth:  13,215 feet.
• Greatest depth:  Mariana Trench 36,198 feet.
• Has 25,000 islands.
• Is home to 50% of the world's ocean waters, although another source says 46.6%.
• Is the scene of the most nuclear bomb tests.  The Marshall Islands are more radioactive in some regions than Chernobyl.

#2  Atlantic Ocean

• Area:  41,105,000 square miles.
• Average depth:  12,880 feet.
• Greatest depth:  Puerto Rico Trench 30,246 feet.

#3  Indian Ocean

• Area:  26,469,500 square miles.
• Average depth:  13,002 feet.
• Greatest depth:  Sunda Trench 24,460 feet.
• Hottest ocean, enhancing fish stocks.  Perhaps global warming might turn out to be a plus for sealife.
• Calmest ocean.
• Most likely spot where Malaysian Airlines 370 probably crashed was the southern Indian Ocean.

• Once known as the Southern Ocean, until 2000.

#4  Southern Ocean (also called the Antarctic Ocean)

• Area:  7,848,300 square miles.
• Average depth:  10,728 feet.
• Greatest depth:  South Sandwich Trench  23,736 feet.
• The icebergs that grow in this ocean contain enough fresh water to last each person for months.
• Large undeveloped oil reserves and manganese nodules are among numerous natural resources available.

#5  Arctic Ocean

• Area:  5,427,000.
• Average depth:  3,953 feet.
• Greatest depth: 18,456 feet.
• Smallest and shallowest ocean...4.3% of the global ocean water.
• Coldest and with the lowest salinity.

Then there are around 50 seas, although Wikipedia lists 76, from the Philippines to the Adriatic.  But seas are hard to define, and some indicate that the Mediterranean Sea is the largest at 1,144,800 square miles, #2 Caribbean Sea and #3 South China Sea.

We moored offshore of Dravuni Island.  Breakfast wasn't much.  Lunch was at the aft of the Colonnade, an excellent cod plus other seafood items.

Pouring a whole jigger of scotch into the Egg Blossom Soup.

Today, I again did nothing much.  Saw a sunset as the ship left the island.

Dinner was aft in the Colonnade.

Peppered seared tuna sashimi, roasted leek & potato soup and macadamia crusted rack of lamb.

One of us was not quite satiated, so stopped by The Patio for camembert cheese and salad.

Watched Evan Wood, one of the more boring and inconsequential films ever made.  Sort of epitomized my life today.

With the outbreak up to 10 on our floor, we remain eating either in our room or at an outside restaurant table.  There are 116 rooms, so to compare with 15 Craigside.  I think we went up to four covid cases for 20 apartments, so the incidence of this ailment is still quite a bit lower than at home.  

Don't go to any indoor programs anymore.  Tonight, formal wear with a Captain's reception.  Will avoid that one also.  Only walked 2241 steps.

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