Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of the world’s four oceans, covering more than a third of the earth’s surface and containing more than half of its free water.  It is divided into two sections:  the part north of the equator is the North Pacific and the part south of the equator is the South Pacific.  The name Pacific, which means peaceful, was named by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan in 1520.

Its maximum length north to south is 9,630 miles, stretching from the Bering Strait to Antarctica, and its average depth is 14,000 feet.  The greatest known depth in any of the world’s oceans is 36,200 feet in the Mariana Trench off Guam.

Now that you know how big the Pacific Ocean is, let me reiterate:  it is friggin’ big and not a ship or land anywhere in sight.  No sea birds either.  Just lots of water and sky and clouds.  It is a lonely feeling when peering out to sea even when you know there is land hundreds of miles away -- one could swear that nothing else exists.  It must have taken a lot of courage for the ancients to set sail for the new world not knowing what is out there.

So far our trip has mainly consisted of sea days.  There has not been much to write about so my blogs have been a little bit boring so please be patient; good stuff and more adventures are coming.  We land in Tahiti in two days and hopefully I will have plenty to write about as I have never been to French Polynesia and most of the other stops on this itinerary.