Our only sea day of the voyage was an absolute gem, with calm seas and blue skies. The hotel team put on a special barbeque on deck while we searched the seas for marine life and enjoyed the stunning landscapes of the west of Ireland. Our search for whales at the continental shelf-edge to the west of Donegal eventually paid off, as we found a pod of long-finned pilot whales just before sunset.
5/18/2025
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National Geographic Explorer
Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands
This morning, guests on National Geographic Explorer awoke early to see the impressive cliffs of Moher at the beginning of another beautiful day. The cliffs are on the western coast of County Clare, Ireland. They are home to thousands of guillemots, razorbills, and northern fulmars. We passed by as the sun rose and were soon anchoring in the harbour of Kilronan on the island of Inis Mor of the Aran Islands. Guests were taken by bus to the start of the path leading to the Dun Angus archaeological site. This clifftop, walled structure is over 2500 years old. We had spectacular views over Inis Mor and out to sea. After returning to the ship and setting sail for Scotland, Mary Robinson (President of Ireland, 1990-1997) gave a thought-provoking talk about ‘Climate Justice.’ Mary explained that although we are not yet moving quickly enough to tackle the climate crisis, we are moving in the right direction. The talk was followed by a sunny barbecue on the aft deck.
