With two birthdays, sightings of dolphins and whales on six different occasions, beautiful plankton under our microscopes and a swim in the Atlantic Ocean one could say we are celebrating life on board Bark EUROPA, on a voyage centered around sailing, marine life and ocean pollution.

Our journey started on land. On Sunday, part of the voyage crew gathered in the marina of Cascais, Portugal. We went for a cleanup, accompanied by former colleague Lindsey Wuisan, who now leads Portuguese NGO Circular Economy Portugal that is trying to decrease the ecological footprint of the country. Walking to the cliffs of Boca do Inferno (Mouth of Hell), a beautiful viewpoint, we collected hundreds of cigarette butts. Lindsey will share our findings with the municipality of Cascais as well as with the Portuguese government.