Cruise With Christine Pappin: active

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Atlantic Hurricane Trifecta

NHC ACTIVE STORMS (CLICK HERE)

the scale is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane's sustained wind speed.

Latest from @NASAEarth Satellites (click here)

Hurricane Irma

The center of Hurricane Irma, at 07/0000 UTC is near 18.8N 65.4W, or about 30 nm NW of St. Thomas, and about 45 nm ENE of San Juan Puerto Rico. Irma is moving WNW or 295 degrees, at 14 knots. The estimated minimum central pressure is 914 mb. The maximum sustained wind speeds remain 160 kt with gusts to 195 kt. Irma is the strongest hurricane to be in the Atlantic basin outside of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

CLICK FOR COMPLETE LIST OF CRUISE CHANGES

IRMA AT A GLANCE

(click link for current advisory)

Storm Archive Graphics Archive

UPDATE

CAT

WIND / MB

COMMENTS

11:00 PM AST

Sun Sep 10 2017

100 MPH 155 KM/H

952 MB

...IRMA PRODUCING HURRICANE

FORCE WINDS ACROSS PORTIONS

 OF CENTRAL FLORIDA...

Hurricane Jose

The center of newly upgraded Hurricane Jose, at 07/2100 UTC is near 13.9N 45.8W, or about 905 NM E of the Lesser Antilles. Jose is moving WNW, 285 degrees, at 15 knots. The estimated minimum central pressure is 994 mb. The maximum sustained wind speeds are now 65 kt with gusts to 80 kt.

JOSE AT A GLANCE

(click link for current advisory)

Storm Archive Graphics Archive

UPDATE

CAT

WIND / MB

COMMENTS

11:00 PM AST

Sun Sep 10 2017

115 MPH 185 KM/H

962 MB

...JOSE CONTINUES TO WEAKEN

OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC...

Hurricane Katia

The center of newly upgraded Hurricane Katia, at 07/0000 UTC, is in the SW Gulf of Mexico near 21.7N 94.9W, or about 170 nm E of Tampico, Mexico, moving SE or 135 degrees, at 3 knots. The estimated minimum central pressure is 992 mb. The maximum sustained wind speeds are 65 kt with gusts to 80 kt.

KATIA AT A GLANCE

(click link for current advisory)

Storm Archive Graphics Archive

UPDATE

CAT

WIND / MB

COMMENTS

10:00 AM AST

Sat Sep 09 2017

35 MPH 55 KM/H

1004 MB

...KATIA DISSIPATES OVER THE

TERRAIN OF EASTERN MEXICO BUT THREAT

FOR HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES...

...THIS IS THE LAST ADVISORY...

Hurricane Preparedness Mini-Series:

Follow Us On

Sign-up for Exclusive Email Offers

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Galapagos - Urbina Bay

click images to enlarge

ISABELA ISLAND - URBINA BAY

Day 7 of our Celebrity Xpeditions finds us on Isabela Island, which is by far the largest island in the Galapagos Archipelago. It is composed of of 6 shield volcanoes - Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf that over the years have coalesced into one island. All of these volcanoes are considered still active with the last volcanic eruption occurring in May 2008.

There are five different subspecies of giant tortoises spread upon their slopes; almost all of the wonderful photos of these giant tortoises you may have seen were probably taken here. Today we had our first opportunity to find the giant land tortoises (Galapagos).

Urbina Bay, a beautiful, small bay located at the east base of the Alcedo volcano. The bay coastal area was uplifted 12 - 15 feet along a shore line of over a mile. The violent action happened so quickly that it trapped crustaceans, echinoderms, mollusks, and fish species inland.

The trail starts on the beach where a wet landing is made, the tour is approximately 3200m, and runs through sand substrates, pumice rock, lava, coral and vegetable formations in a coastal area that has had a lift; in addition burrows of land iguanas can be seen.

This area is also directly affected by the Cromwell Upwelling Current. The Cromwell is a deep water current traveling along the equatorial line form the western Pacific eventually coming in contact with the Galapagos Archipelago. This nutrient rich, cold water comes to the surface with temperatures reaching the mid 50's (10 -13 degrees Celsius).

View our Galapagos - Urbina Bay photo album for more images of our morning excursion on the Island of Isabela.