Guests aboard Swan Hellenic’s expedition ship SH Diana were treated to a rare celestial spectacle as they witnessed the 2024 total eclipse of the sun. Positioned comfortably on spacious decks, they were afforded panoramic views across the Gulf of California, creating an immersive private viewing experience.
At ~11 PM PDT on Tuesday, April 8, while SH Diana traversed the Gulf of California, her fortunate passengers were enveloped in one of the most prolonged total solar eclipses in recent memory. Lasting ~4 minutes and 25 seconds, this celestial event surpassed even The Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017, making it the longest eclipse visible from the USA until 2044. Remarkably, the guests aboard SH Diana may have been among the first individuals worldwide to witness it.
Accompanying the passengers throughout the cruise, Paul D. Maley of the NASA Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society provided valuable insights and guidance during the eclipse observation. Dr. Michael Shara from the American Museum of Natural History, who had previously delivered an expert lecture to enhance guests' understanding of the event, was also present on deck. Dr. Shara, adhering to the Swan Hellenic tradition, engaged with guests throughout the cruise.
The eclipse unfolded on the 7th day of a fully booked 8-night cultural expedition voyage from Acapulco to La Paz/Pichilingue. At the time, the ship was en route from Isla San Jose in Espiritu Santo NP to the uninhabited Isla Las Animas, renowned for its stunning coral reefs, sea caves, and miniature fjords.