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animals are under the protection of DOC too. However, Kay and I

were not on a Zodiac where these creatures were spotted. We
were so thoroughly and heavily rained on that we saw a virtual

white-out between the rain and the clouds. Just as we had
accepted this limited palette in the scene, we were told to get

ready for an unexpected disembarkation!

Astronomer Point

Now the world became infused with wet and shiny greens. We
were landing on shore among huge trees and low bushes, all of

them drip, drip, dripping. This is another DOC site associated with
Capt. Cook. During the first of his voyages to the South Seas, he

was interested in the Transit of Venus and had been sent to
observe it from Tahiti. Observations were also being made at the
time at other points on the globe. A Transit of Venus occurs when

the planet Venus passes between Earth and the Sun, obscuring a
small portion of the solar disk. A transit usually lasts around 6

hours or so and before the space age these observations were
very important in aiding scientists in determining the distance

between Earth and the Sun exactly. Transits are among the rarest
of predictable astronomical events, occurring approximately every

243 years. Capt. Cook was aboard the Resolute during this voyage
and he stopped in Dusky Sound to make astronomical
observations connected with the Transit of Venus responsibility.

He found good anchorage here with fresh water, greens, and
timber for ship’s repairs.

From his ship logs, modern historians and scientists know that this

is very spot he stopped and took his measurements during June
1769. DOC has built a walkway and ramp up to this point so that

modern visitors can see what Capt. Cook saw. For the non-

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