After a day at Océanopolis, we got an early start out of Brest on Friday (21 July). Now we’re finally heading east.
August 2022 Expedition Update—Océanopolis
We’re back in Brest this week—at Océanopolis. For more on this amazing aquarium and marine research facility, check out their summer 2022 trailer, HERE. It’s in French, but if you don’t speak the language, you’ll still get the gist. Our July crew spent a day at Océanopolis, as well. It’s an impressive, if below-the-radar, destination.
August 2022 Expedition Update—Headed to Brest
Just after this pic was taken, the weather changed. After a great day in Lorient, we had to abandon plans to visit the Glénan Islands and decided to sail west instead. On the upside, we found a great crêperie to celebrate a birthday. Now it’s on to Brest!
QBE July 2022 Expedition Update—Océanopolis (Brest)
🇫🇷 Happy Bastille Day! 🇫🇷
Wow, the Océanopolis aquarium complex is massive! Here we are examining an orca for periodontal disease. (We can only imagine what a mouthful of implants would cost—they can have up to 50 teeth.) Orcas belong to the dolphin family; speaking of which, we’ve had pods of dolphins following us this past week. And that is an amazing sight, especially when you’re so close you can almost touch them!
QBE July 2022 Expedition Update—Brest
The crew on Marie Claude this week
Last night we were in the Aber Wrac’h, a small village and harbor on the river Wrac’h. Today we’re in Brest, the historic port city at the tip of the Breton peninsula where we’re looking forward to a visit to Océanopolis, one of Europe’s most impressive aquariums and largest oceanographic research centers. Tomorrow night, we’ll have a great view of the city’s spectacular Bastille Day fireworks display before moving on. QBE expeditions are always about a lot more than just sailing—they’re a template for what summer “worldschooling” courses can be.
Here’s a short video trailer for Océanopolis. It’s in French, but even if you can’t read the titles, you’ll get a good feel for what the aquarium has to offer. The trailer is just 80 seconds long.