Neptune Day is nothing new to those on the high seas. The ceremony of “Crossing the Line” is an
initiation rite dating back to the 16th century and is still popular today with many of the world’s navies (picture on the right is from a ceremony aboard a USN Vessel in the 1940s). The ceremony is used to commemorate a sailor’s first crossing of the equator. Before a sailor makes his inaugural voyage into a new hemisphere, he or she is known as a Pollywog and upon crossing “The Line,” a sailor is ordained a Shellback, or Son of Neptune.The day started off early yesterday morning with the crew of the MV Explorer summoning the Pollywogs to the court of King Neptune where the
whole ship took part in the festivities. I don’t want to spoil all of the fun for future sailors but I think the pictures speak for themselves. Everyone had an amazing time and we capped off the evening with a great BBQ.Photos by SAS Photographer John Weakley
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