Reflections from Allison:

Coming from a city like New York, I was never really able to get in touch with the wild, or even living creatures, unless I went to the zoo, so going on this expedition really opened up my world for me. I always wanted to see the animals I saw in the zoo or aquarium in the wild, to see how they naturally lived. Luckily for me, I was able to do that.

It took me a while to figure out what was most memorable for me on this trip, and I realized what was most on my mind when I got home were the dolphins. When I was on the bow of the Asterix, I saw my first wild dolphin face to face, without any glass, as they leapt and dove a yard in front of me and beside me. I will always remember seeing those elusive silvery bodies rising out of the cold wetness and for a split second, making direct eye contact with me before diving down in to the depths again. I thought, how ironic it is that humans have generally felt so alone in this universe, and that we need to search for others like us in the depths of space, when really, we have been completely blind. I don't believe we are alone in this universe, and more importantly, I don't believe we are alone in this world. The ocean is truly the world's final frontier, a glistening pot of Life Soup, so to say.

I simply want humanity to know and understand that we are not alone.