Destroyers and helicopter

This morning while I was posting my Salalah posts I looked out my window and there was a huge destroyer, really close. Then the captain came on the speaker system and announced that we were passing by two US destroyer ships, marking our entrance into the Gulf of Aden. I immediately logged off, got my shoes on and went up top to get a picture. We are going at top speed so had left them behind by then. Pic. 1 is the best pic I could get. I should have tried to take one out my window. it was right there!

I spent the day reading on deck 5 and keeping the security lookout company. We constantly saw ships. Most were big, one was yacht sized and then there were a couple of small fishing boats.

I decided to go to the pool around 5. Shortly after the bridge announced a helicopter off the right bow. I jumped out of the pool, got my camera and headed up. The helicopter was circling round a tanker which was pretty far away. Then it circled a small boat and few off. I got back in the pool. Shortly the folks on deck were pointing to something aft off the other side of the ship. Suddenly a military helicopter flew by. It was so low that I saw it through the pool window, right by the side of the ship. I again jumped out to get my camera but by the time I got it and got up to the top deck it had flown off to inspect another large ship far away. Someone thought it had Australian markings.

We've been going at top speed all day. The ride has been really smooth because the stabilizers are deployed.