• It should be another beautiful morning as we wake up early for a wildlife-viewing trip, poling our way inside narrow creeks with small boats. This is the very best time of day for bird watching and possibly catching a glimpse of the rare masked finfoot, the elegant racket-tailed trogon, brilliant bee-eaters and kingfishers.

• Impacts of climate change on this region will be today’s study focus as we set off on foot, right after breakfast on a 3-4 hour hike well off the beaten path.

• Our trek starts out hiking through savannah grassland where we can climb a watchtower to look over the landscape and contemplate impacts from climate change. The first level of the platform represents the 3-meter sea level rise that will be brought on by the 4-degree global temperature increase predicted to occur before the end of this century. The top level of the tower represents water heights when storm surge from cyclones push sea levels up another 7-meters.

• We will see evidence of sea level rise already occurring as we reach the beach and hike along the shores of the Bay of Bengal. This shoreline is already suffering from submergence as evidenced by stumps of forest trees set far out to sea from the shoreline. By the end of the century, it is believed, the entire Sundarbans forest may be below sea level.

• Hiking along the beach in the early morning there is a good chance of seeing spotted deer, wild boar, rhesus monkeys and possibly even tigers.

• After 3-4 hours of hiking we will return to our vessel with big appetites. A hearty lunch will be followed by a group forum discussion on the top deck where students will discuss climate change and actions they can take, individually and collectively, to help minimize effects from it.

•  It is predicted that Bangladesh will face submergence of 20% of the country with a resulting displacement of over 20 million people within 9 decades. Along with the Maldives and some South Pacific Island nations, Bangladesh will be the most tragically affected country on earth.

• At sunset time we will make one final trip ashore to Bird Island where a new island is being formed from alluvial deposits carried down to the Bay of Bengal from the high Himalayas. This is an inspiring place to end our day as we see the renewing powers of Nature.

• Just a short time ago this land did not exist; today it supports throngs of migratory shore birds, burrowing crabs and millions of sand bubbling crabs. Fishing cats come here to prey on birds and the first signs of colonizing vegetation are now appearing. As students watch the sun set over the Bay of Bengal they will come to realize the powerful and eternal renewing powers nature has.

• A wonderful barbeque dinner will be prepared this evening on the top deck as we cruise through the dark to our next anchorage deep in the mangrove channels.

Overnight: Aboard ship, cruising north from Kochikhali - Sundarbans