Cruise ship passenger captures moment total solar eclipse turns ocean in to darkness

The wonders and sense of freedom of the open seas are at the core as to why so many holiday on a cruise ship.

With nothing but water around you, the feeling leaves many at peace. But that peace was turned upside down for one liner on Monday, 8 April thanks to the total solar eclipse.

The rare natural phenomenon went across North America, starting in Mexico, going through the United States in a north easterly direction, before touching the very edges of Canada.

Complete darkness was experienced by millions across the 'path of totality'; a 122 mile wide corridor where the Moon cast a direct shadow blocking all sunlight from the Sun.

And those on the open water were also given the chance to experience the event that only happens in the same place every 375 years or so.

On land, the experience saw proposals as darkness arrived with spikes in a particular three-word experience on Google right after the totality event had passed.

Hitting land in Mexico at 11.07am local time, those on the coastline weren't the first to lay eyes on it.

That title goes to a Holland America Line cruise ship sailing off of the west coast of Mexico in the North Pacific Ocean.

Footage of the totality event at sea was shared to TikTok by user @josh1rivera.

He said: "Cruise ships can help take passengers to the path of totality for eclipses, allowing passengers to get a prime viewing spot and make a vacation of it.

"There are some upcoming solar eclipses which you can see from Europe — on a cruise, if you want."

Those on the cruise ship were given a leaflet saying the total eclipse was to start at 11.01am local time and finish at 11.06am, with the outside decks rammed with passengers are looking to safely catch a glimpse through safety glasses provided by Holland America.

Footage from the top deck shows the ship and surrounding ocean go from complete sunshine to an eerie darkness similar to a sunset, where sunlight can be seen on the ocean's horizon.

Focusing his camera on the event, Josh captures the exact moment the Moon perfectly blocks the Sun.

Across North America, around 31 million people saw the totality event with the vast majority of the continent experiencing a partial solar eclipse.

To safely view the event, onlookers have to use certified solar ellipse glasses are 100,000 times darker than ordinary sunglasses.

Just looking at the sun for a few moments without the proper protection can hurt your eyes.