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Whale-ista
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Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Alaskan cruise: Aboard the Research Vessel Pt. Sur: carrying a Ton of water to search for cesium
(FYI- To read this info with photos, visit:
http://sandiegofreepress.org/2014/08/north-pacific-dispatche...)
Or perhaps someone with a faster net connection can link to the photos... we are a bit slow via satellite out here at sea, but I will work on doing
that also for future updates.)
_-_-_-_--__-_-_-_----___-_-_-__-_-_-_--__-_-_-_----___-_-_-_
Background: Two weeks ago I got a call from a friend who has captained merchant and research ships around the globe for many years. We've known each
other for decades, and have done some local sailing off San Diego.
He recently retired from Scripps in La Jolla, and now coordinates research vessels out of Moss Landing, near Monterey, and is happy to be at a desk
vs. helm. He called to ask: have you ever been to Dutch Harbor Alaska? What he really meant was: want to volunteer on a research cruise?
So... that's where I will be for the next two weeks: aboard the R/V Point Sur, helping collect ocean water samples from the Bering Sea off Alaska and
northern Pacific, as we cruise back to California.
I left San Diego late last night (July 26), spent a few hours in Seattle before a 6 am flight, and just finished breakfast in the Anchorage airport
(surprisingly tasty, in Silver Gulch Brewing & Bottling cafe: "America's most Northern Brewery.")
It's relatively chilly here- mid-50s. Landing here in Anchorage was beautiful: towering snow-capped mountains in the distance, deep green forests
below. And (fresh) water, water everywhere: what a change from Baja Sur last month!
I have a few hours layover, but not enough to really see Anchorage. Debating leaving the airport for a quick drive-by... half the population of Alaska
(600K) live in or around Anchorage. But it's still a pretty small place.
Lots of early morning activitiy in the airport. Just watched a long line of all-male passengers board a "Conoco-Phillips" flight. Judging by their
boots and attire, they were either hunters or oil field workers- or both.
Next stop: Dutch Harbor, on the western end of the Aleutian Islands. I'll meet the researchers there, and we will board the ship tonight, depart early
Monday. We should have internet access from aboard ship, and I brought lots of camera gear. Maybe it's time to set up a Photobucket account so I can
actually share some photos on this site...
As for "no c-cktails"- No alcohol allowed on board. Research vessels are not "dinner and dancing on the Lido deck" kinds of places. I'll be wearing a
hard hat as the research equipment is deployed/recovered with a crane, and I packed boots, parka, gloves, watch cap. We will work 6 hour shifts, but
in between... I can't wait for the views of whales and whatever else might be out there!
I will keep you all posted as we transit a few thousand miles offshore, before arriving back to Eureka.
[Edited on 7-30-2014 by Whale-ista]
[Edited on 7-31-2014 by Whale-ista]
[Edited on 8-1-2014 by Whale-ista]
[Edited on 8-7-2014 by Whale-ista]
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Lots of history in and around Dutch Harbor. Dutch was the base and home port for action in the Aleutians during WWII. Try and visit some of the sites
if you get a chance
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5847
Registered: 7-18-2011
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I worked in Dutch Harbor during the dead of winter. A beautiful place even then. Beautiful colors this time of the year though.
Yeah, those WWII bunkers and artillery installation cement pads are cool. The Japanese launched an attack on Dutch in 1942.
You are stoked to be going to this rarely seen part of America. Have fun and keep us posted.
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TMW
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Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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What a great opportunity. Keep us informed and don't fall into the water.
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BajaBlanca
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Posts: 13165
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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WOW, What fun, can not wait to see some pictures!
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DianaT
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Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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Can't wait to see pictures and hear all about this trip! FANTASTIC.
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Martyman
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Posts: 1904
Registered: 9-10-2004
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Great birding and marine mammal viewing. Please post pics!
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Udo
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Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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Mood: TEQUILA!
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I can't also wait to see the photos.
I traveled to Alaska many times in durations of three weeks to 5 months, but never been to Dutch Harbor (the staging harbor for "AMERICA'S
DEADLIEST CATCH").
The closet I came was Kodiak Island.
I'm really jealous!
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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Skipjack Joe
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Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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How exciting! Wish I was there.
We'll be flying into anchorage in 5 days as well. I'm hoping to be inspired by Denali for some good pictures. And if not, there's lots of grayling to
occupy me.
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Aboard the Research Vessel Pt. Sur: Cesium, plankton, and a few whales
Tuesday July 29
Aboard the RV Pt. Sur
I completed my first 12 hour data collection work shift late last night and immediately went to the galley to ingest some calories before sleeping-
not usually a good idea, but things are different on board a working ship.
For one thing, food always tastes better at sea. Perhaps its the fact someone else has prepared it for you, and our cook is excellent; she uses fresh
fruits and vegetables, delicious and in-season, prepared well at each meal. Roasted squash, made-from-scratch soup, well-seasoned salads and soups on
thick, warm bread. It's nice to have a great deli down the passageway from the science lab!
Add to that: we have been engaging in physical work for many hours on a cold deck. with cold water running around our feet, and at times over our
hands, as we gather water samples and look for plankton and trace amounts of mercury and cesium- the first, a persistent and toxic pollutant, the
second, a radiation marker linked to the ***ushima accident. All of this activity on a pitching deck means our metabolism is on supercharge. The sun
is still warm, but the water and air is not, so we keep our skin covered against the ocean breeze and occasional splash of water. We wear hard hats
and life jackets while working near the overhead cranes that lift the heavy water collection equipment off the deck, gently lower it into the sea, and
retrieve it after it descends to nearly a mile deep water below us.
Also, on board a ship in rough seas, all of the body's muscles are at constant if low level work: a pitching deck requires core muscles to respond
quickly to small, sudden changes in the body's center of gravity. A swinging door requires extra effort to open and close gently, to prevent it from
slamming and awakening a sleeping crew mate down the passageway who has also been on a long shift. And every door and cabinet has an extra hook that
must be unlatched to enter, and relatched to secure. Drawers have sliding latches. Flat surfaces lilke galley tables and desks in the lab are covered
with sticky material to keep cups, water collection bottles and/or computers from tumbling.
It's a bit like a backpacking trip over challenging terrain, carrying extra weight, using new devices, and maneuvering through foreign, rough
territory, except the engines are doing the work of moving everyone forward, while the ocean, wind and currents are occasionally doing their best to
impede that forward momentum and toss everyone on the deck overboard.
I've never been to sea this long (12 days) before, but I happily jumped at the chance to paticipate in this research cruise, even before knowing the
details of what sampling would be done. I enjoy being in the ocean, surrounded by sea life, but I prefer to do it while also doing science. Lounging
on the Lido deck, reading novels while sipping c-cktails and eating at the buffet would bore me to tears.
Yesterday, as we left port at 9 am and were in calm waters closer to shore, we practiced preparing, lowering and raising the CTD- a device for testing
various components of ocean water. (C= conductivity, T= temperature, D= dissolved oxygen.) 30 liter plastic water bottles are attached and triggered
to be opened via computer software, on command from the ship, to collect water at various depths. Other devices measure light transmission/water
clarity and salinity. Careful notes are taken during this procedure, to record where/when the water was collected, lonngitude/latitude, surface water
conditions, etc.
Once retrieved, delicate equipment must be rinsed with deionized water to clear it of salt and other debris that could interfere with recording
information. Bottles are opened, samples collected, filtering of plankton is done, specimens are placed in small bags and frozen or refrigerated...and
this is all done every hour. Time between stops at research stations go quickly, and then- it's time to don the hardhats, life vests, and prep the CTD
for another dive.
I haven't worked on this particular device before. It was a lot of learning in a short time, and my brain was tired as I began my first 12 hour shift.
But as we worked, we also saw many puffins flap by, looking exotic and awkward; they are actually more graceful swimming underwater than flying above.
Various gulls swarmed overhead but not as loudly as aggressively as the ones down south. And yesterday afternoon, between specimen collections, I
spotted a small pod of whales on the horizon, leaping, then turning tails up for dives, and blowing small clouds of mist into the air.
Being on the ocean, at times like this, is like heaven. But I also know a small change in water and/or atmospheric pressure can lead to an angry sea
and quickly turn the ocean to hell for those of us on board.
Despite this possibility, I always sleep soundly and deeply on boats and ships- it's a bit like sleeping in a water bed inside a moving car,
constantly moving, with the engine humming through the bulkhead and other noises reminding you that water is nearby: splashes on the hull near your
head, or a louder splash overhead as a taller wave washes over the deck.
Unfortunately, when my family travelled by car into the mountains for camping tips, I was often the one who got car sick from the twists and turns.
This often happened when we went sailing also, but then I bought a boat and lived on board... and things improved. Perhaps sleeping on the water,
being in near-constant contact with the sea, helped my body accept the pitching and rolling without complaint.
But going to sea on sailboats is one thing- working aboard a 135 foot diesel-powered boat in Alaskan waters is another. So my first day aboard, while
still in port, I took one of the "-ine" drugs (bonine, dramamine etc.) as a preventive measure. I took another tablet the first morning at sea, before
starting work, then 1/2 tab at night before bed, to help me sleep and ensure my stomach is up for the rolling seas that can come with lilttle notice.
This morning, as I write this and prepare for my next shift, the seas are indeed rough and clouds have moved in. (I tease the night shift crew, and
tell them "it was calm and sunny when I went to bed- you broke the ocean!") The DVDs and books on the library shelves shift side to side as I write,
the empty chairs across the table, fastened to the galley floor, rotate as if occupied by ghosts turning for a better view out the porthole.
Yet my stomach is still calm as I eat a breakfast, drink coffee, and write this post, marveling at how my inner ocean has found peace with the rolling
sea around me, hoping it continues for the duration of the cruise...
And then the Chief Scientist comes in and announces: whales!
I grab my binoculars, run up 2 levels to the bridge... but they've gone. We joke the captain used them as a pretext to attract company during a slow
time between stopping at research stations, and swap a few stories about past voyages while scanning the horizon in front of us. Nothing.
I turn to return below, and through the windows looking back, over the research deck in the aft section of the ship, that's when I see ... a humpback
whale. It leaps, lifting its massive body completely out of the water, creating tall waves as it slams back into the sea. Small "puffs" of whale
breath dot the horizon: there are more, just out of sight.
They were likely the same whales the Captain had seen, before they dove and to let the noisy ship pass overhead, then resume their surface
activities.
And that's how I spent my second morning at sea... so far.
My official 12 hour work shift begins in 45 minutes. More water to collect, more specimens to freeze... and perhaps a few more whales to observe.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Two Questions
One - Will you be able to share the information you collect on the cesium levels????
Two - Where is your dog???
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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I worked on a research boat like that years ago. There were four of us and we worked 6 hour shifts. The 6-12 shift was far better than 12-6. Getting
up at midnight and working in complete darkness was tough.
Also eating dinner on a rolling deck was not like home. I don't care how acclimated you get to a pitching boat, eating under those conditions is just
not as good.
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mulegemichael
Super Nomad
Posts: 2310
Registered: 12-24-2007
Location: sequim,wa. and mulege
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Mood: up on step
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but what about "NO BOOZE??"......my folks took my brother and i and homesteaded in ketchikan in the early 50s....staked out their land claim, built a
house and occupied it for three years....thanks god, we finally came to our senses and moved back to ore/wa...really really really wet up there..
dyslexia is never having to say you\'re yrros.
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Whale-ista
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Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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1) Yes, this all public research, but results of cesium, mercury etc. will take time to review long after cruise ends. We just collect, the analyses
is done back on dry ground.
20 Poodle is safely home w/tortoises and a house sitter. She sent me a video of them today to reassure me all is quiet and in good hands on the home
front.
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
One - Will you be able to share the information you collect on the cesium levels????
Two - Where is your dog??? |
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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since it's still summer we have extra hours of light. Sunset last night at midnight, was light again by 6 am or so.
Today it is rolling, but not too bad. Its also a birthday for a crewmember who likes chocolate so we get to share his cake! It takes adjustment. One
of the other volunteers is not working today due to seasickness.
| Quote: | Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
I worked on a research boat like that years ago. There were four of us and we worked 6 hour shifts. The 6-12 shift was far better than 12-6. Getting
up at midnight and working in complete darkness was tough.
Also eating dinner on a rolling deck was not like home. I don't care how acclimated you get to a pitching boat, eating under those conditions is just
not as good. |
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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no drugs/alcohol on a research vessel- too much valuable equipment that could break, and/or people that could be hurt, as equipment is raised/lowered
off the deck. Also you need a sharp mind to monitor and record collection Information. so...lots of food, coffee, snacks etc but no drugs or alcohol.
| Quote: | Originally posted by mulegemichael
but what about "NO BOOZE??"......my folks took my brother and i and homesteaded in ketchikan in the early 50s....staked out their land claim, built a
house and occupied it for three years....thanks god, we finally came to our senses and moved back to ore/wa...really really really wet up there..
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\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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Kgryfon
Senior Nomad
Posts: 624
Registered: 1-27-2009
Location: East Bay, CA
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That was an enchanting narrative. I'm looking forward to your updates! Excellent! Put me right there with you! 
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nbacc
Senior Nomad
Posts: 770
Registered: 12-27-2008
Location: Northern California
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very interesting...............keep us informed as I have really enjoyed the trip so far from my chair here at home
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Mulegena
Super Nomad
Posts: 2412
Registered: 11-7-2006
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This is so cool. How wonderful to have the opportunity to participate in this study!
I'm envious, admiring your spirit of adventure and reading every word. Thank you!
I atended a lecture in the London Museum of Natural History a few years ago where a Cambridge scientist spoke of her similar research on plankton in
Antartica. Apparently the population density of plankton is a key marker for the health of the oceans' eco-systems.
Can you give us a bit more background into this, please?
| Quote: | Originally posted by Whale-ista
Tuesday July 29
Aboard the RV Pt. Sur
I completed my first 12 hour data collection work shift late last nighte... as we gather water samples and look for plankton and trace amounts of
mercury and cesium- the first, a persistent and toxic pollutant, the second, a radiation marker linked to the ***ushima accident... the heavy water
collection equipment off the deck, gently lower it into the sea, and retrieve it after it descends to nearly a mile deep water below us.
Yesterday, as we left port at 9 am and were in calm waters closer to shore, we practiced preparing, lowering and raising the CTD- a device for testing
various components of ocean water. (C= conductivity, T= temperature, D= dissolved oxygen.) 30 liter plastic water bottles are attached and triggered
to be opened via computer software, on command from the ship, to collect water at various depths. Other devices measure light transmission/water
clarity and salinity. Careful notes are taken during this procedure, to record where/when the water was collected, lonngitude/latitude, surface water
conditions, etc.
Once retrieved, delicate equipment must be rinsed with deionized water to clear it of salt and other debris that could interfere with recording
information. Bottles are opened, samples collected, filtering of plankton is done, specimens are placed in small bags and frozen or refrigerated...and
this is all done every hour. Time between stops at research stations go quickly, and then- it's time to don the hardhats, life vests, and prep the CTD
for another dive.
I haven't worked on this particular device before. It was a lot of learning in a short time, and my brain was tired as I began my first 12 hour shift.
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"Raise your words, not your voice. It's rain that grows flowers, not thunder." ~Rumi
"It's the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle
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Katiejay99
Nomad
Posts: 429
Registered: 9-3-2008
Location: Todos Santos
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Mood: it is what it is
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When you first started writing about going, I thought: He'll need to go to the store to buy the cold weather gear.
I mean I live in shorts and sandals and would have to go buy even a sweater not to mention a jacket or coat! LOL
Sounds like fun and thanks for sharing.
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