The End is in Sight!

The final samples were analyzed last night, ushering in the new chore of packing. Finding all of the boxes and specialized crates and covers and foam inserts for gear is a lot like a scavenger hunt on the ship. After 8 weeks, you think you know where everything is…

Just after dinner tonight, many of us went out to the bow and to our delight could see the islands of Tahiti and Moorea about 30 miles away. The end is (literally) in sight! Due to favorable winds and a string of good luck, we’ll be arriving in port 2 days early.

Tahiti Nui behind me and the much smaller Moorea to the right.

We were treated to one of the best sunsets of the 56 days.

Tomorrow at 5:30 a.m. we are meeting a pilot boat. This allows the Pape’ete port captain to come aboard our ship and drive it to the dock. That might seem odd to those who don’t sail, but it’s extremely common. Ports are busy and often tightly packed places with a lot of expensive things you don’t want to crash into! Having 1 or 2 dedicated people who know the port well is the best way to make a safe landing.

After we arrive the customs officials will board our ship and set about checking and stamping our passports for our official entrance into French Polynesia. After that, it’s time to work, work, work! There are over 100 loads that have to be craned off of the ship and loaded into cargo containers for shipment back to the many labs in the USA.

Everyone is really looking forward to cold Hinanos and trying the local favorite of chow mein on a baguette. Sounds weird, but we’ve been eating chocolate chip cookies and bacon for breakfast so it’s par for the course.

Ok, not every day. But it is a delicious treat when it happens! Rob brings Laura, Claire and myself “breakfast” while we sample.

And now to wrap up the cruise, a few photos of us having fun:

Dan Ohnemus in his penguin costume and safety gear during McLane pump deployment on Halloween. [photo courtesy of Brett Longworth]

Mai the mess attendant setting off expired flares during a safety meeting. [photo courtesy of Brett Longworth]

Joe Resing dressed up for the celebrity photo shoot / crossing the international dateline. [photo courtesy of Bettina Sohst]

Me and my styrafoam head before (left) and after (right) being sent down into a trench under ~5,200 meters of seawater.

Orlando the oiler preparing some fresh sashimi. We caught 3 fish in 8 weeks – proof of the damage done by overfishing the oceans. [photo courtesy of Brett Longworth]

Me making latkes the last night of Chanukah. [photo courtesy of Brett Longworth]

Brian the AB holding up a flying fish that jumped on deck. [photo courtesy of Brett Longworth]

Some of us scientists hanging out at the bow, looking for Caroline Island. [photo courtesy of Katlin Bowman]

I hope you’ve learned something new about oceanography during the last 8 weeks. You, the American taxpayers, make research expeditions like this possible. Remember us the next time the government announces a shutdown or slashes to the National Science Foundation budget – everyone on board this ship has been [and will continue to be] directly impacted by these events.

Thanks for reading along!

[photo courtesy of Katlin Bowman]