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]