Posts Tagged ‘dispatch’
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Exploring Phoenix Island Part 2
Yesterday we were moored just south of Rawaki, aka the namesake Phoenix Island, having arrived early morning. The morning dive was a truly sweet and interesting affair. Before breakfast, a landing party made way for the island to check out the birds, me on it. "Landing" is a euphemism for packing everything in watertight containers, jumping off the skiff with mask, fins and snorkel, then dragging all your stuff backwards up into the surf and (hopefully) out of the water onto the island. I felt fully prepared with my special wetpack backpack purchased by John Tschirky for MMAS in ... -
Exploring Phoenix Island Part 1
Today we are at Phoenix Island (aka Rawaki in Kiribati), the name sake for the entire archipelago. This is a place of birds. As we approached from a distance, the island looked like it had a small dark cloud hanging low over it, but when we got closer I could see the cloud was tens of thousands of squawking, screeching, hovering, darting, flapping, pecking birds. I could hear this cacophony of bird sound from inside the ship a ¼ mile away. Then as we got even closer, the birds surrounded the boat and we had brown noddies hovering outside portholes, frigate ... -
Searching for rats and coral regeneration: Expedition Phoenix Islands
Two posts today: One from Greg Stone and another from Les Kaufman From Greg Stone: "The expedition has been going fast and furious, and moments to write blogs are sometimes fleeting. Our ship’s deck salon and cabins are constantly in motion with NAI'A crew in their blue uniforms running the ship, scientists lugging dive and science gear around, and so on. A moment ago, Stuart Sandin walked by, wetsuit half pulled up, looking for his clipboard. Craig Cook came over and said he was about to set up the hyperbaric chamber again for testing. Brian Skerry is walking by with ... -
Blog from the Boat: Blue Water Diving
Yesterday, Larry Madin, Kate Madin, Alan Dynner, myself and a Fijian crew member named Koroi drove one of NAI’A’s diving skiffs four miles off Nikumaroro and came to a stop. Except for a giant frigate bird hovering over above our heads there was nothing else visible part from waves slapping on the side of the skiff. "This looks good," Larry said, as we lowered a 150 line into the sea and prepared to dive. On this dive we were not going into look at fish or coral, but rather to survey the most abundant multi-cellular organisms on earth: Jellyfish, siphonophores, ... -
Expedition Phoenix Islands: Blog from the Boat
An extremely fine and exciting day in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area. On the way out for our first dive, fairy terns fluttered about the skiff, while others darted around in the distance. The day unfolded through 3 dives with Stuart (Sandin) to collect fish data (the coral and photography teams not far away), a swim down the landing channel to a Nikumororo landing, two lovely manta rays at the channel mouth, and the way home to a beautiful sunset seen from the Nai'a. Today we worked the windward side of the Nikumororo, and this brought views of a rich buffet of ... -
Expedition Phoenix Islands: Blog from the Boat
Today, after a spectacular series of dives, PIPA director Tukabu Teroroko, Tuake Tema, Rob Barrel, Alan Dynner, Kate Madin, Larry Madin, Brian Skerry, Jeff Wildermuth and I landed on Nikumaroro to check for the presence of invasive species. Invasive species are organisms that do not belong there and were brought by humans. Nikumaroro is uninhabited today, but over the centuries there had been periodic settlements. We were checking for rats, cats, rabbits, and other organisms that can harm the native animals and plants. Kiribati has successfully worked hard on Phoenix and McKean Islands to eradicate rats and rabbits. But Tukabu and I ... -
Expedition Phoenix Islands: Blog from the Boat
... We headed to the eastern point of the islands were the water currents whip across it and the windward side waves break in long rolling white walls. In a group, we all grabbed our science gear and cameras, and fell into the water. After the bubbled cleared, I was at 10 feet and descending. The water was clear, really clear. I could see over 100 feet in all directions. There were about 150 barracuda, 300 travelly and 6 gray reef sharks all around us. ... Read more >> Learn more about the Phoenix Island Protected Area expedition Gregory Stone is the Senior Vice President and ... -
Expedition Phoenix Islands: Blog from the Boat
In the water at last! We reached Nikumaroro at about 10:30 am, and were on our way out to dive at about 11. Our first site was the NW point (aka "Nai'a Point"). One skiff, full of the gonzo divers and photographers (with Greg Stone intrepidly in the lead) plus Team Blue Water (Larry and Kate Madin) ran off to meet their blue destiny, while we, the seabottom science wonks, puttered off dutifully to the workaday tasks in our own little stretch of paradise. The very first moments in the water did not disappoint – gangs of grey ... -
Expedition Phoenix Islands: Blog from the Boat
400 miles north of Fiji, 30 knot winds, 12 foot seas, meals served in bowls, waves and spray continuously wash over the starboard side of the vessel, a challenge to take a shower, walk or even sleep as you have to compensate for your body being thrown this way and that by the erratic motion of the sea and vessel. A few people are seasick and lying mostly in their bunks; others sit where they can, lying where they can, and eat when and what they can. We are passing through the inter-tropical convergence zone. ... The long transit across ...
