Journals 2004/2005

Linda Hoffman
Palms Middle School, West Los Angeles, California

"Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance, and Status of Humpback whales (SPLASH)" NOAA Ship McArthur July 28 - August 28, 2004

Journal Index: July 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 August 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11           12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19           21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28

August 13, 2004

After breakfast around 8am I went up to the fly bridge and stayed there through two shifts. It was a very cold and rainy day but the sun did peek through at times. Another short-tailed albatross was seen by my roommate Kate. I was astonished as the ship came across thousands upon thousands of birds sitting on the ocean for as far as the eye can see in front of us and to both sides of the ship.

I am unable to go down and get my video camera as the ship is bouncing around too much to go downstairs. Little blobs of black and brown with an occasional white gull, just sitting, bobbing up and down on the ocean waves. They would take to flight only when the bow of the ship neared where they were sitting.

What made this part of the ocean so special? Was it just too windy to take to flight? No, I don't think that is the cause. After about an hour or so, we left the part of the ocean that was so popular and there were no birds left on the sea.

Well tomorrow, August 14th, I will be half way through my cruise. This second week went much faster even though the last two days were so hard. I tried yesterday to stay and watch on the bridge for hours but after two hours I got tired standing. I still feel the ship rocks the worst in my room than anywhere else on the ship.

12pm. Lunch. Nothing new to report.

5pm. Dinner. I listen to the stories told by the scientists. The adventures these scientists have had are amazing.

20:37. true time today, tomorrow we go back to 19:37 as we change an hour every 15degrees. This is still very confusing to me.

23:33. Most of the crew watched a movie today on DVD. After the movie was over the seas finally calmed down. We have been running from a really big storm and we decided to anchor down in Adak. We will actually make landfall tomorrow so we will be able to see the town. I might actually be able to call Bob again.