I would like to announce that at 10:48pm my paper presentation and everything else was DONE!!! WhooHoo!
I spent the last 3 nights working until 3am! It was great. Research is cool. Analysis is cool. Significant results are even cooler – but no luck this time. I have faith though! I still have confidence that theres something about those S10’s. I like em. They’re high pitched and squeaky, and kind of sounds like a balloon being squeaked or rubbed together. But I like it.
I can’t wait to start another project… or even continue with parts of this one.
I can definately see why some scientists let thier data sit for a while instea ofgoing at it all at once. I mean I personally wouldnt have the patience to let mine sit and wait for too long, but taking it all in two weeks like this… too hectic. I feel like I need to go through it all again slowly, so I can really focus and really do a thourough job. I think I did well with this one, but I could have done it better and really fine tuned it.
My methodology was a mess and my PDA needed that milling button. Screw simpicity. That was advice I should have never taken. I knew what I needed and it turns out I was right. I’m not bitter, because I made enough mistakes on my own that it’s moot.
My goals have been solidified though. I’m content with who I am and who I’m ging to be. I can’t wait to get on with this next step! I’m hopefully meeting with Dr. Ford at UBC either n the 30th, 31st, or maybe 1st.
My parents got in tonight, and we went out for dinner. I had a chocolate martini, and dad and I split a seafood dish and a steak. YUM!!! Oh my god, I had missed food. I mean the food here was good, but there is more to life than zucchini and starches, and I love it! I cannot wait to get home and cook in MY kitchen. with my utensils and my pots and pans and my Gas stove – not to mention all my favorite ingredients!!!
Anyways, mum and dad brought me my fabulous fuschia dress and black heels!! I’m not a dress girl except for the occasional day, but it is Soooo nice to be in something other than Jeans!
It is the little things! like getting to curl up with my kitten next friday when I get home. And being able to call friends who have cell phones other than Verizon during the week and at decent hours.
I’ll miss the whales though. and the blankets of green moss. and the mist.
and speaking of blankets… I’m presenting in 9 hrs!! EEp! bedtime 🙂
night all!
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10/17/06
Another beautiful day in the San Juan’s. Although there are no whales today, it is sunny and cool, a perfect October day. We anchored last night in Fisherman’s Bay on Lopez Island. It is a nice anchorage and appears to be a bit more of a small island community than places like Friday Harbor. I awoke to the sound of the anchor chain being hauled up at 7:15 am, we had to get an early start so we could make it through Cattle Pass with the current instead of fighting against it. Upon arriving in the galley/saloon this morning I was greeted by the smell of Jason’s famous (at least to us) sourdough pancakes. They were fabulous and the morning was calm and colorful. While going through cattle pass we saw at least 7 sea lions swimming around. They looked so big especially after spending the summer working with baby harbor seals at my internship. At the Southern end of Haro Strait, near False Bay we paused to do a CT (conductivity and temperature) cast for Emily’s project. We let the instrument down 100m by hand pausing every 10m to record results. Emily and I had a nice arm workout hauling it back up. The rest of the day we’ve been hanging out in Haro making our way north hoping to run into the whales, it’s 3 and we haven’t yet. We will be anchoring somewhere at the Northern end of San Juan Island. The wind has finally picked up enough so we are sailing for the time being.
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So much to say and so little time! As everyone has been saying in their blogs, the realization that the end of BeamReach is setting in. We are back on solid ground, and as much as I liked living at sea, it feels good! The last three weeks on the boat have been… shall I say… eventful. Because the Gato Verde is in the process of switching to a bio-deisel electric propulsion system, there are lots of things that had the potential to go wrong, and that did go wrong. Its a super cool idea and sets a great president, however, when you are in the middle of the process it is both very cool and very frustrating. Besides the saga of the boat, between the multiple generators breaking and getting replaced, being pushed by the dinghy, maxing out at 3 knots and not being able to catch the whales, there were lots of great things this past voyage. First of all, we saw whales, lots and lots of whales! We saw some very tame dear and a mink up close and personal on Jones Island, a mike whale from the bluff on Stewart Island, some bow riding Dalls porpoise in front of Lime Kiln, and some sea lions in cattle pass. In terms of Science, we got some nice recordings, tried the dinghy / NOAA pipe test maybe 3-4 more times and finally got it right. Ishmael is still not cooperating, but in addition to the Sea Snake, we got another 4 element array, Willy. After tinkering with it a bit, and sending it off to the doctor (val) and his office (his garage), its worked wonderfully. Everyone chipped in for multiple rounds water quality testing every two hours from about 6pm to 8am. (Except for Scott and Jason who slept on the cat walk and saccrificed a lot of sleep in the name of science.) As for oter memorable events, we hiked to the lighthouse, played some basketball, got to pet some real kittys, and soak in the view from a bluff looking out on the water just before sunset on Stewart Island. We had a night passage from the west side of San Juan Island to the south end of Lopez Island, complete with bow watches, crafty navigation, walkie talkies, and night vision (not headlamps). We witnessed numerous beautiful mornings and beautiful sunsets. In fact, the Last time we saw the whales in fact was J pod heading south down the West Side wbehind them was the sun dropping behind Vancouver Island, AND to make things even better,it was Peggy’s birthday!
So now that we are back on land, its crunch time to get final papers and presentations done. Its time to enjoy the last week of island living until heading home and catching up with family and friends!
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Yesterday concluded our final week at sea (and my twenty third revolution around the sun!) We awoke to a splendid sunrise from the south end of Jones Island looking out across San Juan Channel to San Juan Island, our final destination. But before I describe our homecoming, let me recap the week. After many many boat troubles the week before, we set out last Monday with two main broken generators, one measley gas generator and our faithful dinghy. Top speeds reach no more than three knots or so, rendering our choices for anchorage minimal. The first night we stayed in Fisherman’s Bay for creosote log tagging and more water sampling for the Friends of the San Juans. Tuesday, after our break through Cattle Pass we put-putted up the west side of San Juan Island, analyzing data, collecting more conductivity and temperature data from the south end of Haro Strait, and making our way to the infamous Sung Harbor for the night.Wednesday, again, was spent in Haro with the dinghy and a number of fishing boats. We had word that the killer whales were in the south sound so we made plans for Thursday to try and head south to catch them, but were pleasantly surprised to actually hear their vocalizations on our hydrophone mid-strait then caught sight of K and L Pods within a half and hour. We were able to spend an hour or so with the two pods near False Bay, but did not have the capabilities to follow them north-instead we sat on the bow following them with binoculars as they reached Turn Point and headed east. That evening we had Marla Holt on board. She’s beginning her post-doc research on the Southern Residents through NOAA and wanted to get a sense of our projects, equipment, methods, etc. because her project entails determining if killer whales actually call louder or longer to be heard above increased ambient noise levels. Marla accompanied us again on the water on Friday for a long day on the water with J Pod, porpoises, bald eagles and lots of birthday fun for Peggy. J Pod was quite active, foraging near False Bay, then moving slowly north throughout the day. We were able to spot a salmon in one whale’s mouth, as well as a small fish J39 caught…so they DO eat fish! On our way back to Snug Harbor we were pleasantly surprised by the pod’s return south and gave up all scientific goals and sat on the deck taking pictures and marveling as the pod traveled through the glare into the sunset. Upon our return to Snug, we were excited once more by the lucky pass-by of two bald eagles over our boat. That evening we had Peggy’s birthday dinner, manacotti and chocolate cake. Saturday we said our good-byes to both Marla and the beloved sea snake (the towed array) and set off for Jones Island for advisor meetings and a brief jaunt around the island at sunset. That does, of course, bring me to Sunday, the sunrise and our homecoming to Friday Harbor. After the sun broke the horizon we were immediately at work unpacking the boat of food, equipment and personal gear, followed by a deep clean of the cabins, galley, heads, bilges, decks, dinghy, walls, ceilings, closets, nooks, crannies and any other area of space within the 42×29 feet on the boat. Once in Friday Harbor we also spent most of the morning unloading and redistributing food, gear, etc. to our one-week temporary homes at the labs. Yesterday was also my birthday so once the cleaning was finished we all ate pizza on the dock, and I read birtday cards and note from friends and family elsewhere in the world. Exhausted, we unpacked, picked up some groceries, then made deliectible chocolate covered strawberries and bananas to be frozen and consumed after bowling in town and dinner at the Ale House…the only two establishments open of course. Emily, Erin and I had a blast giggling at our silly shoes and despeciable bowling capabilities, a yummy dinner we didn’t have to make, and of course, the chocolate covered treats. To top it off, I even received a call from my parents in Vietnam at the moment, busied by morning traffic, but lucky enough to find a payphone that accepted their calling card! As for now, talking with them makes me excited to finally get home and spend time with friends and family I haven’t seen in a while, but also makes the realization that Beam Reach is nearing it’s end. Our time on the water will be left unmatched by most opportunities I will most likely have in the future and I’m quite thankful for the opportunity to observe killer whales in such a beautiful place! This week will be dedicated to catching up on some much needed sleep, getting back into my running shoes, researching a bit more into my topic and furiously finishing up data analysis and the final paper and presenation. In fact…that’s what I should be working on right now…
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As October weather sets in (and really, who doesn’t just LOVE October) we are all preparing for our final week at sea. Last week was a mixed bag of ups and downs. We had three days with J Pod off the west side of San Juan Island in Haro Strait, two days of which were so balmy if I didn’t know any better I would have guessed it was July…in fact, it was SO warm we were wearing shorts and a few even jumped in for a swim! It was great to be able to collect quality data for each member of the group so at least everyone has something to work with coming into the final weeks of collection and analysis. I’ve been working to understand the distinction of whistles and have had the help of a few experts in the field-bottom line-its challenging for even the best in the field. Go figure I’d get myself into something like that 🙂 To get a better sense of the groups we’re watching I’ve also tried my hand at photo identification-it’s extremely rewarding to see a fin and saddle patch out on the water and recognize it from the computer the day before. Other highlights from the week include motoring at night into a small harbor on the south end of Lopez Island, each of us standing lookout for logs and kelp and bouys and whatnot. Also, a few of us enjoyed taking a hike out to Turn Point on Stuart Island and checking out the lighthouse, the magnificent view from Lover’s Leap (and a Minke sighting!), plus thorough enjoyment of the fall foliage, a little pickup basketball, cute kittens and lots and lots of laughs. While there were many highlights, the boat continues to be a downside to many of our days. The electic motor is excellent for acoustic recordings but it runs for only about an hour on battery power therefore it isn’t safe for us to use it for long before we need to conserve for docking and other such activities. Further, the generator had problems on three of the seven days, first it would only start with extreme difficulty, then it wouldn’t start at all, and finally the starter cord broke so there wasn’t even a chance to start it at all. Luckily on Sunday we had nasty weather which means wind and we were able to sail most of the way from Jones Island back to Friday Harbor-at one point we even had the boat flying at a whopping 9 knots, three or four times faster than any other day that week. The only trouble was that once we tried to bring the boat back to the dock the batteries died and we had no propulsion and the wind was blowing us onto the rocks. Thankfully, our team was able to quickly extend docklines and haul the boat into the dock, fighting wind and lack of maneuverability the whole way. Now that we have all showered and checked in with the “real world†we’re getting ready to head out for one last hoorah…our fingers are crossed for killer whales, sunny skies, wind, and a flawless boat…but really, that’s quite a lot to ask so we’ll be keeping our hopes up for even just one. Plus…next week is Peggy’s birthday, Leslie’s birthday and my birthday…how much more fun could we ask for!?!
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So, my time here with Beam Reach is almost over.
I’ve begun analyzing data, and I’m not gonna lie – I’m excited.
The boat… has been the boat, and it’s definately not an ideal research platform, but we’ve been able to have several good enocunters with the whales regardless.
Dalls porpoises are in love with our boat… they’ve come to bowride several times and once even tried to coerce us into regaining propulsion and so they could bowride. Sadly, it didn’t work, but they gave it a good 15 minute try! We’ve seen a Stellar sea lion (endangered) and eagles, and all sorts of other nifty wildlife.
We got to go ashore for a bit on Stuart island – and it was very nice. A cute little island with some good hiking and curious deer, and a fascinating little schoolhouse.
I’m totally distracted, so I’m gonna keep this short, but overall I’m still enjoying myself, getting along with people, and loving the research element of it – despite the myriad of technical difficulties. I’m excited about that, it means I’m in the right place. My new computer is supposed to be arriving today and hopefully that’ll make data analyzation fastier and easier – well, maybe not easier, but more efficient. I’m looking forward to editing my paper and starting to put together my powerpoint presentation.
My last and final thought is I’m going stir crazy for 5 simple reasons: I miss my cat, I miss my friends, I miss being a carnivore, I miss spinning, and good god do I miss my high heels.
– but still having a totally great time!! just getting antsy.
Ok, that’s all for now. Lata Alligatas!
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Well, what can I say besides we are still alive. The great October sunshine has officially disappeared and the rain has come. Thankfully I like the rain in moderations. This week was harder than most because we had a relief captain and the boat broke AGAIN! We have been using the dinghy as the only source of powering the boat and get really wierd looks from people when entering a marina. Ya, I would probably stare too if I wasn’t on the boat. We had no power when docking at the labs today and the boat almost got away by doing a 360 in the docking area. Luckily it took six people to pull the boat into the dock while the wind was trying it’s hardest to push it away. We once again walked the boat into the dock at the labs. At least I got data this week and am excited to have it finished and analyzed quick. I am losing some data points because of some electric noise screwing up the recordings. I realize that’s just how science works. I am counting the days to be able to see my family when they come up. I hope to get more opportunities to acquire more data for my project in this next week. I do hope to have my project complete soon. Did I mention we also had some great porpoise bow riders last week, it was a highlight of mine!
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We humans are fundamentally challenged to grasp the nature of the seas. Sound is the key to perception underwater, yet our ears are rudimentary tools compared to our eyes. Despite all our communicative abilities and sensory technologies, we really struggle to understand what is going on in our local marine ecosystems, and it’s taken us a long time to determine that a global oceanic collapse is afoot.
After spending a week with the Beam Reach students, I returned to land with a broad suite of observations. Since then, my brain has been struggling to synthesize them.
Given how difficult it is for us to predict and detect the movements of our top marine predator (the killer whale), it’s fascinating to consider how we have come to sense that a global oceanic collapse is afoot. Why is it so hard for me (an oceanographer) to witness first-hand, or at least be whole-heartedly convinced that the seas are truly troubled?
It is also tantalizing to ponder how effectively a long-lived matriarch and her pod may be able to intercept food in the Salish Sea — particularly salmon with their own complex life history, migratory mechanisms, and distributions.
“Everything’s late this year.” says Kari Koski.
Someone notes that this year El Nino conditions are developing in the tropical Pacific.
An 80=year fishing Derby in Admiralty Inlet experiences a unprecented event: only one fish is caught!
Steve Mihaly relays catch data that indicate 90+ percent of the Fraser River fall run of Sockeye are returning to the north of Vancouver Island. In “normal” years, I guess more come around the south end and are accessible to southern residents
A clerk in Kings Market says her long-time fisherman customer became sick of catching nothing locally and fished all the way out the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and finally found salmon (chum, Chinook, and sockeye) 10 km offshore.
The Seattle Times publishes a series on the decline of our local oceans
Andy Foote says the herring aren’t returning to the Norwegian fiords.
Thus, I conclude that a great asset of human society is our ability to communicate, or “network.” Our environmental salvation may hinge on our innate drive to share information and our increasingly effective ways of doing so. To this end, I drafted a list of cell phone numbers for key marine observers around the Salish Sea, and I encouraged our students and staff to reach out to them. I left feeling like we should be hailing every visible boat on the VHF, especially fishermen and whale watch operators, to glean their marine insights and to share our own (primarily acoustic) ones.
I sense a similar interconnectedness of humans is critical in maintaining an accurate sense of how our local marine ecosystem is faring. The Orcasphere is a step in the right direction, but we need much more (if we continue to impact the oceans as we currently do). Georeferenced multi-species monitoring could help. The expanding network of hydrophones and underwater sensors (from Race Rocks to Athena and Neptune) hold promise for keeping us conscious of the state of the seas.
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As of today we have now completed our third week of the sea component. We set out with new methods and ideas for projects ready to test them in practice. Also, Scott joined us for the week to get a sense of what we’d accomplish and to work out difficulties we’d been encountering. I’d have to say our duties this past week could be summarized effectivly in one word…â€SCIENCE†Each day we talk about goals for the day, task to accomplish and projects to work on, but it typically comes down to doing just plain old “SCIENCEâ€. Some days this entails our killer whale research projects, while other days we record water quality data from various locations in the San Juan Island to monitor specifications of the water that might affects eel grass growth. Sometimes we’re fiddling with equipment, trying to reduce water flow noise past the hydrophone or troubleshooting a number of computer programs designed to analyze acoustic data. But some of the best SCIENCE abord the Gato Verde comes spontaneously through frequent observations. One day we sailed in front of the Lime Kiln Lighthouse, sprawled across the trampoline on the bow marveling at the Dall’s porpoises surfing the wake off our bow. On another occasion we spotted sea lions rummaging through a mixing area picking out prey and occasionally keeping an eny on our boat as we drifted past. And finally some days, there is not much to observe minus “birds, boats, and lots and lots of water!†best communicated in a thick British accent.
That said, all of us Beam Reachers are having a fantastic time abord the Gato Verde, floating up and down the Westside, talking with experts and enthusiats in the field of killer whale research, doing our own “SCIENCE†and keeping ourselves sane with jokes, games, silly accents, great food and nightly entertainment…
um…who loves October!!
Stay tuned for updates from week seven of the Beam Reach Adventure…
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It has been far too long since I’ve “blogged†and much has happened. First and foremost, I’ve seen breaching Orcas and bow riding Dall’s Porpoise and its been great. There are only 3 weeks left of the course, unbelievably. In the 7 weeks we’ve been here we’ve been to Lime Kiln State Park, a short kayaking trip, a short sail on a Cal 20 with the Commodore of the local yacht club, developed research proposals including methodology, meet many interesting people including some well known killer whale researchers, and we’ve spent 3 weeks on a catamaran around the San Juan Islands. Our first two weeks were an adventure. The first week we mostly spent getting used the boat and learning about sailing as the whales weren’t around. The second week we had two encounters with the whales and perhaps as interestingly the propulsion system on the boat stopped working. Our relief captain stepped up to the challenge and although we had no propulsion and little wind we managed to spend another couple of days on the water until safely returning to the Friday Harbor Labs. To return to the labs we rigged the dinghy up at the stern between the two hulls and ran that 18hp engine which was able to push us back to the labs and allowed for decent steering ability using the catamaran’s rudder. Somehow that week every time we were docking with little/no engine capabilities and only light winds I always ended up at the helm. I don’t mean to brag but I did pretty damn well and am proud of myself, plus I really learned a lot over that interesting week. Our third week out on the boat, the propulsion was mostly fixed and we were back with the owner/captain. We had one great day with the whales and collected quite a bit of good data but then the disappeared for the rest of the week. We kept ourselves busy with data analyzing and reading while we drifted around in Haro Strait hoping to intercept the whales as the returned. Despite having no Orcas we had a couple of wonderful encounters with some Dall’s Porpoise. There was one day we were sailing at 5kts or so and a group of 6-10 came up and bow rode for at least 20 min. I was sitting up on the starboard bow seat and when the came up to breathe they were 3 feet away and it felt like I could reach out and touch them. With their distinct black and white shading we could see them as they swam around underwater near the surface. A couple of days later we were just drifting with the current in Haro and a group of Dall’s came up and played around the boat for maybe 30 min. It was great!
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