Canary Islands 2009 Expedition: On-board Diary
Los Órganos, La Gomera. Friday, September 11, 2009
Author: Ana de la Torriente
Date: September 11, 2009
We took advantage of the calm to document the sea bottom off the Northern end of la Gomera. The days continue to be sunny, and the little wind blowing makes the heat inside the Ranger too intense at times. It is a good day to go outside during the crossing to the sampling stations and enjoy the coastal scenery. We sailed parallel to some gorgeous cliffs until we reached los Órganos, an impressive geological structure formed by basaltic columns with a shape similar to organ pipes; hence its name.
Read More...La Gomera. Thursday , September 10, 2009
Author: Thierry Lannoy
Date: September 10, 2009
We set sail this morning from the port of San Sebastian in La Gomera to work around the island.
Read More...La Gomera. Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Author: Ana de la Torriente
Date: September 9, 2009
This time, we submerged the ROV in Punta del Jurado, north of La Gomera. We were surprised to find so many shortnose greeneye (Chlorophthalmus agassizi) atop the muddy seabed, all looking in the direction from which the current was coming. We have documented this species in the Mediterranean in the past, but always individuals alone, never in such large groups.
Read More...La Gomera. Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Author: Gorka Leclercq
Date: September 8, 2009
The sky is blue, there is a wonderful shining sun, newly fallen powdered snow, and the entire slope untrodden, all for me. I grip the poles and lunge downhill. I fall into the snow up to my knees and when I take my first turn, a thought goes through my head: Damn, what time must it be that I’m having such a good time?
I stand up suddenly, so quickly that I bump my head on the corner of a cabinet that is at the upper part of my bunk. What time is it?
I started my watch at six o’clock a.m., I grope for the clock, three fifteen...son of a gun...
Read More...Tenerife. Monday, September 7, 2009
Author: Nuño Ramos
Date: September 7, 2009
"Ricardo... Where are we going today?”
A question I regularly ask the scientific guru we carry aboard at about 8 each morning. The engines purr as they warm up while the coffee is steaming in our cups so we can take in that heat that puts us in gear. Indi, the cook, hunched down below the engine controls is still in his dreamy limbo waiting for his last little sip in order to enter this world...
Read More...Tenerife. Sunday, September 6, 2009
Author: Carlos Pérez
Date: September 6, 2009
Today we set sail from the Puerto Amarillo Marina. We got up at the crack of dawn to arrive early at the ROV inspection and diving spots near the “Los Gigantes” area. The weather seems to be calming down, and the winds are quite tolerable on this Eastern-Southern-Western face of Tenerife. Today the gear was about to give us trouble, and we had to change a main diving compressor pressure gauge, thus putting off the morning dive to the afternoon. We also had to hoist the ROV back on board after having placed it in the water. On board, all the tests were correct.
Read More...Port of San Miguel, Tenerife. Saturday,September 5, 2009
Author: Ana de la Torriente
Date: September 5, 2009
Day off. Today is a day for forgetting all about sailing, the trade winds, the robot and diving and using this time to explore the island or kick back and relax.
The only ones who worked were the ROV technicians because the arrived and they had to spend their time installing it.
Read More...Grand Canary. Friday, September 4, 2009
Author: Ana de la Torriente
Date: September 4, 2009
Last night we set sail from Grand Canary toward Tenerife. The wind among the islands, picking up speed to give us a delightful night of rolling about. From the NE, force 6, and accompanied by a cross sea. I imagine that this time, it wasn’t the soundtrack that hit Indi during the entire voyage.
Read More...Grand Canary. Thursday , September 3, 2009
Author: Ana de la Torriente
Date: September 3, 2009
We are still in the southern islands. Today, we worked in front of Mogan again, protected from the trade winds.
Pitu had an intense day today piloting the rov; we did three dives south of Grand Canary. We went down to 540 meters for the first time!!
Read More...Arguineguin, Southern Grand Canary. Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Author: José Peñalver - "Indi"
Date: September 2, 2009
Seven twenty-five a.m. I know this because the daily alarm on my cell phone started to spit out the tune from the soundtrack of the movie The Sting, perhaps attempting to sting me to my feet. But even that didn’t work. Sometimes the ship jostles you until you get up. The bad part is that it usually does it from the time you go to bed the night before. I clumsily pressed the “5 minute snooze” key, trying to get my brain to go back to the off position as quickly as possible, thus chiseling another chunk out of the night.
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