August 26, 2013 Heceta Bank We didn’t know what we might find in the Heceta Bank region off the central Oregon coast. It is one of the largest reef complexes off the Pacific Northwest coast, once nominated to be a National Marine Sanctuary because of its ecological significance. There have been a few research dives … Read more
We awoke this morning to calm seas and a beautiful sunrise coming up over Cape Lookout, Oregon. Knowing it would be the last land we’d see for the next six days, we motored offshore for three hours and arrived at South Nehalem Reef; over 20 miles off the coast. Getting the ROV set up, our … Read more
August 25, 2013 Daisy to North Heceta Bank Today we completed two dives on the north/northwest slope of Daisy Bank. Seven hundred feet below the surface we saw small red gorgonian corals attached to large boulders, glass sponge, barrel sponge, rockfish and box crab. At one point a large ray flew right under our ROV. … Read more
August 24, 2013 Daisy Bank We faced some new challenges today and took some new risks. We made our deepest dive yet with the ROV to 1,170 feet. We also did our first night dive. After sunset we dove the ROV to 600 feet at Daisy Bank. The area is currently protected from bottom trawling … Read more
August 23, 2013 Siletz Hotspot We spent the night last night drifting aboard the Miss Linda, forty miles offshore. The seas stayed calm and we were rocked to sleep by a gentle ocean swell. This morning we dove on an area we’ve named the “Siletz Hotspot”. Far west of the Siletz River estuary, this area … Read more
August 22, 2013 South Nehalem Reef We awoke this morning to calm seas and a beautiful sunrise coming up over Oregon’s Cape Lookout. Knowing it would be the last land we’d see for the next six days, we motored offshore for three hours and arrived at South Nehalem Reef; over 20 miles off the coast. … Read more
August 20, 2013 Pacific Important Ecological Area Expedition Newport, Oregon Kicking off our 2013 Pacific Expedition, our Oceana crew arrived yesterday in Portland, Oregon, from Chile, California, and Alaska and united with our Oregon expedition leader, Ben Enticknap. Today in Newport, the Port was bustling with activity. While we loaded Oceana’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) … Read more
August 21, 2013 Siletz Reef/ Cascade Head Today we departed Newport at 5 a.m. bound for the Siletz Reef off Lincoln City, Oregon. Large ocean swells rocked us in our bunks as Captain Bob Pedro steered the Miss Linda to our first dive site. We’ve been planning this expedition for many months and the excitement … Read more
Imagine living next to a construction zone, where every ten seconds, every day, for days to weeks on end, you are subjected to loud, disruptive explosions while you’re trying to eat, sleep and function in your normal routine. If the Department of the Interior approves a proposal to allow seismic airgun testing in the Atlantic, … Read more
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We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.