NOAA Teacher at Sea
Kimberly Pratt
Onboard NOAA Ship McArthur II
July 2 – 24, 2005
Mission: Ecosystem Wildlife Survey
Geographical Area: Pacific Northwest
Date: July 20, 2005
Weather Data from Bridge
Latitude: 3602.734 N
Longitude: 12153.520 W
Visibility: 8 miles
Wind Direction: Variable
Wind Speed: light
Sea Wave Height: <1 ft
Swell Wave Height: 2-3 ft.
Sea Level Pressure 1014.0
Cloud Cover: Cloudy
Temperature: 16.0
Scientific Log
Our days continue to be hazy and cloudy. We are getting more track lines done and are staying “on effort” more frequently, yesterday, we had around 70 sightings of marine mammals. We are still seeing humpbacks, killer whales, Risso’s dolphins, harbor porpoises, pacific-white sided dolphins, minke whales, beaked whales, Dall’s porpoise, as well as California sea lions, northern fur seals, and elephant seals. The California current is one of the most productive in the world.
Yesterday, afternoon, about 3 miles from Big Sur, a Blue Whale surfaced right on the bow of the ship. It was beautiful to see the whale with the Big Sur coastline in the background.
Ornithologists are observing many birds including the resident breeders – Common Murre, Ashy Storm Petrels, Cassin’s Auklets, and Western Gulls. Additionally, they’ve observed Black-footed Albatross – (Hawaiian Island breeder), Sooty Shearwaters (New Zealand breeders), Pink footed Shearwaters (breed in Chile), South Polar Skua’s (Antarctic breeder), Red Necked Phalaropes, Sabine’s Gulls (Artic breeders), Heerman’s comes up the California current from Mexico, also 95% breed on the same island as the Heerman’s Gull, the Terns winter in Northern Chile, and Southern Peru.
Personal Log
The days are getting busy with sightings as we continue to work track lines in the southern marine sanctuaries. Although hazy and foggy, the weather has been quite pleasant. The ocean has been relatively flat, with little waves and small swells. This makes it easier to sight blows and marine mammals.
Today I’ll be editing video, and hopefully will have some good footage to share with you. We are trying a new way to get my logs off the ship. I will still answer e-mail to scientist7.mcarthur@noaa.gov until Sunday afternoon.
Photos by: Sophie Webb
