Category: David Babich

NOAA Teacher at Sea
David Babich
Onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather
July 5 -14, 2006

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Date: July 4, 2006

My First Full Day 

Today is an off day for many of the crew.  It’s the last day to relax and rest up before setting sail tomorrow.  I joined Scott Sherman and Ellen Sanford (both visiting from NOAA’s base in Silver Spring, MD), to explore the island a little.  The island is beautiful, with lush, green mountains throughout.  We were in search of seeing some of the island’s wildlife, and spotted some bald eagles and Sitka deer. In the afternoon, a picnic was planned in a nearby state park for the crews of the FAIRWEATHER and RAINIER. We had beautiful weather, and a perfect day to celebrate the Fourth of July on the last day before we set sail.  Everyone from both crews has been so nice and friendly, making it very easy to fit in!

Do to some unforeseen circumstances, we have had some difficulties sending and retrieving our email.  Fortunately, most of the glitches have been worked out and we’re up and running. I can now be reached at david.babich@noaa.gov. I look forward to answering any questions about the cruise.

NOAA Teacher at Sea
David Babich
Onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather
July 5 -14, 2006

Mission: Hydrographic Survey
Geographical Area: Aleutian Islands, Alaska
Date: July 3, 2006

My Arrival 

I had picture perfect weather for most of my long trip from Detroit to Kodiak, Alaska.  The sights as the plane crossed over western Canada and southern Alaska were stunning!  The ice-capped mountains and vast glaciers looked impressive, as sunshine lit up the region. My last leg from Anchorage to Kodiak Island wasn’t as spectacular, as I was greeted with cloudy, grey conditions. However, the weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the FAIRWEATHER crew, as I arrived just in time for the big FAIRWEATHER versus RAINIER softball game!

After ten hours in the air and a four-hour time change, I was ready to just relax, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to watch the FAIRWEATHER crew beat up on RAINIER once again. Recently, the two ships play a softball game whenever they find themselves in port together, and the trash talk was flying! Alas, RAINIER avenged their last defeat by beating FAIRWEATHER 16-10, but it was a spirited game.  It was also a wonderful way to meet members of both crews in an informal atmosphere.  I knew this would be a great crew to spend the next two weeks with!

It was a fight to stay awake, and I finally relented and went to sleep at 10:00, even though fireworks were planned for that night! Since it doesn’t get dark in this part of Alaska until midnight, the fireworks would have to start without me.  It’s very odd to be in a part of the world where it doesn’t get dark until 12 a.m. and daybreak begins at 4a.m.!  Hopefully I’ll be back on a normal schedule tomorrow.