Humpback whale – NOAA Teacher at Sea Blog

May 26, 2026May 28, 2026

Mandy Freeman: Life Between Sunrises and Humpbacks, May 24, 2026

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Mandy Freeman

Aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow

May 19 – May 29, 2026

Mission: Sea Scallop HabCam Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Northeast Atlantic Ocean

Date: May 24, 2026

Weather Data from 13 miles due East of Monomoy Point, Massachusetts
Latitude: 41 32.7776 ° N
Longitude: 069 42.0435 ° W
Wind Speed: 12.5 knots E
Air Temperature: 10.5 °C (50.9°F)

Science and Technology Log

The Habitat Mapping Camera System (HabCam) has been taking LOTS of pictures of the life near the sea floor. As part of the nightshift, my duties include annotating the HabCam images, driving the HabCam vehicle as Pilot, and serving as Co-Pilot.

Annotating images involves identifying and measuring scallops, as well as identifying other animals like round fish, flat fish, skates, crabs and whelks.

As Co-Pilot, there are several monitors with varying data from both the ship and the HabCam that must be watched in order to see obstacles on the path to avoid a collision. The depth of the HabCam is controlled by a “joy stick” that deploys and retracts the cable attached to the frame surrounding the HabCam. Ideally the camera should be kept within 2 meters from the ocean bottom.

As the Pilot, I must constantly monitor and adjust for the ever-changing distance from the seafloor to keep the HabCam from touching bottom. Some areas are easy to navigate, while others are rocky with “surprise” boulders.

BEFORE Annotations

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) places a strong emphasis on producing reliable, standardized research data, so I was required to watch a training video, pass a verbal quiz, and then take a 200 image test to ensure my annotations met those standards.

view of a desktop computer at a workstation. we cannot really interpret anything on the screen. a sea scallop shell rests on the table off to the side. — Training and a test before I could annotate images

screenshot of an underwater view of a scallop on the seafloor — Live Sea Scallop from training session

Mandy sits at a corner desk with an array of computer monitors and a control panel with a joystick. she faces the screens intently as she grips the joystick with her right hand — Mandy piloting the HabCam

Mandy stands on deck in front of the HabCam, a large apparatus housing underwater cameras. she wears an orange hard hat and orange life vest. — Mandy standing on deck with the HabCam

Drifter Buoys

Through NOAA’s Adopt a Drifter Program, I also had the opportunity to deploy two drifter buoys while aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. The mission of this program is “to connect classrooms around the world with NOAA data, and provide a real-life, interactive classroom experience to teach students about ocean science” (Adopt a Drifter Program). After decorating the buoys, we deployed both buoys from the starboard side of the ship at 5:21 AM and 5:22AM on Friday, May 22, 2026. As soon as I have a link to track them, I will post here!

If you or your school would like to adopt a drifter buoy, you can find out more information HERE.

Lewisville High School side of buoy

close-up of the buoy portion of the drifter showing the orange outline of a cat's paw and the words "c/o 1998, 2020" — Clemson University side of buoy (Mandy is a 1998 & 2020 graduate of Clemson)

close up of the buoy portion of the drifter showing a sticker of the state of South Carolina with a moon and palm tree from the state flag, and a NOAA Teacher at Sea Program sticker — Representing Mandy’s home state of South Carolina and the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program

three people stand on the deck of ship, in front of the railing, at sunrise. Mandy is in the center. Andrew and Tommi to her left and right each hold up a heavy drifting buoy, which consists of the float, cable, and folded up drogue. All three wear hard hats and life vests. — Andrew Merlino (Survey Tech) and Tommi Truong (Able Seaman) assisted Mandy in the deployment of the buoys (Image courtesy of Kristen Jabanoski)

Mandy and Tommi, wearing hard hats and life vests, stand at the railing of the ship at sunrise and watch as the drifting buoy flies through the air toward the water. Tommi's arms are still extended from tossing. With low lighting, this photo is a little out of focus. — Deployment (Image courtesy of Zach Fyke, NOAA Watch Chief)

view of the drifting buoy in the water: a round blue and white float, attached to a cable, attached to a folded "drogue" or fabric tail. the cardboard packaging will dissolve and allow the drogue to extend. we can just barely see the Lewisville High School sticker. — Buoy In (Image courtesy of Zach Fyke, NOAA Watch Chief)

Personal Log

Ship living isn’t all that bad, but night shift has been an adjustment! I am in a stateroom with three other ladies; two of us are on night shift (11:30 PM – 11:30 AM) and two are on day shift (11:30 AM-11:30 PM). When you leave for watch, it is common courtesy to NOT return to the stateroom when your bunkmates are sleeping. *It’s a good idea to set your things out before going to bed so your essentials aren’t left behind!*

close up view of a single lower stateroom bunk. we can see a nightlight mounted to the wall, a curtain drawn aside, and the ladder up to the top bunk

view of lockers in the stateroom, with luggage and backpacks visible on the floor in front of them.

view of a small desk and chair tucked next a locker in the stateroom. above the desk is a window with blackout curtains.

view of four bunks, stacked in pairs, in the shared stateroom. each bunk has its own curtain. we can also see a sink and a locker.

view of the head (bathroom) with toilet, shower, sink

My stateroom: four berths, storage lockers, desk, head

What day is it? Not really sure…But I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the crew and learning how the HabCam collects images of sea life and how NOAA uses this data to inform the local fisheries. More about the crew later!

I’ve had the opportunity to see some amazing sunrises…

view of sunrise over the railing of NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. the water is calm and gray. an orange sun peeks over low gray clouds and illuminates parts of the horizon; it adds a golden tinge to the otherwise gray water

view over the railing at calm gray waters, cloudy gray skies, but a riotous streak of neon red-orange right at the horizon

And today, we had the honor of watching humpback whales while SNOW fell!

All humpback whale images courtesy of Zach Fyke.

Did You Know?

The Humpback whale can weigh up to about 40 tons, grow to around 60 feet (18 meters) long, and live roughly 80–90 years. They are known for their long migrations, complex songs, and acrobatic behaviors such as breaching and tail slapping. Humpback whales are found in oceans worldwide and feed mainly on small fish and krill (Humpback Whales – NOAA). They are also called the “singing whale,” because the male mating song can change from year to year and can last as long 30 minutes (Fun Facts About Wonderful Whales).

Although humpback whale populations are increasing, they remain on the endangered species list. Their greatest threats include entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris, vessel strikes, harassment from boats, ocean noise, and changing climate conditions (Humpback Overview – NOAA).

Did you know different animals (and fish) make specific sounds? Watch the following video to learn more about how NOAA Fisheries uses Passive Acoustic Monitoring to study not only the humpback whale, but many different types of sea life! Listening for Whales. Visit the NOAA Mammals: Sounds in the Ocean site to hear the differences between 32 mammals including the humpback whale and the minke whale!

Careers at Sea

portrait of a man in a fleece with a shoulder bag strap standing at a ship's railing at sunrise or sunset — Rhett Finley, NOAA Passive Acoustics Branch in the Northeast
(Credit Rhett Finley)

Meet Rhett Finley, a fieldwork team lead from the NOAA Passive Acoustics Branch in the Northeast. Rhett grew up in Tulsa, OK and developed a passion for science at just 6 or 7 years old. By the age of ten, he already knew he wanted to become a marine biologist, inspired by the nature documentaries he watched growing up. He later attended Texas A&M University at Galveston, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology.

When I asked Rhett how he became drawn to the field of bioacoustics, he said “it was because of its versatility and noninvasive nature and the ability to integrate it with other scientific disciplines, like genetics. This approach is an effective means of collecting detailed data on threatened species especially in remote or difficult to access areas and therefore can contribute to well-informed conservation management efforts for those species and their respective habitats.”

His job with the NOAA Fisheries Passive Acoustics Branch involves:
– placing underwater microphones (hydrophones) in designated areas, such as wind farm areas and marine sanctuaries
– assists with analyzing and interpreting acoustic data, which is visualized in the form of spectrograms (picture below).

His current focus is on the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). More information on this whale found here. The goal of this NOAA division is to “use passive acoustic technologies to study the behavior and movements of marine animals, their contribution to the ocean soundscape, and how they are affected by human-made sounds” (Passive Acoustic Research in the Northeast)

a graph showing frequency (Hz) v time (m:ss). sounds show up as yellow or green markings against a darker purple background. annotations point out a humpback whale song (markings in a patter that extend the full length of the x-axis); North Atlantic right whale upcalls (a few vertical markings toward the left side of the x axis) and sei whale downsweep doublet (two curved downward markings toward the right side of the x-axis.) in the low frequency values there are a lot of scattered green markings from ship noise. — Spectrogram showing unique calls by multiple species including humpback whale song, North Atlantic right whale upcalls, and a sei whale downsweep doublet with low-frequency ship noise overlapping.
Credit: NOAA Fisheries

Interested in this type of career? NOAA offers internships to both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as high school students! Check out the opportunities and scholarships available HERE!

For more information and great pictures, check out the NOAA Fisheries New England/Mid-Atlantic Facebook page! Or their Instagram page.

July 24, 2019

Shelley Gordon: Life on Board R/V Fulmar, July 23, 2019

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Shelley Gordon

Aboard R/V Fulmar

July 19-27, 2019

Mission: Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies Survey (ACCESS)

Geographic Area of Cruise: Pacific Ocean, Northern and Central California Coast

Date: July 23, 2019

Weather Data: Wind – NW 19-23 knots, gust ~30 knots, wind wave ~7′, swell SSW 1′ at 16 seconds; Partly sunny, with patchy fog early

During this week, I am living aboard R/V Fulmar. The “research vessel” is a 67-foot catamaran (meaning it has two parallel hulls) with an aluminum hull. This boat was specifically designed to support research projects in the three National Marine Sanctuaries along the central and northern California coast, and was first put in the water in 2007. Normally, the Fulmar is based out of Monterey Bay harbor in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. However, this week she is being put to work on an ACCESS cruise in the two sanctuaries a little farther to the north, Cordell Bank and Greater Farallones.

Each evening, after a full day of collecting samples, the Fulmar motors back into the harbor for the night. We are working out of two harbors on this cruise, Sausalito and Bodega Bay. The vibe in each harbor is quite different. Sausalito is full of private pleasure yachts, small sailboats, and live aboard boats/houseboats. Spud Point marina in Bodega Bay is much more of a working marina. The majority of the boats are large fishing trawlers. It is currently salmon fishing season, and the boats that are working bring back their daily catch to the marina so that it can be transported to market.

The Fulmar is operated by two crew members on this cruise. Clyde Terrell is the captain and Rayon Carruthers is the first mate. In addition to the crew there have been 6-7 scientists on board, and myself. Jan Roletto is a scientist from Greater Farallones, Kirsten Lindquist and Dru Devlin work at the Greater Farallones Association, and from Cordell Bank we have Dani Lipski and Rachel Pound. Jaime Jahncke is lead Principal Investigator on ACCESS and works at Point Blue Conservation Scientist. Kate Davis, currently a post-doc at the University of South Carolina, also joined the first half of the trip.

The boat has 5 main areas. The “bridge” contains the digital and physical equipment that the crew uses to steer the ship. There are several computers that display radar signals and a GPS map. In the main cabin there are bunks for sleeping, a marine head (bathroom) with a toilet, sink, and shower, a fully-equipped kitchen, and a lab/work area. The back deck is where most of the equipment for sample collecting is stored and put to use when samples are being collected. On the top deck there are life rafts and safety equipment, as well as an additional steering wheel. This is also where the team sits to make observations as we move along the transects. Finally, there are two engine rooms underneath the main cabin.

My bunk
The kitchen
The dry lab
The wet lab

Shelley in immersion suit — Me, putting on the immersion suit. *Photo: Jan Roletto*

Safety on the boat is obviously very important. Before we went the first day, I received a full safety briefing and I got to practice donning an immersion suit, which we would need to wear in the case of an emergency where we might need to evacuate the ship and be exposed to cold water for a prolonged period of time. The immersion suit is like a full-footed, full-fingered, and hooded wetsuit. The goal is to be able to get into the immersion suit in less than two minutes, which was actually a little more difficult than I expected given that once you have the full-fingered gloves on it is difficult to effectively use your hands to finish zipping up the suit. Anyone working on the back deck collecting samples is required to wear a life jacket or float coat and a hard hat.

The daily activities on the boat vary depending on your role. In general, we have been leaving the marina between 6:30-7:00am and there has typically been a 1-2 hour transit to the first data collection station. During that time the team is generally relaxing, preparing for the day, or employing their personal strategy to combat seasickness (napping, lying down, or sitting in the fresh air on the top deck). I’ve been fortunate to feel pretty good on this trip and haven’t struggled with seasickness. Once data collection begins, my role on the back deck has been a series of action and waiting. Since we are using heavy tools to collect data at significant depths, we use a crane and cable to hoist the equipment in and out of the water. The winch that unwinds and winds the cable can lower or lift the equipment at a rate of ~20 m/min. For the most part while the equipment is away from the boat we are waiting, and at times we have lowered data collection tools beyond 200m, which means a travel time of ~20 minutes, down and back.

Jaime and Kirsten — Jaime Jahncke and Kirsten Lindquist recording observations along ACCESS transect 3N.

However, today we actually did observation-only lines, so I had a lot of time to relax and observe. The weather also turned a little bit today. We had pretty dense fog in the morning, and more wind and rougher seas than on previous days. But, near the end of the day, as we reached Drake’s Bay in Point Reyes National Seashore, the fog suddenly cleared and Point Reyes provided some protection from the wind. The marine life seemed to appreciate the sun and wind protection as well as there was a large group of feeding seabirds and humpback whales right off the point. We ended the day on a pleasant, sunny ride along the coast and underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, docking for the night in Sausalito.

Did You Know?

Humpback whales are migratory. The population we are able to see here migrate annually from their breeding grounds off the coast of Mexico. They come each summer to enjoy the nutrient rich waters of the California coast. Humpback whales thrive here due to upwelling of nutrients from the deep ocean, which helps supports their favorite food – krill! Humpback whales feed all summer on krill, copepods, and small fish so that they can store up energy to migrate back down to the warmer tropical waters for the winter breeding season. I hope they get their fill while they’re here since they won’t eat much until they return, next summer.

A humpback whale tail. *Photo: Dru Devlin*

August 16, 2018August 16, 2018

Tom Savage: The Physical Geography of the Aleutian Islands, August 16, 2015

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Tom Savage

Aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather

August 6 – 23, 2018

Mission: Arctic Access Hydrographic Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: Point Hope, northwest Alaska

Date: August 16, 2018

Weather Data from the Bridge

Latitude 68 38.8 N
Longitude – 166 23.8 W
Air temperature: 10 C
Dry bulb 10 C
Wet bulb 8.9 C
Visibility: 8 Nautical Miles (8.8 miles)
Wind speed: 26 knots
Wind direction: east
Barometer: 1007 millibars
Cloud Height: 2 K feet
Waves: 6 feet

Sunrise: 6:33 am
Sunset: 11:51 pm

Physical Geography of Aleutian Islands

The Aleutian Islands are a product of a subduction zone between the North American and the Pacific Plate and known as the Aleutian Arc. Along this boundary, the Pacific Plate is being subducted underneath the North American Plate due to the difference in density. As a result, the plate heats up, melts and forms volcanoes. In this case the islands are classified as volcanic arcs. As a result of this collision, along the boundary the Aleutian Trench was formed and the deepest section measures 25,663 ft! For comparison purposes, the deepest point in the ocean is located in the Mariana’s Trench at 36,070 feet (6.8 miles)! Through the use of radioisotopic dating of basalt rocks throughout the Aleutians, geologists have concluded the formation of the island chain occurred 35 million years ago. (USGS). Today, there are 14 volcanic islands and an additional 55 smaller islands making up the island chain.

ConvergentBoundary — The Aleutian Islands – yellow line indicates subduction boundary (Courtesy of US Geologic Survey)

On the map above, the Aleutian Islands appear small. However, they extend an area of 6,821 sq mi and extend out to 1,200 miles! In comparison, North Carolina from the westernmost point to the Outer Banks is 560 miles, half of the Aleutian Islands. It takes roughly ten hours to drive from Murphy NC (western NC) to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Since this region of the North American plate and the Pacific Plate are both oceanic plates, Island Arcs are formed. This is the same classification as the Bahamas, located southeast of Florida.

Convergence of North American and Pacific Plates – Image courtesy of US Geologic Survey

Oceanic-OceanicPlate — Convergence of two Oceanic Plate – Image courtesy of US Geologic Survey

The image above depicts a cross section of the geological forces that shaped the Aleutian Islands. As the two plates collide, the oceanic crust is subducted under the lithosphere further offshore thus generating the island arcs. Unlike the west coasts of Washington, Oregon and California, there is an oceanic/continental collision of plates resulting in the formation of volcanoes further on the continental crust, hundreds of miles inland. Examples are Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, and Mount St. Helen’s which erupted in 1980.

Alpine Glaciers are prevalent throughout the mountainous region of Alaska. What about the Aleutians Islands? Today there are a few small alpine glaciers existing on Aleutian Islands. Alpine glacier on the Attu Island is one example, which is the western most island.

Personal Log

One truth about being at sea is don’t trust the wall, floor or ceiling. Sometimes, the wall will become the floor or the ceiling will become the wall 🙂 Lately, the seas have become this ongoing amusement park ride. Although the weather has been a bit rough, data collection continues with the ship. The weather outside is more reflective of fall and winter back in North Carolina, though we have not seen any snow flakes. After surfing the waves yesterday while collecting data, today the hydrographers are processing data collected over the past few days.

Yesterday was whale day! Early afternoon, humpbacks were spotted from the port side of the ship (left side). As the afternoon went on, humpbacks were spotted all around the Fairweather, at distances of 0.5 miles to 5 miles. Humpbacks are considered the “Clowns of the Seas” according to many marine biologists. Identifying whales can be tricky especially if they are distances greater than a few miles. Humpbacks are famous for breaching the water and putting on a show, Yesterday we did not witness this behavior, however they were showing off their beautiful flukes.

Humpback whale fluke, photo courtesy of NOAA

Question of the Day: Which whale species, when surfacing, generates a v shape blow?

Until next time, happy sailing!

Tom

July 26, 2017August 1, 2017

Jenny Hartigan: Whales and Birds Everywhere! July 23, 2017

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Jenny Hartigan
Aboard NOAA Ship R/V Fulmar
July 21 – July 28, 2017

Mission: Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies: Bird, mammal, zooplankton, and water column survey

Geographic Area: North-central California

Date: July 23

Weather Data from the Bridge:

Latitude: 37.8591° N,

Longitude: 122.4853° W

Time: 0700

Sky: 100% cloud cover

Visibility: 8 nautical miles

Wind Direction: NW

Wind speed: 10-20 knots

Sea wave height: 2-4 feet

NW Swell 7-9 feet at 8 seconds

Barometric pressure: 30.02 inches

Sea Water Temperature: 58.6

Air Temperature: 52 degrees F

Wind Chill: 34 degrees F

Rainfall: 0mm

Scientific Log:

Saturday was my first day out, and it was an excellent day for wildlife observation. In fact, that is what I did for most of the day. A highlight of my day was seeing two blue whales spouting right in front of the Fulmar. I tried to get a photo, but they went below the surface quickly. Blue whales are the largest marine mammals, averaging 20-25meters long and blue grey in color. It is called a cetacean, which means it has flukes, (tail fin), and may or may not have a dorsal fin (the fin on the back or top of the body.) This is in contrast to pinnipeds, which are marine mammals that use their flippers to walk. The blue whale is a baleen whale, which feeds by chasing prey up to the surface of the water. There it forages by swimming with its mouth open to catch small invertebrates such as krill and copepods. The baleen in its mouth filters out the invertebrates from the water.

The whale we saw most often was the humpback whale. This baleen whale averages 11-13 meters in length, and is dark grey to black in color. I was so excited to observe 3 tail flukes of humpbacks today!

The scientists spotting marine mammals from the flying bridge.

Cassin’s auklets and humpback whales – Video credit: J. Jahncke/NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS

Marine mammals seen Saturday:

6 blue whales

23 humpback whales

22 unknown whales

several harbor porpoise

4 California sea lions

Layman’s albatross – Video credit: J. Jahncke/NOAA/Point Blue/ACCESS

Birds seen Saturday:

Cassin’s auklets

Black–footed albatross, layman’s albatross

Western gulls

Hearman’s gull

Common murre – including the first murre chicks of the season the ACCESS crew has sighted.

Many marine animals tend to be found where upwelling occurs. Deep ocean nutrient-filled waters are brought to the surface by changes in sea floor topography, winds and currents. These nutrients fertilize phytoplankton (tiny plant life) that serves as the base of the food web. Whales return to these areas to feed on the small invertebrates that flourish there. These hotspots occur just off the Ca Coast. Protecting and managing these ecosystems is one major reason we have established National Marine Sanctuaries such as The Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, Cordell Bank, and Monterey Bay. In a later post, I’ll tell you more about the procedures the scientists use to observe and record the mammal and bird sightings.

Personal Log:

That’s me, in front of the Fulmar!

I settled into my berth onboard the R/V Fulmar. The ship can sleep 10 people, has a galley (shipspeak for kitchen), a wet lab (place to conduct experiments that are wet!) and one head (shipspeak for bathroom). Although the ship is only 67 feet long, the scientist and crew work together so efficiently that it is very comfortable. It has everything we need. I am rooming with Dani Lipski, who is one of the scientists. I’m on the bottom bunk. I’ll introduce her to you later on. She has spent a lot of time teaching me how to use the equipment to take samples. She has graciously answered my millions of questions!

My bunk on the bottom. Do you see the ladder to the escape hatch on the right?

I am delighted to find that I am not feeling seasick. My doctor did prescribe me the patch to wear behind my ear, and I guess it’s working! In any case, I’m not taking it off to test it out. We have had some pretty bumpy experiences transiting to sampling sites and so far so good.I have learned to always keep one hand on the boat when walking around, and not to go below deck when the ship is moving. It surprises me to experience what a workout my legs are getting simply by working to maintain my balance. Even while sitting here writing on my computer I have to constantly engage my legs so I don’t fall over.

Did you know?

The Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) separates ship traffic going in opposite directions, much like a median strip separates opposing lanes of cars on a freeway. The TSS is marked on nautical charts so that traffic proceeds safely.

I love hearing from you. Keep those comments coming!

July 22, 2015August 11, 2021

Andrea Schmuttermair: Engineering Extravaganza! July 21, 2015

NOAA Teacher at Sea
Andrea Schmuttermair
Aboard NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
July 6 – 25, 2015

Mission: Walleye Pollock Survey
Geographical area of cruise: Gulf of Alaska
Date: July 21, 2015

Weather Data from the Bridge:
Latitude: 57 09.0N
Longitude: 151 16.5W

Sky: broken clouds

Visibility: 10nm
Wind Direction: 245 degrees

Wind Speed: 24 knots
Sea wave height: 3ft

Swell wave: 5-7 ft

Sea water temp: 11.3 C
Dry temperature: 11.1 C

Birds are always abundant after a trawl

Sunset from the ship

Science and Technology Log

Aside from our survey, there is a lot of other science taking place on the ship. In fact, science is all around us. The officers on the bridge are using science when they use weather patterns and sea swells to calculate the best course of navigation for the ship. The survey technicians are using science when they collect water samples each day and test the salinity of the water. The engineers are using science when they are monitoring the ballast of the ship. Science is happening in places we don’t always take the time to look.

Today we look at a different realm of science, the engineering world. I recently had the opportunity to tour the brains of the ship with two of our engineers on board. I not only learned about the construction of the ship, but I also learned about the various components that help the ship run. The Oscar Dyson was constructed as one of NOAA’s first noise-reduced fisheries vessels. Data have been collected over the years that show fish avoid loud vessels by diving down deeper or moving out of the way of the noise. There was concern that this avoidance behavior would affect the survey results; thus the creation of acoustic quieting technology for research vessels. Another interesting part of the ship’s construction is the retractable centerboard, which allow the transducers to be lowered down below the ship and away from the hull in order to reduce noise and gather higher quality sound data for the surveys.

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It turns out 2 of our engineers are from San Diego, the place I lived for my first 21 years of life. Nick even graduated from Westview High School, the rival of my high school, Mt. Carmel (albeit 10 years after me). The engineers are responsible for making sure everything is working on the ship. They, along with the rest of the engineering team, have to anticipate and troubleshoot problems, and be ready to fix something at a moment’s notice.

In addition to taking me on a tour around the innards of the ship, Nick and Rob also sat down for an interview about marine engineering.

Interview with the Engineers: Rob Ball and Nick Cuellar

Nick, Rob, and....Wilson! — Nick, Rob, and….Wilson!

What is your educational/working background?

Nick: I played soccer throughout high school and was recruited during my senior year by the US Merchant Marine Academy. I went to school there, played soccer, and received a BS degree in marine engineering. I spent 1 of my 4 years at sea doing hands-on training. I was also commissioned into the US Navy as a reservist.

Rob: I’m what they call a hawespiper in the merchant marine world- I started at the bottom and worked my way up. I started at Scripps Institute of Oceanography in 1988 and worked my way up ranks from oiler to engineer. I received my captain’s license, and ran sport fishing boats because I wanted to know boats from top to bottom. I went to professional college for refrigeration, and my main forte is refrigeration and air conditioning, I know I’ll never be out of work. I’m a first engineer now, and am going to go for my chief’s license.

How long have you been working on the Oscar Dyson?

Nick: I came on in August of 2014.

Rob: I just came on board in April of 2015

What are your main responsibilities as an engineer on board?

Nick: As a second engineer, I give fuel reports and transfer fuel to maintain stability of the ship. We have saltwater tanks for ballast, which changes as we burn fuel, and I help monitor this. I check the electricity, lights, fuel, water, and AC and make sure everything’s running. I fix anything that’s breaking.

Rob: As a first engineer, I am the supervisor of engine room and am responsible for how everything is operating. I get updates on the fuel status, and communicate with CO of the ship if changes need to be made. I also look at when the oil/filter needs to be changed. My position is more supervisory, and I oversee responsibilities and delegate tasks. I handle the plant and the people.

What is your favorite part of the job?

Nick: Travel; getting work experience, marine life

Rob: Money and travel; getting to see things in ocean that most people would only see on National Geographic

What is most challenging about your job?

Nick: The different personalities you have to work with

Rob: I agree with Nick. Our life exists in 204ft. I am able to take frustrations and put it into things I enjoy, such as working out, reading, or playing guitar.

What is something unique to being an engineer on a ship as opposed to an engineer on land?

Nick: You have to have knowledge of every square inch of the ship; the two things I think about are: are we sinking and are the lights on.

Rob: You have to keep things going when you have big seas, and you have to have the knowledge and ability to handle problems and stay on your feet (literally). You have everyone’s lives in your hands- you have to be on all the time.

What would tell students who are looking at careers in engineering?

Nick: Don’t give up and keep on fighting. Don’t let hardships get in the way. If it makes you happy, keep doing it. And know your math!

Rob: it’s a limitless field; you can build anything, and fix anything. If someone else made it, you’ll have the ability to figure out what they did. You get to break stuff and fix it.

What is your favorite marine animal?

Nick: Humpback whale

Rob: Orca and Great white shark

Thanks gentlemen for the interview!

Looked like the pipes needed a little fixing….

Welding is more difficult than it looks.

Drew helping me hold the rod for welding.

Personal Log

This baby humpback whale was having a blast breaching over and over again.

The ringing of the phone woke me up from the gentle rolling of the ship. I had told the officers and scientists to wake me up if there was anything cool happening, and an excited ENS Gilman spoke into the receiver claiming there were hundreds (ok, maybe hundreds was a bit of an exaggeration) of whales breaching and swimming around the ship. Throwing on a sweatshirt and grabbing my camera, I raced up to the bridge to get a view of this. I had low expectations, as it seemed that every time we got the call that there were whales around, they left as soon as we got up there. This time, however, I was not disappointed. It was a whale extravaganza! Humpback whales, fin whales, orcas, there were so many whales it was hard to decide where to point my camera or binoculars. Like one of those fountains that spurt up water intermittently through different holes, the whales were blowing all around us. I was up on the bridge for over an hour, never tiring to see which one would spout next, or show us a fluke before it dove down deep, only to resurface somewhere else 15 minutes later. It was truly a treat to be able to watch them, and the weather couldn’t have been better. My favorite shot was of a baby humpback breeching – we had been tracking him for a while, his blow noticeably smaller than the adults around him. He looked as if he was just playing around in the water, enjoying himself without a worry in the world. I had been hoping to see Alaska wildlife on this trip, and am thrilled my wish was granted.

A pod of orcas was amidst the whale extravaganza!

The sight of the fluke indicates they are diving down deeper, and may not resurface again for several minutes.

So many whales!

I had a question about our living accommodations on the ship, and I must admit they aren’t too shabby. I share a room with another one of the scientists, and she works the opposite shift. This works out nicely as we can each have our own time in the room, and can sleep uninterrupted. We have bunks, or racks as many refer to them, and I am sleeping on the top bunk. We have a bathroom with a shower in our room, and it’s nice not to have to share those amenities. The walls are pretty thin, and the ship can be loud when operations are going, making earplugs or headphones helpful.