NOAA Teacher at Sea
Sabrina Whitaker
Aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson
August 18 – 31, 2026
Mission: Hydrographic Survey, Leg 3
Geographic Area of Cruise: Lake Ontario
Date: August 24, 2026
Weather Data from the Bridge
Latitude: 43°53’38.2834N
Longitude:76° 30’08.8917W
Winds: Temperature: 68° F
Science and Technology Log
The science, travel, and community that make life aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson possible rely on the team hard at work in the galley. The cooks in the steward department serve a hot breakfast every morning at 7:00 a.m., offering eggs to order, pancakes or waffles, bacon, turkey bacon, sausage, and grits or oatmeal, along with fruit and a variety of sauces.
At 11:00 a.m., they serve a wide array of lunch options. Tuesdays are usually Taco Tuesday—a crew favorite—though the menu varies based on what Chief Steward Danni Cuff creates. She posts the weekly menu in advance so everyone knows what to expect. This also allows crew members to request a plate to be saved if they are working on the small boats or on shift outside galley hours.
Dinner is served at 4:30 p.m. Last week featured a surf-and-turf dinner with crab legs and steak. It was my first time trying crab legs, and I have to say, I prefer them over lobster.
For dessert tonight, I joined the Chief Steward in the galley to help make and decorate a white cake. Before we frosted it, she gave me some pointers on piping practice. Since she couldn’t find the exact piping tip she wanted, she also showed me how to cut a pastry bag to create one from scratch.
The Chief Steward’s role extends far beyond baking. She manages her department and ensures her team receives professional development while in port; one of her crew members will soon attend training at The Culinary Institute of America.
In addition to staff management, Danni oversees inventory and supply ordering for each leg of the voyage. She is currently developing an automated inventory system designed to generate supply orders and vendor lists based on planned menus and upcoming crew counts.
Personal Log
Before embarking on this leg aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, one of my biggest worries was the menu. I don’t typically care for seafood and have actively avoided it in the past, so I even reached out to a past Teacher at Sea participant to ask about the food. It turned out to be a total non-issue for three reasons: 1. Danni consistently provides multiple lunch and dinner choices (as seen on the weekly menu), alongside a fully stocked salad bar and sandwich station; 2. She takes great care with dietary restrictions and allergies. With so many options available, personal preferences are naturally accommodated as well; and 3. I’ve actually found myself reaching for seafood intentionally. Danni has prepared my favorite—catfish—both grilled and fried, and served dishes I had never tried before, like pollock and crab legs. Looking at menus from previous months, I noticed even more local, sustainably sourced species I would love to try.
Danni puts incredible thought, care, and effort into her work, and everyone aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson deeply appreciates her dedication—and her delicious meals.
Did You Know?
A waterspout is a spinning, funnel-shaped column of air and water mist that forms over a large body of water. At the end of the day that I spent with Danni, we saw a waterspout off of the side of the ship.
