The Stanford@SEA class aboard the Robert C. Seamans is sailing into the South Pacific Gyre and it’s a stark contrast to the productive ocean waters around the Marquesas. We loved our port stop in Nuka Hiva. Students hiked, swam and even tagged a blue marlin! After exploring this lush island paradise we headed out early in the morning and pointed the ship to the south toward the Gambier Islands.
We have been able to sail some days with a full main now catching the wind and motor sail on the 4 lower sails on other days. The air and sea temperatures are decreasing a little making the temperature aboard the ship more comfortable. I have to admit it was pretty warm at our lowest latitudes, and I too am happy to feel breezes we sometimes joke are coming from Antarctica! We have intermittent light squalls occasionally giving us a brief freshwater shower. Stars and full moon light our way at night.
Our science teams are working around the clock as we rotate with watches conducting 2 hydrocasts a day, a vertical plankton net tow daily, and a deeper meter net at night. Phytoplankton tows are also being done to track the changing ecosystem. Students are standing watch in 6 hour shifts with half the watch in Science and the other half in the lab. Dr. Carl Safina has joined the trip and has provided lectures on writing and storytelling. Our artists were painting yesterday post class and providing lasting memories in water colors that we’re hanging up in the Salon where we have meals. The voyage is almost half over and the class enthusiasm is high. Right now we’re headed south- and planning a Gyre celebration.
