And just like that, our deployments come to a bittersweet end, with the successful launching of UNA1-C(3) off the deck in the afternoon. The float pack recovery was met with applause and palpable excitement from the crew, as the bosun and technicians secured the deck and the chief mate set the ship on course back to Seward after an incredible 10 days at sea.
Our journey back is slated for a slightly different route through Shelikof Strait, which will give the crew some new sights to take in (hopefully including some volcanoes!). In fact, we caught our first glimpse of land today as we passed by the Fox Islands.
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| Bathymetric and contour map of the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Arc, with our trajectory plotted (red line). Green polygon marks our current location. Map downloaded from the R/V Sikuliaq internal Map Server. |
With a ~4 day return trip, the crew has time to celebrate a successful deployment campaign and to reflect on all of the exciting scientific discoveries that will come forth from this expedition, but also to rest and enjoy one another's good company for a while longer. Writing from the Bridge this evening, we are enjoying the sight of albatrosses and puffins passing over vast expanses of ocean to the tune of some lovely sea shanties (chief mate's selection).
Signing off now. We'll continue to blog through our journey back to Seward, so stay tuned. The voyage is not over just yet!
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