HI_10_02 Northwest HI Islands

A wonderful cruise to the NW HI islands. This science crew dove on shipwrecks, tagged sharks and were altogether amazingly pleasant. It was a wonderful cruise, not much survey work for me so I learned to handle lines, stand underway watches, and some various other things to help around the ship. Beautiful weather and seas for the most part, and as always, it is good to be back on land.

Hi'ialakai crew, chillin on Midway with some drinks. Ahhhh

My home, alongside in Midway

During one day of operations at French Frigate Shoals we were lucky enough to take a quick trip to Tern Island. It is always nice to get off of the ship for a bit. This island is pretty much a sandy strip with a runway and a TON of birds, and a few scientists staying on to study them, and the turtles. They were very loud and all over the place. Not my idea of a good time but they had a pretty sweet ping pong table and it seemed like a pretty peaceful way to live, if you can get over the constant bird noises close calls with them flying all over. I'll stick to the Hi'ialakai myself!

Birds...everywhere!

Turtles and birds

Our biggest small boat, HI-1 (10m), that we launch daily during operations. Coxswain Scotty was nice enough to take us to Tern Island for a little walk.

Our amazing snorkel spot the last day of the cruise-Ni'ihau Island, near Kauai. I saw amazing fish, sharks, and the best part-we swam with spinner dolphins spontaneously when we came upon a huge pod of them. When I was snorkeling I could hear them under water. And when we were just watching them they were jumping a few feet out of the water and spiraling and slapping back down, going on their backs and slapping their tails, and jumping in rainbow like arcs...it was AMAZING.