Taking The Pulse Of The Sanctuary Aboard the McArthur II:

A Research Cruise

By Shannon Lyday, Volunteer Field Supervisor
Published: August 2006

FMSA and GFNMS staff aboard the McArthur II. Photos: Dru Devlin.

The countless possibilities of which species one could see made the 12-hour shift exciting, constantly searching the endless blue waters for animals.  As is typical of these waters, we experienced heavy fog, high seas, strong winds, as well as sunny, calm days.  I forgot what day of the week it was; time was marked by the changes in clothing, some days the gear reminiscent of conducting research in the Arctic, whereas other photos appear to have been taken on a Caribbean cruise.

It is hard to answer, “What is the best thing you saw?” because there were so many memorable sightings. Around the Farallon Islands, I was reminded of how incredibly rich these waters are.  We had hundreds of dolphins (3 different species: Northern right whale dolphin, Pacific white-sided dolphin, and Risso's dolphins) and large numbers of birds. The transect lines were very intense; I could barely keep up with data entry due to the thousands of birds.  Then we were surrounded by humpbacks, which were lunge feeding, breaching and pec-slapping.  On three occasions we were lucky enough to encounter killer whales, although our sightings of these transients were brief.  Black-footed Albatross constantly soared behind us, their 7-foot wingspan breathtaking to behold.  My favorite bird sighting was on our roughest day at sea. 

The sky and seas were slate gray, the white caps obscured by fog.  A heavyset, gull-like bird with broad wings appeared.  It was a South Polar Skua, a visitor from the Antarctic who attacks other birds until they drop their catch, robbing them of their food.

Being at sea gets in your blood.  Although the wildlife is the main attraction, living in close quarters with such a talented and dedicated group of people adds to the experience.  It was a great opportunity to learn from a team of people with a wide background of knowledge.  To learn more about the cruise, including sections on science and life at sea, read more at http://www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2006gfnms/welcome.html

Above Left: Operations Officer for Cordell Bank NMS, Michael Carver shows off an ocean krill sample. Above: NOAA scientists aboard the reseach dinghy.

The McArthur II.  Photo credit:  NOAA.