I was out yesterday on a research vessel trying to recover many thousands of $$$ worth of electronics we deployed a month ago for Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. The winds were howling (40+ mph) and swells were up (4'-8') -- it was like Victory At Sea out there. It took everything the captain could do to hold the boat in position long enough for me and the other diver to hit the water anywhere close to our target -- the current was also running about 3-4kts through there -- but once we were able to reach our downline (and hold on for dear life) and begin our descent, it was beautiful. Going down the line it was a fantastic blue color with nothing but small pelagic jellies (pteropods, combs, pelagic tunicates, salps, etc.) of all kinds flying past us. The water was thick with them. Even so, we had amazing viz. Even from the master connector link at a little over 100' deep where we were to attach the shackle for retrieving the anchor for the equipment, we could see the instrument pod at 45' and the EM cable stretching up to the antennae buoy on the surface. Getting back on the boat was interesting -- not to mention trying to land the various pieces of equipment on the deck with the boat's cranes without totally destroying them, the vessel, our anyone else on deck.

Another stimulating day out of the office -- but today I'm back paying for it.

• Cool seahunt 20:19:46 04/30/10 (0)