Student Connection

July 22, 1999 The Townsend Cromwell is now anchored off Kure atoll and we're breaking down the field camp located on Green Island on the atoll. Our camp breakdown at Pearl and Hermes went very well as we loaded the entire camp aboardship the first day, and spent the next day using our boats and crew to pull abandoned fishing net from the beaches where it had washed ashore. The view from the small boats is breath taking as the water is crystal blue and all around is wildlife. A small commotion in the water off one of the beaches turned out to be the wingtips of two stingrays breaking the surface as they performed what looked like a mating ritual of some sort. Hawaiian Monk seals, green sea turtles and many hundreds of birds lay on the beaches of the tiny islands. Large ulua (jacks), rays, turtles, seals, and sharks patrolled the water. The seals were the most amusing as they would pop their heads from the water and watch us from a distance as we made our way to the areas targeted for net removal. After operations on Pearl and Hermes were complete, we pulled anchor and headed 144 nautical miles northwest to Kure Atoll to retrieve the camp at Kure. We will attempt to retrieve as many lobster traps as possible that washed ashore on the island following the wreck of a lobster boat there last year. The weather continues to be fantastic as the skies remain clear and the wind very light to moderate. After Kure we start heading east, back toward Honolulu.

Other cruise write-ups for TC-99-08

• July 20
• July 22

Last modified July 30, 1999