Red Sky at Morning...

An update:

We are now thoroughly entrenched in our work. As we approach the halfway point in the cruise, all of the scientists and cruise have settled into the daily routine of sampling and analyzing, eating, staying fit, sleeping, and having a bit of fun. And yet, even with every day consisting of the same basic elements, every day also brings new sights and adventures. A couple mornings ago, I was sampling at about 4:00 and the sun was just starting to rise. The result was this amazing red sky, so crimson it looked unnatural. Sunrises and sunsets on the Pacific are usually a pretty amazing sight but this red was special.

Sampling 24/7 also allows for some great stargazing. Last night, the moon rose quite late allowing for several hours of amazing starry displays. You can clearly see the Milky Way galaxy out here and shooting stars are not uncommon as well. We have yet to see an aurora borealis  but we are hopeful. Along with last nights stars, came a flock of storm petrels. These small pelagic birds swarmed around the boat, feasting on small fish that were schooling at the surface. A couple of the pedrals even took a rest on the boat.

The winch at night

Our nice warm Hawaii weather has changed a bit. As we move farther north, the seas are getting rougher and the skies are more cloudy. We have yet to hit a major storm but today, for the first time, we had significant swells that buffeted the boat. Accompanied by a light rain, sampling was not quite as luxurious as it had been further south, but spirits are still high. One amazing benefit about being on the open ocean is you can watch the storm fronts roll in from a distance. I took this photo a couple days ago showing a wall of clouds moving from the east. This massive front stretched from horizon to horizon and looked to be a thousand feet tall.

Some 5ft white caps

A large front moving in. The dip was due to the boat movement. 

We have also had some more friends come to say hello. On Monday, two sea lions found our ship and circled around it while we sampled. They played with each other and jumped at the boat a couple of times. We were amazed to see these animals so far from land but it goes to show how amazing they are at swimming.

Two curious sea lions

Tomorrow we reach the halfway point in the cruise. It is clear that everyone has their eyes set on Seattle and land but everyone is in good spirits and having a good time. We are hopeful that the weather will remain manageable but we will take whatever comes our way.

44.5N 152W