Three dives down, fourteen or fifteen more to go! Today’s dive objectives were similar to yesterday’s, but the observers were different. This time Dr. Colleen Cavanaugh, one of the Principal Investigators (PIs) on this expedition, took her turn. Dr. Gregory Druschel, who works with Dr. George Luther, accompanied her. Greg is a “newbie” to Alvin, so he had an ice-cold treat waiting for him when he returned. (See Neat Stuff.) He handled it well, and didn’t even rush to change his soaking wet clothes. The tradition is to initiate those who return from their very first dive in Alvin. That means I have something coming my way before the expedition is over, but I can’t be sure what it will be. You’ll hear about it on the Web site when the time comes. Like Greg, I hope to take it in stride.

Aside from taking pictures, much of my day was spent finishing up all the great questions that I have been getting from so many of the participating students. There were some really thought-provoking and interesting ones. Unfortunately, my round of Write the Scientists has ended, and it’s Dr. Craig Cary’s turn. Craig is the Chief Scientist for Extreme 2003, so he’s sure to get lots of questions.

Oh, guess what? I finally got to see flying fish for myself. I’ve heard others talk of them, but I always seemed to miss out. Not this time. I think I was the first to notice them, though it took me a while to figure out what I was seeing. There turned out to be a school of them traveling alongside the ship. I tried my best to capture them on my video camera so that I could share. Since it was already dark out, I couldn’t get a clear shot with them whipping by so quickly. They were so amazing! In the water, they looked like ordinary fish from what I could tell at a distance. Then, without warning, they would pop through the surface and spread wings. They gracefully glided at a considerable height for longer than I would have expected. There were periods when they flew for four or five seconds, which may not seem like a long time to some people. To me, however, such a feat is noteworthy, especially for a fish. I hear they are in this area often, so maybe I will eventually get some footage of them for you all. Seeing flying fish may now be in my top five experiences while working at sea. It is really a sight!

On another note, I have started receiving entries for the Vent Poetry Contest. So far so good, so keep them coming. You still have several days (until Dec. 7th) before I choose the top poems for this week. Don’t be shy! By the way, how did you all do on the Extreme 2003 Crossword that I posted on Monday? I hope you enjoyed it and didn’t find it to be too challenging (or too easy, for that matter). Look for more puzzles and activities to come.

Well, that does it for today. Keep warm for those of you who are starting to feel the effects of winter out there. The weather here was sunny and not too hot. I took short breaks from my work several times today so I could go outside to absorb it. The water was also soothingly calm, making me feel relaxed all day long. I am not looking forward to coming back to the cold and snow, though I do miss my loved ones. Regardless, there is still plenty of time left here to experience what I can.