Exploring the Last Frontier

Salutations again! It has been a while and I have been busy working on presentations and proposals for my project. However, I spent the better part of today out of the office, enjoying the sun and surf as I headed out to identify my primary study site. This is where I will be actively setting up my mussel beds for re-establishment.

We climbed aboard the Hawere early this morning and headed on our two and half hour course down to Rotoroa Island. The Hawere is a stupendous craft, specifically built for research and diving. Sitting in the cabin looking out at the sea passing by us, the sun gleaming off the rail, and dolphins bow-riding, had me fading back to memories of my favorite show as a child; The Last Frontier. Catching myself humming the tune for the opening theme, I thought back to that show that helped to nurture my love of the ocean; of Canadian underwater cinematographer John Stoneman and his adventures in the many oceans of the world.

The Hauraki Gulf was filled with gannets and petrels flying about and diving into the water after fish. We even caught the tail of a Bryde's whale. Off in the distance we also caught sight of a tall ship, the Lord Nelson, sailing slowly along.

There were many beautiful islands along the way, with stone cliffs, rolling green fields and a few trees. We passed such originally named places as gannet rock, a "snow" covered isle where these birds roost.

We met Shane, my other supervisor, at the site and dove on the first embayment which unfortunately was so murky and silty, I could put most of my arm into the mud with little effort. So up we went and off to the next embayment that we had scouted out. This was a much nicer spot, still quite muddy, but decently clear. The bottom had sparse tunicates and heart urchins but not a whole lot else. A perfect place to put a couple tons of mussels!

The water was beautiful and we took a bit of an opportunity to look around, even so much as out of the area where we planned to do the study. I was diving in a wet suit with no gloves or hood it was that warm! Probably wouldn't do so on a long dive, but it felt good.

I also got to see some really awesome anemones. These guys were attached to some hard substrate in among the mud. Such a robust body and delicate looking tentacles, I could have spent half an hour looking at these guys, but it was getting late and we had to make a decision on where to set up the beds.

We came to a consensus on this site, and after sending Shane on his way, we said goodbye to Rotoroa Island and headed back to Ti Point.

Much to our surprise, when we returned up through Kawau Island, the inner Kawau Bay was filled with tall ships and smaller sailing vessels alike. Beautiful rigging and sheets, the multiple masts and lengths of rope; a touch of history that draws you back to the days when the seas were filled with wooden sailing ships. I stopped to wonder what it would be like trying to do research off of a sailing ship as a naturalist in the times of Charles Darwin. As exhilarating as that seamed, I though of how easy today's work went and how hard it would have been to do that on one of those sailing vessels. I think I will stick with the modern vessel. But there is a certain romanticism of the past that these ships conjure up in a person, of a simpler time, navigating by charts and stars, landmarks and old lighthouses with stoic keepers lighting a safe path for mariners. I also found myself missing lighthouses as I only saw a single one on the whole trip to and from my site. But there were a grand total of 5 tall ships in the bay and numerous smaller sailing vessels, treating us with a good view as they past by us.

It was really nice to get out of the office, out of the bunk room, and out of Leigh; not to fight with traffic, or computer issues, or sit glaring at a computer screen. I am saving that for tomorrow. All in all, it was a wonderful day exploring this, the last frontier!