Shark Savers International Aboard Pangaea Explorations S/V Sea Dragon, Expedition – Line Islands, Equatorial Pacific Palmyra Atoll is special in so many ways; it is a wildlife refuge and a research field station; it is remote, pristine and forested. But one of the best things about Palmyra is the ‘welcome […]
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Fifteen Shades of Blue By Samantha Whitcraft, Shark Savers International
Photo: Samantha Whitcraft Day 3, Pangaea Explorations’ Line Islands Expedition, Aboard S/V Sea Dragon, approximately 416 miles south-southwest of Oahu, Hawaii headed to Palmyra Atoll. While steering our boat towards an ever-distant horizon, the seas roll under the bow hour after hour. I can’t help but marvel at the azure […]
Read MoreThe Northern Line Islands await Sea Dragon
Island 1 of 10: PALMYRA. Population: 12. Shark population: 85% of the biomass of the underwater world Island 2 of 10: TERAINA. Population: 1,400. Constant breaking waves on all sides, landing will be interesting – no wonder they are so isolated. Island 3 of 10: TABUAERAN. Population: 2500. Communication with […]
Read MoreSea Dragon’s countdown to expedition in the Northern Line Islands
Sea Dragon is about to set sail to the Northern Line Islands with a crew of scientists, writers and filmmakers, who are passionate about their work as conservationists and educators. Their mission in the Northern Line Islands will be to document the current state of one of the most impressive […]
Read MoreThe 2012 Asia Pacific Expedition: A STORY OF SUCCESS.
The 2012 Asia Pacific Expedition A SUCCESS STORY Yes, the voyage of many successes in spite of the odds against it. The 2012 Algalita/5 Gyres Asia Pacific Expedition, although hampered by severe weather and all manner of obstacles on Leg 2, met most of its goals and objectives. Conducting our research […]
Read MoreAdventurers sail through wave of tsunami debris–from the Guardian.
Adventurers sail through wave of tsunami debris Team track tsunami debris from Japan’s disaster to gain insight into how plastic pollution travels across the world’s oceans The floating dock from Japan that has washed up on a beach in Oregon, US. Photograph: Reuters/Oregon parks department The Pacific Ocean is a […]
Read MoreWelcome Crew and Sea Dragon!
Can you say “Papahanaumokuakea”?
We’re skirting along the northern edge of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, the largest marine protected area on the planet, established only 6 years ago. The ocean is the last frontier of conservation, with less than 1% currently set aside as a safe haven for marine life. For comparison,12% of land has […]
Read MoreLast Trawl 24.45N, 165.01W
We’re still far north of the boundaries of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, so a few days ago we pulled in the high-speed trawl and ended our sampling of the sea for plastic. Our research is done. Without having the exact counts and weights for this sample, I can at least say […]
Read MoreMidway Atoll, Midnight Philosophy, and A Plastic Buffet For Albatrosses.
We’re just west of Midway Atoll and we’ve found the sun, thankfully. Sea Dragon is dried out, but we’re under provisioned and almost entirely out of vegetables (even canned) and the watermaker is acting up (again) and so the crew isn’t allowed fresh water showers. We have 1500 liters of […]
Read MoreFeeling Low 1005, a Gale, and The Synthetic Specter on Deck
Well, at least we’re consistent on this voyage. We’re like a magnet for crap weather out here and once again have found ourselves stuck in a low pressure system that’s spewing big winds, drenching us in torrential downpours and making my eyes glue to the barometer for any signs of […]
Read MoreGhost Ship: A Lost Skiff Off 1500 miles off The Coast Of Japan
Position: 29°11.9 North 170°35.2 East “It’s a whale” yells Tracey from above deck. I’m eating humus below in the salon with Dani, after forgoing Kelvin’s lunch of fried Kim Chi with rice and seaweed. Wildlife sightings are like breaking news aboard Sea Dragon, sometimes the only demarcation from one day […]
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