August 11, 2026
Last night was spent using Jason to replace a digital still camera on the ocean floor that was installed in 2026 driven by the pilots in the control room on deck 800 m below. I am still amazed by the high-tech environment there. The replacement of the camera at Southern Hydrate Ridge, coincided with me seeing the most marine wildlife out of any dive before it. I saw two sharks dance in view of the science camera, their reflective skin bright from the shine of Jason’s spotlights. As we descended further beneath the waves, a school of sardine-like fish swam in a school all around the ROV. I feel a bit out of my depth when other members of the team can name the exact species without a second thought.
Today I woke up feeling better, my jet lag having subsided from the days before. This is welcome news as I desperately needed some good night’s sleep. I ate a banana in my room before heading upstairs to sit in the Main Lab. I thought that the Jason dive yesterday would still be going on this morning. There was supposed to be a lengthy survey after the camera replacement. However, all objectives of the survey were met – multiple methane bubble plumes were imaged, as well as exposed hydrate so the dive was shortened and the ship oved to the Slope Base site. An hour into my four-hour shift, we were ready to send Jason back to the ocean floor at the deepest site yet.
This dive was different from the others I had been on before. It took about 2 hours for Jason to descend 2900 m to the sea floor – much longer than the more shallow dives I logged. During this time, I had the privilege to operate Jason’s $300,000 robotic manipulators using a bespoke controller in the control van. I can only hope Jason has some insurance. One of the operators made a heart with the two claws and I thought it was pretty cute. However, when we reached the bottom a much cuter sight of a light purple octopus greeted us. It clung to the side of one of the junction boxe like it was home, and I was a bit sad to see it mildly perturbed by our presence.
I only had an hour to observe the operations on this dive before I grabbed a hearty burrito for lunch. The chefs here really know how to make incredible food. I am writing this in my state room as I kill time before the next dive. I am not sure whether I have watch tonight since we have an 18 hour transit to the next dive site. Until then, I will get some needed rest
August 10, 2026
Another day on the high seas and I am feeling a bit better from yesterday. Still, the bunk beds did not provide for a very comfortable sleeping environment; my sleep was sporadic and light. I woke up at 12 am to the sound of the winch pulling Jason back on deck. Note that I had to go to sleep at around 10:30 pm the previous day. I definitely will invest in earplugs the next time I am sleeping on a boat. I woke up around 5 times in the night, but somehow I feel pretty ok. After waking up one final time, I wandered up to the Jason control deck and was taught how to be a videographer.
Operating the 4k cameras onboard Jason is a very immersive experience. Seeing a school of fish fly by the camera almost startled me with the amount of wildlife at those depths. There were all sorts of crabs, anemone, and shrimp that accompanied the ROV as it descended to the bottom of the ocean. Being in control of Jason is a lot slower paced than I thought it would be. Half of the time, the crew is diagnosing issues with map readouts, cameras, or coordinating with the bridge. All the while, I photograph the murky depths where the instruments sit with the unique wildlife of the ocean.
This particular dive was to replace a BEP package. The dive went well aside from an issue where the Niskins that were unable to be deployed properly. All of the instruments deployed on the seafloor look so industrial and functional. The yellow-painted metal stood out in stark contrast to the natural landscape of the ocean floor. Jason emerged from the water about half an hour earlier than my shift ended, so I headed down to get an early lunch before heading back to my state room.
I spent most of the afternoon in my room fast asleep, a much-needed siesta due to how poorly I slept before. I spent my 8 hour free time in my room trying to recuperate before heading back to the control room. I think that I am feeling quite a bit better, but let’s see how I sleep tonight.
August 9, 2026
We’re off! After a few months of planning and pensive waiting, we passed through the gates of the bridge spanning Newport’s harbor and into the blue. Coastal Oregon is quite an amazing sight, especially from offshore, but the weather outside will quickly indicate why no one lives here. The wind and cold are relentless and unforgiving. The sea lions on the buoys we passed don’t seem to be too perturbed.
I am more impressed by the humans onboard; the ship is run in an incredibly orderly fashion. We were given a pre-cruise safety briefing while docked ashore last night to tell us about all the various ways we can hurt ourselves onboard. I learned that the alarm for piracy and the alarm for a fire are identical. You must latch the doors shut every time you enter or exit them to prevent them from flying all over the place. Dramamine is in the medicine cabinet upstairs – all good to know. Partly because of this meeting, yesterday was a rather tiresome one. The 6-hour car ride was worse, but in retrospect the back of the van was good preparation for the constant, lulling motion that I am experiencing now. I think about how incredibly adaptable the human body is to being annoyingly shaken 24/7, since other crewmates don’t even seem to notice.
This morning, I woke up bright and early at 2:30 am with a runny nose and sore throat. Jet lag sucks. The room is so dry and my head was angled weird. I will use the second pillow tonight.