Day 2 - Testing the Subs

I'm a little behind with posting the Finding Coral Videos, so here is the footage from Day 2. This is the day that the LOS Sointula staff was able to come aboard the Cape Flattery while the FCE dive team stopped in Mitchell Bay to do some test dives.

As I watched Jennifer get lowered into the water, I was amazed by the amount of manpower it takes to launch one of these subs. From the crane operator to the men on the main deck giving the submersibles a final once-over and lowering them to the ocean floor: the Cape Flattery was a flurry of activity, with everyone in charge of a specific task. In spite of the minor annoyance my presence (as an untrained observer, just gawking and getting in the way) likely created, everyone on the ship was very welcoming and gracious as they bustled around my colleagues and me, trying to get the test dives underway.

While watching the first test dives, it became very clear that in addition to the LOS FCE staff, the science team, and the Cape Flattery crew, the behind-the-scenes Nuytco crew is so integral to the successful operation of this expedition.