Like a scene from the movie “Life Aquatic”, which as a side note did a very good job of characterizing life on a ship, a turtle surfaced roughly 100 meters from the Taurus this morning with a satellite transmitter adhered to its carapace. The unnatural metallic object protruding from atop the turtle caught my eye instantly; it was even listing to one side a bit as it bobbed at the surface. They have been tracking the movements of flatbacks in this area for several years now, not only to gain an understanding of their movements, but mainly to help better manage the potential impacts on thier population during the construction of the natural gas offloading facility.
Other than the accessorized turtle, there have been many Wedge-tailed Shearwaters cruising in from the south; a sure sign that wind is coming. I checked the weather forecast to confirm this, 20-30 knots of wind possible over the next 4 days. Who needs a meteorologist, the birds tell all. It’s also been entertaining to watch the hoards of “bait” fish that seek shelter under the vessel get mauled by plunge diving terns, lighting fast tuna and sharks, and foot propelled cormorants, whenever they venture out into the open. The ocean is a dangerous place. 10 more days. It’s highly likely that if I don’t go surfing soon I could die. Let’s hope the waves in Goldie will be there when I arrive.
Neat pictures! That's cool to see the tracking device on the turtle, so do you think that was a recent plant? Who is monitoring the tracking information? Hope the days go by swiftly so we can see you soon.
ReplyDeleteGod, I hope you don't die.
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