Shirts are neatly rolled, camera batteries charged, and surfboard is stuffed away with wetsuits and leashes…I’m off to Australia again. It’s phase 2 of HARC, and despite my best intentions to stick around California for a while, I’ll be rejoining the crew for another season of humpback whale research. The study will take place at Peregian Beach, still minutes from epic Noosa Heads surfing on the Sunshine Coast. I’ll have my own board this time, a 9’2’’ yellow pintail shaped by my best bud Durrell, assuming the damage won’t be too great from the transport. The study will end early November, so I should be back from down under before Thanksgiving; however these plans are prone to changes.
I anticipate posting much more drunken rambling about social anxiety, exotic birds, and sharky surf over the next several months. I even purchased GRE vocabulary flash cards which I plan to utilize in upcoming posts. First, I must somehow survive the grueling 15 hour red eye nonstop from LAX to Brisbane. Hopefully someone will be able to accommodate my board and me at the airport…the surf has been too good in California to worry about planning for any of this (overhead by the way in Southern California!). I’m confident it will all work out.
Cheers, mates
I'm sure Phase 2 will be as exciting! We miss you already, but realize your love of science and exploration and appreciate your hard work and efforts toward bettering our world and the planet. You truly are an inspiration, Mike! I look forward to your upcoming posts and be safe; take care.
ReplyDeleteSafe travels, I hope there are no babies on your flight! Looking forward to having you on this end of the world again.
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