Journals 2004/2005

Linda Hoffman
Palms Middle School, West Los Angeles, California

"Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance, and Status of Humpback whales (SPLASH)" NOAA Ship McArthur July 28 - August 28, 2004

Journal Index: July 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 August 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11           12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19           21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28

August 12, 2004

3am. The Bering Sea is determined to show us all its fury. I am holding on dearly to my bed, so I don't bang into the wall. We are rocking sideways quite a lot as I hear the water splash against the rooms' porthole. I try my best to go back to sleep. If this keeps up I will not be able to take a shower I think to myself.

6am. Breakfast time. Not too many people show up to eat breakfast. I can understand their reasoning but again I realize that a full stomach is necessary to deal with all the rock and rolling. It is foggy outside with gale force winds and 10-12 foot waves.

Noon. Steve, one of the crewmembers, is on the bridge keeping track of the weather conditions. He explains to me that below 980 millibars mean bad weather, above that equals better weather. The winds below 1,000B.P leaves like a hole in the atmosphere which pulls inward towards itself, and then the waves pick up depending on the winds. "The winds can build up and also come at the ship at different directions at once. That is what is happening today," he stated. For the first time since I boarded the ship, I had to lie down on my bunk bed and I wished I had flown out of Dutch Harbor when I had the opportunity.

Evening. It was amazing to me that as the ship pitched and rolled, most of the crew was watching a television video called "The Day After." I went to sleep and I couldn't wait until the day after arrived.