Gyre Daily Reports - June 26, 2005

We traveled northwestward through the night. No whales were heard. We deployed the RHIBs in the morning to extend our area of observations. No whales were seen or heard. We turned southward toward an area where we had seen whales two days earlier. No whales were seen or heard. The RHIBs were brought back on board Gyre about dinner time. Visuals made plans to end their day about 19:00 local. A new way point plan had been given to the bridge. The port hydrophone array was brought on board, repairs were made, and redeployment had just commenced. Then came the word from visuals, "Blow!"

With about two hours of daylight left, the array deployment was stopped and the part that was in the water was quickly retrieved. The deck engineers and tag boat team went into action. The RHIB-1 was safely launched back into the sea, and the tag team was off to the sighting location. Two whales had been seen by visuals. Both fluked up before the RHIB got to the location.

Then the visual team searched the waters for any other sperm whales that might be at the surface, while acoustics listened from the starboard hydrophone array for sounds. A mixed group of about 30 melon headed whales and Fraser's dolphins was seen and heard. In 45 minutes a whale resurfaced, but in a different location. It fluked up just before the RHIB got to its location.

With its directional hydrophone, the RHIB successfully tracked the whale, and about 45 minutes later the whale resurfaced. Visuals quickly spotted its blow, and the tag boat approached the animal for tagging. "Tag on!" came the word over the radio as a location-only S-tag was successfully  deployed. A biopsy also was obtained on another approach to the whale, just before the Captain called for the tag boat to return to the Gyre before dark.

Our position at 22:30 local time is 27 21.876'N 93 51.443'W.