Follow along as participants in the cruise provide updates and reflections on their experiences, the science, the technology, and other elements of the expedition.
By Tom Iliffe
During the three week NOAA Ocean Exploration project, Bermuda Deep Water Caves 2011: Dives of Discovery, our four member deep team, aided by numerous assistants, conducted eight deep offshore dives to a maximum depth of 448 ft., in addition to eight photo, instrument deployment, and exploration dives in inland caves systems.
Read moreJune 27, 2011 | By Robbie Smith
The Iliffe dive team has returned a remarkable and unique collection of animals from Bermuda’s deep reefs that will significantly expand the collection at the Bermuda Natural History Museum.
Read moreJune 26, 2011 | By Jill Heinerth
Today was the last ocean dive of our project. I always get the “last day worries” towards the end of a project. I realize that this is the point when people either get tired and complacent or comfortable and complacent, in either case, complacency kills.
Read moreJune 22, 2011 | By Brett Gonzalez and Nic Alvarado
Successful scientific diving projects require specialized equipment and thorough planning. A key component is the expert safety divers. The roles and responsibility of the Safety Divers were vital to the safe success of the Bermuda Deep Water Caves Project.
Read moreJune 21, 2011 | By Brett Gonzalez, Nic Alvarado, and Tom Iliffe
Following the discovery of an ancient fossil reef off the South Shore of Bermuda, a return trip to the site was planned to recover coral samples in an effort to date the age of this reef and to identify what coral species were living there.
Read moreJune 19, 2011 | By Jill Heinerth
On June 18, 2011, Brian Kakuk and I conducted the deepest manned SCUBA dive ever completed in Bermuda. Using equipment that looks more like a space suit than scuba gear, we plunged to 444 feet on the Challenger seamount and brought back biological samples and geologic treasures for scientists to examine.
Read moreJune 18, 2011 | By Jill Heinerth
Our team is really working like a well-oiled machine now. We selected a site on the south side of the island to avoid the choppy seas.
Read moreJune 17, 2011 | By Brian Kakuk
A strong, northwesterly wind forced our team to move to the southern end of the Bermuda today in the hope that we might find sea conditions suitable to conduct a 300+ foot dive on the edge of the Bermuda platform.
Read moreJune 16, 2011 | By Paul Heinerth
As my dive team (Jill Heinerth and Brian Kakuk) and I were drifting down to the target area, I could not help but wonder, how did I get here?
Read moreJune 15, 2011 | By Brian Kakuk
On today’s mission, Paul Heinerth, Jill Heinerth and myself were tasked with an all-out scientific assault on a 220 foot deep site known as the Natural Bridge, a 100+ plus long tunnel that has openings at two ends, one higher up the slope of the Bermuda bank than the other.
Read moreJune 14, 2011 | By Jill Heinerth
Our second dive was conducted in Deep Blue Cave in Walsingham Forest.
Read moreJune 13, 2011 | By Jill Heinerth
Every expedition begins with a lot of gear preparation. I brought over 500 pounds of personal equipment and thankfully the airlines cooperated in helping it arrive safely.
Read moreJune 11, 2011 | By Tom Iliffe
Our team arrived safely in Bermuda, each with numerous bags and boxes of diving equipment and other luggage. Fortunately, Graham Maddocks of Triangle Diving met us at the airport with his flatbed truck which was soon filled to the brim.
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