Crew from NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and Indonesian Research Vessel Baruna Jaya IV pose with children and staff from a local orphanage. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, INDEX-SATAL 2010. Download larger version (jpg, 1.3 MB).
Following completion of the final ROV dive and multibeam data acquisition yesterday, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer crossed the geographical boundaries of our approved INDEX SATAL 2010 operating area and turned off her sensors, marking the end of operations for the 2010 Expedition. The ship headed south, and pulled into the Port of Bitung early this morning. Crew and mission personnel are busy preparing for tomorrow’s closing ceremony. Some of the celebrations begin today with games of ‘Footsal’ and a gift of soccer balls to the children of a local orphanage, and a formal dinner hosted by the Governor of North Sulawesi for crew from Okeanos Explorer and Baruna Jaya IV.
