Commanding Officer Robert Kamphaus scans the horizon for contacts. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Galápagos Rift Expedition 2011. Download larger version (jpg, 678 KB).
Commanding Officer Robert Kamphaus scans the horizon for contacts. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Galápagos Rift Expedition 2011. Download larger version (jpg, 678 KB).
Sharp eyes and a quick response may have saved the expedition. At about 7:00 this morning, the bridge spotted fishing gear pass under and near the ship. A visual check on the fantail confirmed that the line was apparently caught in one or both of the propellers. The ship secured propulsion and launched the small boat with divers. Within just a few minutes of getting in the water, divers cut away fishing line tangled around both propellers. The ship was soon underway again. We started and ended our dive a few hours later because of the earlier delay. If the bridge had not noticed the gear so quickly, the tangle could have easily been much more complicated to remove.
