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Journal 10- Jessica Meir:
Day 4: Thursday, September 26, 2002
Today (unfortunately) is our last full day in the habitat. We went out on our final dive this morning and it was a spectacular one. As we didn't have any science objectives, this was a pleasure dive. We enjoyed having a chance to take advantage of simply observing the diversity of fish, coral, and sea creatures around Aquarius. Scott and I were fortunate enough to come upon an enormous turtle, quietly grazing on the sea floor. He was very welcoming, and let us approach very close to get a good view. After watching him for several minutes, a 6 foot long nurse shark came swimming by . . . we were able to capture him on film. The nurse shark actually appears (and is!) quite docile . . . it resembles a cross between a shark and a very big catfish. We spent some more time with another nurse shark just near the habitat, and captured some more pictures of him as well. I was sad to end this dive, knowing it was the last opportunity to cruise
the Aquarius waters. Though it was unfortunate that our mission was shortened
from the original plan due to Isidore, our time spent here was The remainder of our day will be spent organizing our data, packing our belongings, cleaning/organizing the habitat, and undergoing the decompression period to allow us to return to the surface safely. I look forward to returning to NASA with my perspectives and impressions from Aquarius. I hope that the NASA/NOAA partnership will continue to grow, as I believe there are many benefits to be gained from collaboration between the two parties. |
Mission
Date: September, 2002 Mission Summary Aquanaut Profiles Expedition Journals Mission Pictures |
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