Track lines for all three legs of the project. The red tracklines represent the area covered during Leg I, the yellow tracklines
represent the area covered during Leg II and the black tracklines represent the area covered during Leg III.
Cruise GU-03-02, Leg III
July 31, 2003 - August 18, 2003
| Project: | Marine Mammal Survey | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates: | 7/31 - 8/18 |
|
| Intended study area: | Gulf of Mexico | |
| Major Objectives: | The primary objective of the Marine Mammal Survey is to determine SPERM WHALE abundance and distribution in the Gulf of Mexico. | |
Leg III of the Mammal Cruise took us to the western Gulf of Mexico. Evaluating the abundance of marine mammals in this part of the Gulf was one of the primary objectives of the project. Despite the stretch of relatively good weather and favorable conditions, few sightings were made. Based on past surveys this was rather disappointing. Nonetheless, as Field Party Chief Tony Martinez said “Negative results are a part of science. No sightings are still valid data”.
As we were making our way from the western to north-central Gulf, things seemed to improve, at least initially. For the first time on this entire cruise, we came across a large group of melon headed whales (Peponocephala electra). Like their relatives, the ‘killer whales’, melon headed whales are actually dolphins. Watching dozens of playful animals near the ship was a delightful sight.
But the excitement over this sighting didn’t last long. A local weather system developed (not related to Tropical Storm Erika which passed a good 200 miles south of us) and the weather rapidly deteriorated. Due to the high seawater temperatures, this kind of weather activity is rather common in the Gulf during the summer. It is usually unnerving but blows away quickly. This one, however, lingered. The wind freshened up to a steady 20+ knots and coupled with low visibility and choppy seas hampered our research efforts for 4 days. The acoustic array continued to ‘listen’ but visual observations were almost impossible.
Conditions finally improved and complete research efforts were resumed with only 2 days left to the cruise. The pressure was on. Soon however, the cry “we have a cue” sounded over the radio. This is the visual observers way of saying – “we see mammals!” Sure enough, dolphins were riding our bow and we were back in business.
The following photos were taken on Leg III (All photos property of NOAA). Enjoy! (Click on image for larger view.)
 Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) riding our stern wake. |
 Spotted dolphins (Stenella atenuata). |
 More Spotted dolphins (Stenella atenuata) |
 Large group of melon headed whales (Peponocephala electra) approach the ship. |
A one on one look at the animals. (Click on image for larger view.)
 Melon headed whale. |
 Spotted dolphin (Stenella atenuata). |
 Top and bottom - Spotted dolphin (Stenella atenuata). |
 Divers LT Pica and ENS Levine prepare to inspect ship's underwater hull. |
 Scientist Jesse Wicker 'shoots' sperm whales. |
 Breaking waves can be mistaken for splashes made by marine mammals |
 Night concert on the fantail with ENS Levine (L), ENS Didier (R) on guitars and F Ropiak (C) providing vocals. |
 'A room with a view' - Sunrise as seen on the bridge by the officer on the 4:00 - 8:00 AM watch. | |
See stories and photos from the previous legs of this project, Leg I and Leg II or visit us again in a few weeks for stories and photos from Leg I of the Fall Plankton project.
• Return to GORDON GUNTER's Visitor's Page or Home Page
• Return to Marine Operations Home Page
• Inquires and Comments
• URL: http://www.moc.noaa.gov/gu/visitor/gu0302__leg3/gu0302_leg3.htm
• Updated: September 3, 2003