Cruise GU-04-02, Legs I, II and III
April 14 - June 11, 2004

This cruise took us to familiar waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The 3 cruises (55 days total) covered close to 10,000 nautical mile.

The green tracklines represent the area covered during Leg I in the western gulf, the
pink tracklines represent the area covered during Leg II in the eastern Gulf and
the blue tracklines represent the area covered during Leg III in the middle Gulf.

The first two legs were early in the year and as a result of this we suffered a bit from the bad weather. While no big storms threatened our lives, winds constantly blew 15 kts or stronger and stirred up the seas enough to make visual observations very difficult. Leg III was blessed with good weather and calm seas, which aided in the collection of top quality data, some of which is presented here in the form of photographs.

Despite the weather difficulties at the beginning of the project we continued working and our efforts were rewarded by sightings of mammals not seen during past cruises. On a rare calm day during the first leg, scientists sighted Bryde’s (pronounced Brudes) whales (Balaenoptera edeni). Below are a few of the photos of these lesser known and lesser seen creatures. (Click on image for larger view)

Bryde's whale head

Bryde's whale blow

Bryde's whale body

Bryde's whale chopped fin

Another uncommon sighting in the Gulf was a pod of Killer whales (Orcinus orca). They are the largest members of the dolphin family and known to eat anything from squid, fish and birds to dolphins and even whales, hence their adopted name “killer whales”. The sea conditions were favorable and we were able to launch the small boat (R3) to better observe the whales. (Click on image for larger view)

Scientists Barry and Rodriguez 'on the job'	Spotting a Killer whale at a distance	Pod of Killer whales	Killer whale, closer look
Killer whales	Baby Killer whale	Killer whales, closing in on R3	Scientist Sarah Gomez brought our 'good luck charm' aboard

The main focus of the survey was Sperm whales (Physeter macroephalus) and we did have several good sightings. These whales are enormous, weighing up to 50 tons (1 ton at birth) and measuring up to 40 to 50 feet long. While their movements are relatively slow and leisurely they are capable of higher speeds when threatened. They can dive for up to 2 hours to depths of 1000 to 2000 feet.

Sighting the whales is done visually as well as acoustically. "Big Eyes" (powerful binoculars) are used for the visual sightings. The whales distinct blow, projected forward and to the left (see photos), can reach as high as 16 feet. Their ‘eco locating’ and ‘codas’ clicks are just as pronounced and easy to distinguish.

Looking thru the "Big Eyes" binoculars

Acoustic display of Sperm whale clicks

When weather conditions permitted we used the small boat to take a closer look at the whales. A group of scientists followed the pod and requested that the small boat be positioned close enough to collect biopsies from individual animals. The scientists also tried to obtain as many photos as possible, one sighting broke the record of 1500 digital photos, to aid in the identification process. (Click on image for larger view)

Sperm whale blow - forward and to the left	Sperm whale, a look from behind	Sperm whale head and blow holes, closer look	Sperm whales - head of one on the left, body of another on the right
Sperm whale body	Sperm whale body, different angle	Sperm whale body, close look	Sperm whale showing its flukes before the deep dive

In addition to the Sperm whale sightings, we saw several different types of dolphins. After locating them visually, the ship maneuvered toward the animals in hopes of tempting them to ride the bow. We were successful in most cases as the photos below show. (Click on image for larger view)

Dolphins on the bow	Dolphins	Dolphins	Dolphins
Dolphins	Dolphins	Dolphins	Dolphins
Dolphins	Dolphins	Dolphins	Dolphins

Marine mammals were not the only visitors from the animal kingdom. Here are a few pictures of the ones that made it safely to the ship for some rest before continuing on their journey.

Pretty little bird

Osprey

Pelican

Egrets

This update would not be complete without showing off some of the artistic photography taken while underway. Granted, our subjects were breathtaking to begin with but the talent of both scientists and crew is impressive. Enjoy! (Photos are property of NOAA)

Group of dolphins on the bow (photo by Raquel Saez)	Sunset (photo by Raquel Saez)	Two dolphins on the bow (photo by Raquel Saez)	Rain in the distance (photo by Raquel Saez)
Full moon (photo by Michael Hendon)	Dolphins on the bow (photo by Raquel Saez)	Sky after sunset (photo by Raquel Saez)	Bow reflection (photo by Miri Skoriak)
Sperm whale flukes (photo by Megan Mattson)	Gordon Gunter at sunset (photo by Grisel Rodriguez)	Spotted Dolphin (photo by Grisel Rodriguez)	Striped Dolphin (photo by Grisel Rodriguez)

The next update will be in late August, when we return from our next trip.

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