A Chilly Reception
Only 12 hours out of Dutch Harbor, we heard a banging sound. “Is that ice?” said photographer Chris Linder. We rushed outside to see the first patches of sea ice. The Healy went in and out of ice for much of the day, ending the day in ice a foot thick.
The ride is smoother when the ship is in the ice, but it’s still not exactly smooth. Look across the science conference lounge and you can see the computer monitors bouncing up and down, reflecting the fluorescent lights. This jostling doesn’t seem to be as bad for seasickness as the rhythmic up-and-down motion that gave one member of the science party a miserable night in the sick bay.
The general plan for our Bering Sea expedition is to travel along a few long lines that scientists mapped out so they could visit the same places on different trips. After dinner we arrived at the first sampling station, a spot on one of those lines. This was a chance to lower some instruments over the side, try them out, and try to collect some data.
Read on about our adventure in the slideshow below. Can't see the slideshow? Get the Flash plug in »
