NOWRAMP
2002
Updates
from the Townsend Cromwell
(9/16/02)
Posted
by Stephani Holzwarth
Photography by Jim Watt
Yesterday
we dove at Laysan, which is a 2 mile long island covered
with birds and monk seals. When our ship dropped anchor
a sky full of birds swirled above us- frigate birds (iwa
iwa), boobies, noddies, terns, shearwaters, and petrels
all peered down at us, this large white ship that suddenly
arrived in their backyard. We deployed an SST buoy in a
patch of sand surrounded by 
shallow
reef right off the island. We motored quietly past monk
seals sleeping on the beach, looking like big soft bean
bags. "It looks like devastation has hit, and they're
all dead!" Brian commented, and it is true- the seals
are so relaxed and sacked out that their heads loll sideways
and they lay there with one flipper across their heart in
a tragic pose. Then, as you're watching one from a distance,
it will move its flipper fingers scratching, or raise its
head to glance around. Brian and Bill were followed by a
curious seal during a tow along the south side, but otherwise
we didn't see much to write home about. The west side was
reef pavement covered with scruffy turf algae and the occassional
Pocilloporid coral head occupied by a dozen fantailed
filefish (Pervagor spilosoma). The east side was
mostly sand. Today we dove on Neva Shoals near Lisianski,
after steaming northwest another 140 miles during the night.
And that was different story.
Beautiful! I had my doubts while driving across the shoals
to reach the east rim. It was a rough ride. Our 15 foot
boat took a lot of water over the bow as we bucked into
the swell and wind chop, clamboring over waves steeping
up on shallow spots. Once we were underwater I remembered
why Neva Shoals is one of my favorite places to dive. Rusty
and I towed over miles
of coral covered magic land- castles and spires, huge mounds,
rivers of white sand between mountains, islands of coral
in the wide channels, even a mermaid cave which I intend
to occupy as soon as I get my tail and my gills back. ;o)
Big and little fish were aplenty. Grand Spectacled parrotfish
cruised around, all smooth pink and blue like an elaborate
easter egg. I flew past Potters angels, teardrop butterflies,
and a grass green wrasse that was new to me (Brian says
it is probably a juvenile Thalassoma 
ballieui.).
We saw our first Galapagos sharks of the trip, with a total
of 10 between the 2 tows teams. They were young ones, between
3 and 6 feet long, and not any granddaddies which can reach
11, 12 feet. Sharks are so cool! I love being in the water
with them, watching them swim gracefully around us, curious
but polite (unlike the ulua that gave my trailing line a
good yank). It is true my pockets are not full of speared
fish, so there is that other side of sharks I have not encountered,
which is fine with me.
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