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Arrival and Anticipation:
May 8, 2000
@Sea correspondent/
photographer,
Mark Carroll |
I've landed on Curaçao, an island 50 miles off the coast of Venezuela. Curaçao is the largest of the so-called ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, respectively). |
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| The HBOI vessel R/V EDWIN LINK rests in the port of Curaçao's colorful capital city of Willemstad. |
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Most members of our biomedical research team are flying in from Miami, Florida. Even these seasoned residents of the tropics seem overwhelmed by Curaçao's heat and humidity. |
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Along our wandering way, we were greeted by one of Curaçao's friendly donkeys.
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Tomorrow, I will accompany the scientists as they head to sea on the Research Vessel EDWIN LINK (RVEL). They will be exploring the waters of this unique chain of islands, probing the depths with a 10-ton, four-person submersible capable of diving to 3000 feet. Teams of scuba divers will comb the shallows, and the well-equipped shipboard laboratories will buzz with activity as every new sample is brought up from below.
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution's R/V EDWIN LINK left her home port in Fort Pierce, Florida seven days ago and motored directly to the port in Curaçao under the command and care of her skilled, 17-person crew. The brilliant white ship served as a beacon to the arriving scientists as they made their way through the pastel tableau of Willemstad, Curaçao's capital city. The RVEL will be our base of operations and our home for the next two weeks.
For several hours, our new home isn't going anywhere. Many of the scientists headed into the interior of Curaçao to explore. The chance to relax and be a tourist during a science cruise is a welcome treat. Rarely is the crew able to experience the full flavor of a place before heading out to sea, but today was an exception. |
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