2 May 2019

It looks like our incredible luck with the weather here in the North Sea is finally starting to fade. The pond-like conditions of the last few days are slowly becoming choppier and choppier as the James Cook begins to gently sway. Not that this has put off anyone on board – all veteran sailors now – though lunch may have been a little lighter today.

We continued our work surveying the area outside of the release site using the on board multibeam systems, a type of sonar device that lets us map the topography of the seabed. We have observed a number of man-made trawler marks and natural pockmarks. Pockmarks (a kind of circular 3-5m depression in the seabed) are of particular interest as they formed by the natural release of gases like methane and CO₂ over long time periods, giving us great insight into the natural history of the area.

Sadly, with the weather slowly turning we’ve decided to head towards Aberdeen a day early and hide from the coming storm, but given how much we’ve already achieved this leg this is hardly a setback. To misquote the great orator Arnold Schwarzenegger: “We’ll be back”. We’ll return in a few days’ time to position the final few pieces of equipment and finally start blowing some bubbles. In the meantime, though we’re all enjoying a little downtime after what has been an increasingly busy first leg…

Table football is a popular activity on board the ship…but requires a bit more skill in a heavy swell!

The team relaxing in the bar area after a busy week’s work. Next stop: Aberdeen.