Chris, a regular staff diver in the Giant Ocean Tank, is on an Aquarium expedition to the Bahamas. Stay tuned for live updates from the turquoise blue waters of Caribbean, complete with pictures, conservation notes and a taste of life on board a working boat.

For years I'd been hearing about this guy Captain John from my Aquarium coworkers, and I finally got to meet him on this trip. Captain John Rothchild is the captain of the R/V Coral Reef.  He works for Shedd Aquarium, who owns the boat, and is a department head. His offical job title is "Captain of the Coral Reef". He is retiring this year after 32 years, this trip being his last one with NEAq.  Thankfully I was able to sit down with him for a brief interview, to hear what it's like to spend so many days at sea.


Captain John grew up in the Bronx. He now lives in Miami, but has lived in Chicago and has called the Virgin Islands his home. It was there that he met and befriended the crew of the Coral Reef, and a few years later, when they were in need of a captain and their paths crossed in Chicago, they offered John the job. That was 32 years ago. 2 years after that he helped design the Coral Reef II, which is where I currently am while writing this. [Get a taste of live on board the boat with these pictures from a previous expedition.]



I asked him what he loves about his job. "High ooh-ooh quotient," he responded. And sharing his experiences and the wonders of the ocean with all the people who come out on the boat with him. From middle schoolers to PhD students to senior citizens enjoying a cruise on the Coral Reef, he loves to tell them stories of his time at sea and underwater. Some of the stories are more harrowing than others, like the time he was forced to head to a US naval base on Cuba to escape the weather. There are also tales of stowaways, and finding shiny bars 175 feet below the ocean's surface, and many many stories of past NEAq collecting trips.

Why is he retiring? "You know, I have the best job at the Aquarium... but I'm tired. I've put in a lot of hours these past 32 years. It's time." I know I speak for all of the numerous NEAq aquarists and educators that have been on one of these trips over the years that he will be missed.

Ferocity. Tenacity. Fire. Not usually words associated with scuba diving, but tonight was no normal evening. The madness started with marine-themed jeopardy and was satisfied by a bizarre series of events including the newly invented Foot Olympics.

Sarah, a size 8 (women's) was pitted against Josh, a size 8 (men's). Because no one wanted to eat them, the licorice-flavored jelly beans were used to test the aptitude and dexterity of the athletes' toes. A contest was held to see which of the veteran players could hold more jelly beans using only their feet.

Sarah took an early lead and, with the help of random and sporadic cheers from Jenna, appeared to have the win wrapped up. However, just as Oregon could not hang with Auburn in the National Championship, and Butler's nerves made them inconsistent inside the arc against UCONN at the end of March Maddness, the inexperienced competitor cracked under the pressure.

As the final seconds ticked off the game clock, Sarah slipped and dropped the myriad of jelly beans held in her toes, giving the W to the steady, patient Josh. With hours of intense training wasted and her pride lost, Sarah sulked off the court as Josh gleamed with victory. It was a ludicrous end to a hectic day.

Also, shouts to Denise for vacuuming the salon.
-Tommy

[This isn't the first time a Coral Reef II crew has entertained themselves with such hi-jinks. Check out educator Tim's post from a 2010 expedition here.]

Last night, the Sea TURTLE II team landed in Miami and boarded the R/V Coral Reef II. We are all safe and sound, not to mention EXCITED!!!

My first plane ride EVER was SPECTACULAR! Thanks very much to my super buddy Chris who let me have his window seat and told me all the wonders there are to being 4000 ft above sea level! I felt like I could touch the clouds!




We arrived pretty late with a wake up time of 6:45 am so we cozied into our beds (after hitting our heads a multitude of times on the low ceiling for those of us with top bunks, like me.)


After breakfast, we left port traveling down the Miami River and made the crossing over to the BAHAMAS!!! At first everything was smooth sailing, the weather was beautiful and we congregated on the ship's bow to enjoy the ride.

We have so many photos to share but not enough internet connection to do it! [Note: these photos are put in from previous expeditions.] Before we left Miami, Dina and Lulu had said they saw a manatee and ever since, we've been on the look out for more. I have still yet to see one of these mysterious elusive sea cows but I am much excited to!

But by lunch time, most EVERYONE was queasy. I for one, spent a good chunk of quality time with my earphones in, eyes closed, and knocked out in the salon to avoid the spinning headache that the waves were giving me. Later, I migrated to my cabin where everyone else had gone to lie down to do the same.

I woke up to Jenna telling me, "We're here." ...And when I looked outside, I couldn't believe it. The scenery in the Bahamas is GORGEOUS!!! The islands would be ever the more breath taking without some of the construction going on along the coastlines. Condos are cool and all but clearing all the room to build them does a lot of damage to the natural ecosystems (mangroves and such) which in turn disrupts the habitats of many fish.

There's so much to talk about that I haven't even gotten to diving yet! OUR FIRST OPEN WATER DIVE WAS TODAY!!! No time left, more to come tomorrow!

-Lee

Posts from the Sea TURTLE teen diving program will continue, but at the same time New England Aquarium staff and volunteers are on their regular spring expedition to the Bahamas. This is that team's tenth post, written by guest blogger and volunteer Sarah M. Winchester.

Our collecting expedition has come to a close, and as I sit at my computer downloading my 500+ photos and avoiding my stinky bag of laundry, I am reveling in the post trip haze of exhaustion, exhilaration and nostalgia. My husband and I were asked to volunteer for the 2011 Bahamas expedition, back in November 2010 and have been waiting in eager anticipation for this adventure like a 6-year-old Christmas Eve. Let me tell you, the trip was everything and more. It was the adventure of a lifetime or perhaps now an annual adventure, as we had such an amazing time. To help give you blog readers a little peek into our 10-day adventure, I wanted to share with you a little photo journal of what life out to sea on a New England Aquarium trip is like.

The Coral Reef II research vessel was our home, work place and transportation for the week at sea. While the quarters could feel a little tight, she served us well.

The Coal Reef II – She was yar alright.



The deck – where we prepped for dives, housed the fish we collected, and relaxed between dives.



The bridge – Captain’s quarters, wheelhouse, and zodiac boats for shore trips




The Salon – where we ate, relaxed and studied our fish identifications.



The engine room – loud and hot, this room powered us through some high seas.



Below deck – After a long day of diving I slept like a baby in these little bunks.


Up next: day-by-day account of our adventure.

-Sarah

It's sunny and warm in Miami!

Barbara and I arrived yesterday to begin preparing the boat for SEA TURTLE. After collecting our dive gear at the Miami airport we headed to Jones Boat Yard where the R/V Coral Reef II is docked.


Jones Boat Yard

We've been busy working on the schedule with Captain John and Captain Lou, setting up dive gear, loading the plankton net and collecting equipment, and finalizing our menu for the week. It looks like we are going to eat REALLY well thanks to Chef Matt! We've also been doing other fun stuff like making all the beds. Barb even put a mint on each pillow.


One of the bunks.

The research vessel is now ready to take us on our journey. All we need is the rest of our team. We can't wait for all the students (and Jenna and Jo) to arrive tonight!


The R/V Coral Reef II.

We'll be leaving very early tomorrow morning to make our way down the Miami River, cross the Gulf Stream, and arrive in Bimini.

-Sarah