As the official scribe and reporter for His Royal Highness King Neptune, it is my duty to report that RV Revelle crossed into the Equatorial Regions today. The Revelle, with a fit and capable crew of noble Shellbacks on board, is one of Neptune’s prized vessels used to investigate the secrets of the briny deep. Shellbacks are the only sailors entitled to explore King Neptune’s secrets in the Equatorial realm.

After several days of finding bed sheets tie-wrapped to our beds, water balloons in our beds, and grease coating our doorknobs, a search of the ship uncovered numerous pollywogs on board. Pollywogs are sailors who have not crossed the Equator on a ship. This means they have not been inducted into the honorable society of Shellbacks.

This afternoon, Captain Curl welcomed King Neptune, his Queen, and the Royal Court, as they boarded Revelle for the Equator Crossing ceremony to rid the ship of the scurrilous Pollywogs.

The Pollywogs were roused from their sleep at 0530 hours and made to stand at the bow and watch for the Equator and King Neptune. Then after a meager meal of green eggs and spam, they were required to measure the Revelle's length with a squid head (308 lengths) and a mahi mahi fish (140 fish lengths) and to calculate the area of the ship with a can of Spam (11,000 square Spams). The Pollywogs then cleaned the ship thoroughly from bow to stern.

After performing their duties, they entertained the Royal Court with songs and skits. The sacred ceremony was performed as RV Revelle traveled through the tropical waters at 12.5 knots headed North. After much effort on the part of noble Shellbacks, and with the graces of King Neptune and his Court, the transformation was accomplished. Revelle sails towards Costa Rica with only noble Shellbacks on board.

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