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Daily Updates: March 2000
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Daily Updates: April 2000
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Daily Updates: May 2000
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View Today's Slideshow!

partly cloudy weather

TODAY'S WEATHER
Partly Cloudy
84.2°F (29°C)
Latitude: 2 deg 7’N
Longitude: 97 deg 26’W
Wind Direction: E
Wind Speed: 6 Knots
Sea State: 1
Swell(s) Height: 3-5 Foot
Sea Temperature: 84.2°F (29°C)
Barometric Pressure: 1010 MB
Visibility: 10-25 Nautical Miles


what's to eat today?
Breakfast
Ham & Cheese Omelet
French Toast
Pound Cake
Bacon & Sausages
Hash Browns & Hot Cereal
Eggs to Order
Fresh Mangoes and Melon
Dry Cereal
Juices

Lunch
Cheese Burgers
French Fires
Minestrone Soup
Salad Bar
Fresh “Aku” Tuna Sashimi
Pumpkin Bars

Dinner
Roasted Pork Loin
Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy
Beets and Broccoli
Fresh “Aku” Tuna Sashimi
Salad Bar
Blueberry and Cream Cheese Blintz
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream




Click here to see pilot whales swimming next to RV Melville.

Surveys and visitors at the Galapagos Rift
April 26, 2000
By Dr. Dan Fornari

For the last time on this expedition, we have begun our detective work to find a young volcanic eruption -- this time at the Galapagos Rift. We arrived here at 0047 hours local time, or 0647 hours GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) today -- how does that match your calculation based on the information I gave you yesterday? The first step in collecting evidence -- our multibeam bathymetry survey -- took about seven hours. Just after breakfast, we were at the launch position for the start of the DSL-120 sonar survey. Calm seas helped the DSL-120 sonar launch this morning go smoothly. If all goes as planned, in about 2.5 days, we will have a detailed sonar image of the 4.5 kilometer-wide rift valley where spreading is separating the Cocos Plate from the Nazca Plate to the south. Each of our sonar survey lines is about 20 nautical miles, or 37 kilometers, long. It will take us about 12.5 hours to run each line. Can you calculate what speed we are towing the DSL-120 sonar fish? (Hint: look at the March 25th Daily Journal for information on calculating speed if you know the time and the distance.) We will post the answer in tomorrow’s Daily Journal along with some images of the sonar data we have collected so far.

This afternoon, we were busy with visitors! Several pods of short-finned pilot whales came by. They dove and surfaced around the ship for about 15 minutes before they swam away. Then, about mid-afternoon, we were buzzed by a small helicopter, like the ones used by tuna boats to scout for schools of fish. A short while later, we spotted two fishing vessels coming over the horizon. One of the ships, the Maru#18, was a Japanese long-liner (a ship that uses long lines of baited hooks to catch large, open ocean fish like tuna). They had strung their fishing line out in front of the RV Melville. Not the best of situations while we were towing the DSL-120 sonar system! We were able to raise the Maru#18 on the radio, and they kindly recovered their fishing line before we crossed over it. It was good to have company, even briefly, out in the middle of the ocean!

Dan Engelbrecht’s Dynamite Parmesan Wahoo

Everyone loved the way Dan Engelbrecht prepared the fresh Wahoo we had for dinner last night. We have the “Dave’s” to thank for hauling it in, but Dan tickled our taste buds last night with his “Parmesan Wahoo” recipe. Here it is for you all to enjoy.

Ingredients:
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Mayonnaise
Dry White Wine
Dill Weed
White or Brown Onions, sliced thinly
Fresh Wahoo (also called “Ono” in Hawaii; the word that means “very good”)

1) In a bowl, mix equal amounts of cheese and mayonnaise. Add white wine to thin the mixture into a batter consistency. Add dill weed (fresh if possible) to taste. Make enough to coat all sides of the Wahoo generously.

2) Cut the Wahoo into 2 inch thick pieces, removing all skin and bones.

3) Lightly grease a glass or stainless baking dish that is large enough for all the fish pieces.

4) Take the sliced onions and cover the bottom of the baking dish.

5) Dredge the Wahoo in the batter and place on top of the onions in the baking dish.

6) Bake at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the fish is golden brown and the fish flakes easily.

7) Serve immediately with wedges of lemon for garnish.

8) Eat and enjoy!