September 6, 2009
Tenerife. Sunday, September 6, 2009
Today we set sail from the Puerto Amarillo Marina. We got up at the crack of dawn to arrive early at the ROV inspection and diving spots near the “Los Gigantes” area. The weather seems to be calming down, and the winds are quite tolerable on this Eastern-Southern-Western face of Tenerife. Today the gear was about to give us trouble, and we had to change a main diving compressor pressure gauge, thus putting off the morning dive to the afternoon. We also had to hoist the ROV back on board after having placed it in the water. On board, all the tests were correct. In the water, the tilt does not work properly. We had to bring the ROV back on board and go over everything. Finally the ROV was put back in the water and submerged to about 450 meters. The current was a bit difficult, and made us snag the ballast in the rocks a few times. The ROV approached the spot and examined the snag. It directed the operation and we freed the ballast both times. Diving in the afternoon. At the end of the dive, we went beneath the cliffs where we found a farm of gilthead bream and dolphins wandering amid the caged fish. After documenting everything, we anchored under the rocks towering hundreds of meters above us, and we spent the night with anchorage watches and a sea that was quite calm.