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July 21, 2008

July 21, 2008

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©OCEANA/ Enrique Talledo

 

This morning, we departed from Zumaia to dive off the coast between the ports of Mutriku and Ondarroa. We left at 9 a.m., a bit later than usual, because we had to change crews.

Juan Sigler (support diver) and Sergio Gosálvez (underwater photographer) have left, and Jorge Candán and Pilar Barros are once again aboard the Ranger.

We started the campaign in Vigo 52 days ago, but if we count the crossing from Valencia and the last days we’ve spend getting everything ready, we’ve been sailing now for more than two months, with four crew members on board, and the cook, Patricia. We are the only ones who have not changed; three campaign chiefs have come, various ROV operators, divers and some guests, so the campaign personnel has been changing periodically.

Bibi, Mario, Jus , Patricia and I are enjoying the sailing, especially around the Atlantic coast and the Cantabrian, in spite of the hard work. Each port is unique: the docks, marinas, towns and cities. It’s very different from the Mediterranean, where the marinas all look the same, with their nightlife, bars, cafes and apartment buildings. Here, each port has its own personality. We are constantly surprised by the landscapes we see from the ocean: the mountains, valleys, green prairies, forests, cliffs, estuaries and the small fishing ports that suddenly appear amongst all of this beauty.

Calling and asking for a berth is also very different, everyone helps us and is very nice. Many people come to say hello and ask us questions and we leave behind many friends at each stop.

We’ve been lucky with the weather and have worked almost every day.

The boat is in good shape, like in other campaigns, the Ranger is loaded with 14 people working inside and, apart from some minor problems that we’ve fixed along the way, we haven’t lost any time with repairs during this campaign.

We have less than two weeks left and then we return to the Mediterranean. In total, I think it will be one more month until we’re home again. I think we all miss our families and friends, but it’s worth the effort.