World Oceans Day

I’ve just recently joined the expedition in Malta and today we’ve set sail towards one of the furthest research areas we’ll be going to, where we’ll be for the next three days. The weather, together with good sea conditions means it’s a perfect day to be sailing for 4 hours to reach our first sampling … Read more

Reuniting with “the 8”

I had been missing something for over two years. When I counted I always missed out counting the number 8 as it had left me feeling empty inside. I have to say that I quite like the way eight (ocho) sounds in Spanish and other words that rhyme with it. But when my friends from … Read more

A day of diving on the Ranger

From a boss’s point of view – and that is indeed my role on-board – it’s been a quiet day. At least that is what I can say for the amount of attention I needed to pay to the controls today. We’ve also wind sailed today (and we went a lot faster than we would … Read more

The “easy” life of a sailor

Hi everyone! I’m Rubén, a crew member onboard the Ranger. Our day-to-work on deck starts early. A good washing-down with buckets of water followed by a few checks and then on to untie the mooring lines. The time spent sailing to our work areas we use to rest, chat or simply observe the ocean and … Read more

A day of many contrasts

Today we have gone from being in a rocky area with the most densely-covered seafloor we have ever seen in all over dives to going on to a dive in a sandy seabed with hardly any signs of life. Yet we always find something to surprise us – a meat-eating sponge here, a new echinoderm … Read more

A happy day from the “great little” Mediterranean Sea

I’m starting my small contribution to the diaries on-board the Ranger with a lot of energy. It’s a pleasure to introduce myself – I’m Cris – the chef on this expedition and it’s my second year with Oceana on the Bahar Life project in Malta. So, let me tell you a little about the day … Read more

Dolphins and turtles

The footsteps above deck and the sound of dolphins chirping make waking up that bit easier. But today I can stay in bed a bit longer as we’re on our way south to spend 3 days out at-sea. Five minutes later and there’s another bout of noises above my head – this time it doesn’t … Read more

A day of diving!

Being an underwater photographer is fun – but sometimes brings a bit of misfortune – like on diving day today when I wasn’t able to dive myself. But our campaigner has insisted I do this so here I am with a cold but ready to give it a go. We’ve had a grey and rainy … Read more

More than 70 days of sailing

There are so many things to sort out before you start a campaign. Sort out the boat, check the diving equipment, science work, uniforms, security and a long etc. After 3 years of specific work on the Ranger catamaran, we finally get together in Sicily.  There are some familiar faces from the last 6 years … Read more

Vessel Restricted in Her Ability to Manoeuvre

The vessel is restricted in her ability to maneuver. That’s what Pere, the Captain, tells us as we work from one maneuver to another while at the same time gracefully lecturing us on international maritime norms. My name is Marta and I’m a sailor on board the Ranger. We had a wonderful sail here, heading … Read more