“Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.”
– The Rime of The Ancient Mariner
It is a good thing this version of the R/V Atlantis isn’t a sailboat. With land in sight and the sea of Cortez, we are diving Alvin in an extremely flat sea, which is extremely beautiful. The reality below the surface is less tranquil, with exciting evidence of recent destructive seismic events. It was very cool to hear the accounts of this exciting development immediately upon recovery of Alvin and see the videos of this dynamic area of the ocean floor in the science meeting later tonight. The kind of research communities present on research vessels is unparalleled and a joy to be a part of.