Day 9 brings the best conditions we’ve had since we set off. We’re in the middle of the Tasman, not exactly known for its calm waters, but there’s barely a wave.
Everyone’s up and on deck before sunrise to prep for the day’s operations, the plan being to send both deep sea cameras down to survey the site today.
We get the ROV down, but the DropCam develops an issue that needs to be worked on urgently.
Frustrations are high – the conditions couldn’t be more perfect to survey, and we’re having to sit on our hands and wait for a fix.
The crew and technical team work tirelessly throughout the day to try and resolve the issue, eventually fixing it around 10pm. There are no further dives for the day.
Day 10: DropCam and then the weather comes in
On day 10 we start DropCam ops just after 0700, and manage to survey a large area of a heavily fished seamount out on Challenger Plateau. The images are sobering, but we don’t get to complete our survey as the conditions turn and we have to bring the camera back on deck to prevent it getting damaged.
Our tech team are busy downloading all the data from the dive and waiting for the next opportunity to send the DropCam down, but conditions don’t improve. By the late afternoon, we’ve decided to relocate to the Central Lord Howe Rise area, further to the North West of where we are now.
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