Reel It In

At the end of an Alvin dive, the deep-diving submersible needs some help returning to the deck of its support ship, R/V Atlantis. To get its 35,000 pounds out of the water (which will increase to 40,000 after its current upgrade), swimmers deployed from a small boat first attach a tow rope to the sub’s stern. Here, swimmer and Alvin pilot Sean Kelley signals to the winch operator aboard Atlantis that the sub is ready to be reeled in. Next, the swimmers will attach a line from the ship’s large A-frame to the top of Alvin, and the sub will be lifted from the water.(Photo by Lance Wills, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)