What's Happening Today - May 14

 We left Manzanillo this morning at 0800 hours after a good port stop that included a party for Tony Tarantino, the newest Alvin pilot. He put on quite a bash and a good time was had by all. Congratulations Tony on your accomplishment and hard work.

The weather here is HOT and HUMID..., but inside the R/V Atlantis the engineers are doing a good job of keeping us cool. We're making over 12 knots towards our dive site at the East Pacific Rise near 9° 50'N and we're happy to be on board to carry out part of our research program along with Ken Macdonald and Rachel Haymon and their students from the Univ. of California-Santa Barbara who will also be conducting two Alvin dives on this cruise.

The first dive will be Thursday and there is still much to do to prepare Alvin and ABE - the Autonomous Benthic Explorer, as well as the new WHOI towed camera system.

More on all the goings on in tomorrow's update. Below are a few photos from the first few days on shore and as we left port this morning.

Best Regards

Dan

Atlantis at the dock in Manzanillo, (right) leaving port at sunrise with the small boats in the harbor.

The view on leaving the dock

Dana Yoerger, Maurice Tivey, Hans Schouten (behind Dana), and Steve Liberatore (taking the photo in the background), watching Manzanillo fall astern.

Tony Tarantino working in the Alvin ET shop.

Tony at his Pilot's Party donning some of the gifts he was presented with. Does he look happy or WHAT....

ABE being readied on the starboard side of the ship. It will be tested on Thursday morning and will hopefully make its first dive Thursday night.