Shorter and Sweeter...?

March 7, Friday

Assuming you read Thursday’s post before you started this one, you know the story: I’m biting-the-bullet and pumping out a few days without great detail. Sorry. It’s the only way I am going to get back to posting the day of!

So…

After the standard breakfast at the standard time in my standard corner, Andrea, Julia and I went to the harbor to clean off the boat. Apparently, yesterday’s storm brought massive debris to the Spartana’s deck. Or so you would have thought, listening to Andrea and Bruno. When we go there, the only noticeable difference was the water puddled on the stern. The rest of the boat was wet, but well on its way to drying in the sun. Instead of just mopping up the puddles of fresh rainwater, Andrea decided to clean the boat of the rain by dumping buckets of oily salt water all over the deck. Supposedly this would get rid of any sand that might have gotten on the boat. I was on my hands-and-knees all over that boat – there was no sand. But now, thanks to Andrea, there was salty, oily water. She handed me the saddest piece of linen (I think an old tablecloth) and told me to clean off the bow. So with the threadbare, greasy fabric, I wiped at (not off) the salt water freshly dumped all over the poor wooden deck. Julia did the stern. We wiped, wrung, wiped – but the boat was still wet, wet, wet.

In the meantime, Andrea used an industrial sized sponge to soak up the water in the bottom of the hull, below the floor panels of the cabin. When I saw that she was dangling into the pit and wringing the sponge into a bucket, I suggested that she use the wet-vac that they special ordered for the Spartana. I was there when they brought it to the boat, there when they tested it. But apparently, the 5 liter wet-vac wouldn’t work. Andrea said something about it not holding enough. Julia and I tried to figure out what she was talking about. It definitely holds more than that sponge. But, just as we have learned that branches trounce forecast trounce programme, Bruno trounces Andrea trounces interns.

Yesterday’s storm swept over all of Sardinia. In fact, it was a front going across the Mediterranean. The day before the storm hit here, Bruno told us that 5 meter waves pounded the Spanish coast. Today, the sea turned to glass and the sky hosted only scarce wisps of clouds. In the distance, about 40 km southwest of Golfo Aranci, we could see the fresh snow on the mountaintops that the storm brought in.

By 10, we left the sun to finish the drying and headed back a base. I worked on photo ID – still working on the 2007 pictures for the 2007 catalogue. Every day that they take pictures at sea, they always go through them during that transcription. Instead of writing down who is there on the appropriate pages for that year, they wait until all the pictures of the year have been taken. It makes no sense and I think it is a huge waste of time. They probably have their reasons, but they probably aren’t reasonable. Its their system and its not worth bringing up. So, whoever interns next January will get to record individual presence in the pictures taken during my sightings.

Lab work stopped for a slightly early lunch of pasta with zucchini. Since the weather improved overnight and held out during the morning, we got to go out to sea. The afternoon shift leaves the harbor at 2. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be eating until at least 2.

The three of us (you know which 3) went out with the fishery workers. The sea was still amazingly calm, especially compared to yesterday when even the trawlers didn’t go out. Visibility improved as well – to at 4 on a 5 point scale. The highest I’ve seen until today was a 3. We could practically see the boats in Olbia. With such great conditions, we had 3 great, continuous sightings. For us, the whole time out was a sighting. Although the most exhausting, those are the best days. Markita and Whitespot and several unknowns kept us company all day! The group changed twice, thus creating new sightings even though our observation of the dolphins was continuous. Our boat went in to Pontone at 4, but then the fishery director came aboard with three guests. The fisherman who had been on the boat all day went home, but we were able to stay on.

The director gave a private tour of the fish farm to the three men. They introduced themselves to us and when Andrea told them that we were from the US, they immediately broke into English and asked what state. When I replied with “Florida,” I thought they were going to come out of their skin.

“Fort Pierce?” one asked.

Surprised by their excitement and the random city they pulled out, I responded “No, but close.” Not really all that close, but they were so excited about Fort Pierce that I couldn’t just come down with a flat No.

“Miami?” another asked, still excited but slightly less so.

“Actually the other coast – the Gulf Coast. On the other side of the state,” I tried to explain.

“Oh….” All three of them in unison.

“The other side,” one said again, the excitement clearly fading.

Before I could ask about their association with Fort Pierce, the motor revved up and Andrea cut in. When the boat loses contact with the shore – lines off – the course officially begins. Since we had already closed up shop the first time, thinking that our day at sea was over, we started a whole new course for the day. Thus, my conversation with the Northern Italians (mainland) ended abruptly as I went for the clipboard and GPS. So for the next hour, we were out at the fish farm – just one boat, perfectly smooth seas, the beginning of a Sardinian sunset. Without the hum of the machinery and shouts from boat to boat, the short course was unusual and pleasant. Unfortunately, no more sightings.

Back at base, we began two full hours of transcription. Every time a dolphin makes an appearance, we record it. Later, we transcribe it. So when 4 dolphins stay in the fish farm for two hours, the transcription takes just as long. By the time we had recorded all the behaviors and environmental data in the course notebook, it was too late to start more whistle or photo ID work.

Andrea made ginger chick for dinner – delicious, and not a pasta, rice, potato or bread product! I hope that luck hold out…