Daily Log Report for
19
May 1997
Submitted by Richard Pyle
Ken, Lisa and I (with
the help of Sara) were up late, frantically trying to
pack all of our equipment for our departure early this
morning. We somehow managed to cram all of our stuff in
the same number of packages we had brought it in (11 for
Ken and I, plus 3 for Lisa), all of which were just slightly
over-weight... After a short nap and early rise, we
hauled all the gear into Pat's boat (photo at right) and
cruised through the Rock Islands towards Babeldaob -- the
island where the airport is. Upon arriving at the dock on
Babeldaob, we lugged all the gear up to a waiting
"hut", where we persuaded the driver of the
government-operated shuttle to transport us and all of
our gear to the airport.
After checking in and paying the
excess-baggage fees, Ken, Lisa and I cleared immigration
and waited for boarding time. As the plane left the
runway, it banked out over the ocean toward Augulpelu
Reef. I could see the spot where we had made most of our
dives (shown in red on the photo at right), and I thought
about how much still remains to be explored here in
Palau, and elsewhere in the tropical western Pacific. I
leaned my seat back, sipped some ice water, and reflected
on what was clearly a very successful expedition. A great
deal of work awaits me back in Hawaii; not the least of
which is helping with the Ocean
Planet exhibit at the Bishop Museum, which opens May
24th and will feature this expedition. I also have
promised my academic advisory committee that I will put
these sorts of expeditions, and all of my involvement
with coral-reef Twilight Zone exploration, on a
"back burner" while I finish up my Ph.D.
research over the next two years. Although I fully intend
to keep this promise, as I drifted off to sleep, I
couldn't help but think about the many exploration
expeditions yet to come.
