Seven days have now passed since I left my comfortable home in Chicago and departed for a month in the Alaskan wilderness. In these seven days I have had the opportunity to observe majestic humpback whales as they dive and surface all around the lighthouse, as well as poke around the intertidal zone searching for Anemones and Pycnopodia. And this is just the beginning.
The daily duties of marking whales with a theodolite, recording their locations, and dropping hydrophones in the water off a small skiff are divided between the other three interns and myself. We have access to electricity for about 7 hours a day and spend most of our time searching for whales and appreciating the Alaskan wilderness. The harbor seals, sea lions, bald eagles, porpoises, and sea otters that patrol the waters near the lighthouse also serve to keep us company.
A typical day in the life of a Rapunzel Project intern is spent at the top of the lighthouse tower with the theodolite, and out on the water dropping hydrophones off a small skiff. The skiff operator sits in the boat and records and listens to everything that is going on under the surface. The humpback whales around the island frequently Trumpet and send chills running up each of our spines. When time presents itself, we can also fish for 300-pound Halibut off the island.
This week we will also have the opportunity to board a passing cruise ship and give lectures and answer questions about the whales. We have been training up on all the protocol for observing the whales and learning how to recognize different whale behaviors. Today I cut up a piece of Bull Kelp that I found in the intertidal zone and under Michelle’s direction (Rapunzel Project Field Leader) made it into a horn. This is a common practice among children in Juneau, and will hopefully make for an entertaining story for the children in Chicago and at “The U.”
-Ryan Meeder
RSMAS Undergraduate Student
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