Yarrrrr.

I'm headed back to work tomorrow morning to live for five weeks on a seismic research vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. I work as a marine mammal observer, surveying for whales, dolphins, and sea turtles and ensuring the vessel is working in compliance with protected species regulations. What this boils down to is that I watch the ocean for hours on end, every day, for five weeks straight.  Some days can be exciting while others can be very tedious...just when you think there can't possibly be any animals for miles and you feel like your eyeballs will never recover from staring at the blue sky and horizon, something interesting makes an appearance, be it a sperm whale, sea turtle, dolphin, rainbow, flying fish, or disheartening piles of garbage floating by. 

                                           My early morning coffee with a couple of warblers.

                                                     Bottlenose Dolphin.  Photo by Jen Leo

 

         This is a sperm whale's dorsal hump (back), preparing to dive below the surface.     

    Photo by Melissa Hayes

  

Green Sea Turtle.  Photo by Melissa Hayes

                                                                                                                                        

 

Getting paid to watch each sunrise and sunset.

 

                            Seismic vessel BOS Atlantic, in port off the south coast of Australia.

                                                       This is always good advice!