August 13, 2014 Day 45 Midday Coordinates: 35.22.954 120.58.217 This represents my final blog from the Algalita 2014 Expedition to the Eastern Pacific Gyre. Our mission - to deploy of team of scientists to research and document the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and to live for a month in the accumulation zone, has been completed. We surveyed it from the air, by dinghy, trawled the surface, trawled at 10 meters, dissected its fish, sampled, filtered, and drank its waters, dived in and filmed it by day and by night, and met it’s inhabitants. It’s strange beauty only outdone by the sadness one can’t help but feel when we experience the pollution firsthand, and bear witness to the trash and plastic debris left behind in the wake of humankind. By 7 am the sun was bright enough reveal our first landfall, the central California coastline. It was an exceptionally ‘whaley’ kind of a day, as I spotted a pod of transient orca (Orcinus orca) logging at the surface, which then started making their way south. Having studied the resident orcas of the San Juan Islands, I could identify this small group of about 8 transients as the marine mammal hunters that got them the nickname “killer whales” in the first place (sometimes eating just the tongue out of the great whales). This was mammal heaven, as on the way in to refuel in Morro Bay we saw numerous sea lions, two humpback whales, dolphins, and even a sea otter. Yes, orcas have been known to nibble the occasional otter in the Aleutian Islands, but with that thick fur one would think they would need to be seriously hungry to wrangle that pelt for so little meat. The area around Morro Bay provides a wide range of dietary options for these omega predators. Orcas are fascinating, all lumped into same species but with three very different groups: the residents (salmon eaters), the transients (mammal munchers) and offshore (shark snackers). Think of them almost as unique tribes, as they have very organized matrilineal societies, distinct feeding techniques/prey items (which leads to specialized physiology), as well as different vocalizations which build complex languages. It is their adaptability and ability to work together, to fill specific biological niches that make them masters of their dominion - whether it be in subtropical or icy seas. Oh, and their massive brains with highly developed cerebral cortexes - and convulsions and gray matter that exceed our own - further demonstrate their cognitive prowess. On this trip we have witnessed many sad, strange and wonderful sights, but personally I find the beaked whale sightings the most fascinating and inspiring. The experts believe we may have captured some rare Ginkgo-toothed beaked whales, or Ginkgo’s for short. They are difficult to study as they reside in the deep sea habitat and so very little is known about their lives, although several dead specimens have been photographed. They are found and were named in Japan, derived from an erupting tooth on the bottom jaw of males, whose shape resembles the leaf of the gingko tree. Interestingly, the ginkgo tree is somewhat of an anomaly itself. It’s a highly unusual non-flowering plant, a living fossil whose relatives date back 270 million years. Yet all predecessors are extinct, save the ginkgo biloba tree, which is the longest living tree species in the world, some living a thousand years! Using ginkgo herb for bronchial maladies such as asthma was described in 2600 BC, but today is often taken to stimulate memory. In Hiroshima Japan, there are 6 ginkgo trees that survived the atomic bomb, rejuvenated, and still thrive today. There they have come to represent not only longevity, but perseverance, and are known as “bearers of hope” by the locals. As I have worked on the marine debris issue for over 20 years and completed three journeys across gyres, in addition to countless beach and reef cleanups, this issue can weigh heavily on the heart. Considering many of the other ocean threats like climate change and related ocean acidification that are impossible to halt in their tracks, the plastics issue is within the realm of control. Much of what is happening out here in the deep blue can be altered with a relatively simple change in behavior to reduce packaging and buy less disposable toxic junk. Not a lot to ask, as there are ‘living fossils’ out here in the ocean that deserve to live on. At least to me, knowing that we witnessed a rare ginkgo’s beaked whale that still manages to exist in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch symbolizes hope that we can change, and has given me will to persevere and keep up the fight. Their name rings true, as ginkgo’s beaked whales are indeed “bearers of hope” and can help us remember the importance of changing our destructive consumption habits. Tonight I sign off as author, and tomorrow Captain Charles Moore will write the final blog in the series for this expedition. For those in the Southern California area that would like to come welcome the boat and meet the Captain and crew, we will arrive this Friday, August 15th, at 4 pm into Alamitos Bay Landing. Thanks for following our gyre journey, and we hope you’ll bring your reusable cup and come raise a glass of cheer with us. Remember, we need all hands on deck to tackle the plastic pollution problem, there’s so much we can do.
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 06:38:01 +0000