The very beginning of the expedition had allowed free time for the two young scientists to get acquainted in a relaxed setting. They had both appreciated their mutual pleasure in watching all kinds of wildlife. After they embarked on the journey on the northern coast of the state of Washington, they traveled southward, and stayed along the California coastline.
Off of the coast of Monterey, the two had watched a spectacular display of bioluminescence one night. It was created by an unusually large red tide of dinoflagellates in their reproductive stage. The heat buildup from very warm days and unusual wave activity brought on the nighttime show of beautiful streams of blue-green light flashing close to the surface. The glows moving through the waves seemed otherworldly. Having someone share the excitement and lean in close as they held onto the rails, gave Stef a shiver of delight.
After the late night discovery of Robin, the voyage took them on to Stef's first visit to Ecuador's islands, six hundred miles off of its mainland. StLF and MYKA especially enjoyed the days spent on the Galapagos Islands and watching the marine iguanas, boobies, enormous land tortoises and sea lions.
StLF really enjoyed the private time with MYKA combing the crevices of the islands both onshore and during dives. Still, the enjoyment was subdued by the realization that another passenger on board was missing opportunities of a lifetime. It seemed cruel, but complaining to Captain Barnacle Bill, Uncle Bill, would be breaking a promise to Robin. Stef rethought the earlier attempt to speak up.
The dives taken near the Galapagos Rift did not find the bacterium that was so important to harvest and then use to destroy the buildup of carbon emissions. It had been discovered in the region before, but that is the strangeness of fissures and vents. New magma can thoroughly cover and hide the previous sea floor terrain. In time, the new vents might have the desired bacterium once more.
The time spent near the Ecuadorian coast was cut short due to the arrival of a late season storm. At one point everyone was battening down the hatches, as the tempest raged on deck. The entire team looked forward to the prospects of locating such special hydrothermal vents in the West Pacific.
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Stealth Journeys with the Steam Mapper
AdventureA 2019 Wattys entry deeply into climate change, global warming, and environmental destruction, especially the nuclear kind! A lot of true facts are embedded in this story which has both true and fictional characters. Who is to be believed is for y...
