Subject: Data/Continental Shelf/July 7-9, 1997/Center for Oceanic Research and Education/Yankee Fleet

Yankee Fleet: Carol Hill/Lisa Foerster (yankee@tiac.net)
Tue, 15 Jul 1997 16:43:45 -0700 

Vessel: Yankee Capts
Location:  Gloucester, MA
Dates:  July 7-9, 1997
Organization:  Center for Oceanic Research and Education
Weather - Variable, mostly sunny and bright
Sea State:  July 7&8, catpaw; July 9, 3-6 foot 
Swell:  July 7&8, 1-2 feet; July 9, 2-3 feet
Visibility:  Intermittent fog in the Great South Channel, but mostly 9-10 kilometers
Wind:  SW on July 7&9, SE on July 8
Wind Speed:  4-7 knots on July 7&8, 20-25 on July 9
Cloud Cover:  Variable throughout most days, mostly 30-60 percent
Recorder:  L. Foerster, J. Miller

This trip takes us to the far reaches of the Continental Shelf, where deep canyons 
provide a habitat for many unusual offshore species of cetaceans and other marine life. 
At certain times of the year, large eddies of tropical water are driven away from the 
Gulf Stream, and end up traveling into these deep canyon areas.  On this trip, we 
observed many tropical fish and bird species.

All totals are minimums of estimates.  For instance, a group of dolphins may be 
estimated to contain 20-30 animals.  Totals refect the conservative estimate of 20.



July 7, 1997
Started observation at 0500, ended at 2030
Starting Lat/Long:   41 38 75/69 20 31
Ending Lat/Long:  40 20 45/67 48 90
Cetaceans observed:  8 Mn, 3 Bp, 12 Ba, 19 Gg, 225 La, 75 Gm, 107 Dd, 60 Tt
Other species:  13 Ocean sunfish, 20 Blue sharks, 4 Portuguese Man o' War, 
		1 Dolphin Fish (Mahi mahi), 20 Spanish mackerel?, 3 Flying Fish

July 8, 1997
Started observation at 0530, ended at 2050
Starting Lat/Long:  40 20 28/67 41 78
Ending Lat/Long:  40 00 99/68 50 87
Cetaceans observed: 5-6 Mesoplodon bidens (rare beaked whales), 3-4 Physeter catodon 	
		(sperm whales), 1 Bp, 721 Gg, 273 Gm, 35 Tt.

Other species:  1 Yellowfin Tuna, 4 Flying fish, 15 Portuguese Man o' War, 2 Blue 
		sharks, 1 Hammerhead shark, 1 White Marlin, 4 Dolphin Fish (Mahi mahi), 
	`	8-10 Bonito.

July 9, 1997
Started observation at 0430, ended at 1749
Starting Lat/Long:  40 05 47/69 02 82
Ending Lat/Long: 40 31 63/70 36 71
Cetaceans observed:  20 Mn, 2 Bp, 2 Ba, 153 Dd, 89 La.
Other species:  3 Ocean Sunfish, 5 Blue sharks, 1-2 Yellowfin tuna.