[DAY 21] Flying fish in the face

Yesterday’s microplastic count was 197 pieces, the day before it was the highest we ever got since we left Hawaii with 478 pieces.
The sea state has a big impact on our microplastic collection. During those last two days, we had calm seas. Under those conditions, the microplastic pieces raise to the surface and is not pushed back down the water column by waves.  Because of the size and shape of the manta net, it only caches pieces that are on the surface, the height of its mouth is less than a foot thus only scoops the top few inches on the surface. So in general we catch more pieces during calm days.

Today Corbin and David were on the dinghy. It was a first for David and he got 2 surprises. On my first feeding break, he prepared my soup by adding the usual hot water to the ground freeze dry food in a shaker. As he shook it hard, the pressure built up inside and the cap of the bottle got loose releasing  most of its content all over him. He was OK though.

Later on, he found himself being right into the path of a flying fish that hit him right on the side of his face. He didn’t see this one coming either but he was still OK.

Toward the end of the day he jumped in the water with me and we swam together for one hour. It was a very nice way to break my day, I always enjoy sharing some time in the water, David was the first to do that.
Along the way we found few pieces of ropes, plastic debris and a small ghost net with its usual school of colorful fish under, a beautiful orange and black frog fish and the reminder of a dead fish caught in it.

Happy 4th of July!

28°50 N / 145°55 W

Ben

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Photo credits @sea.marshall, @osleston