Rescuing the buoys: The MARU recovery trip!

Rodrigo Hucke (Centro Ballena Azul/Universidad Austral de Chile), Luis Bedriñana (Centro Ballena Azul/Universidad Austral de Chile), Fred Channell (Bioacoustics Lab, U. Cornell) and myself cruised onboard the Yagan II, a 50t 18m fishing boat, between the 16th and the 25th of June from Chiloe, through the Corcovado Gulf, out to the Boca de Guafo, back across the Moraleda Channel, over to the continent and Tic Toc Bay, and then back to Chiloe again. 


Our mission was to recovery 6 MARU (Marine Autonomous Recording Unit) sound buoys placed around the Corcovado Gulf blue whale feeding ground. These buoys were deployed in January and have been recording blue whale sounds for the past 5 months and will help us find out some key information on their movements and song dialects.


The weather was tough and we had alot of waiting around for ports to open. Unfortunately, 2 out of our 6 buoys were not recoverable, they answered us but they never surfaced. The other 4 were recovered fine, we sent them the 'release' sound signal, they responded to the signal, released their anchor and then floated to the surface in the vacinity of our boat. We also deployed a 7th buoy to replace one of the ones we lost. So all in all we got the job done! And were happy and relieved to go home...


Here are some photos:

The working deck on Yagan II.
Credit: Luis Bedrinana

Sending the buoy a signal and waiting for the answer...
Credit: Luis Bedriñana

A MARU at the surface. 
Credit: Luis Bedriñana   

A MARU at the surface with some growth on it. 
Credit: Luis Bedriñana    

Spotting the MARU and pulling it in...
Credit: Luis Bedriñana

Pulling in the MARU...
Credit: Luis Bedriñana   

The MARU on deck!
Credit: Luis Bedrinana

Turning the buoy off once on board.
Credit: Luis Bedrinana

The anchor connection before release.
Credit: Luis Bedrinana

The anchor connection after release, leaving the anchor plate on the sea floor.
Credit: Luis Bedrinana

Fred talking to the replacement buoy before dpeloyment.
Credit: Luis Bedrinana

Getting the MARU ready for deployment.
Credit: Luis Bedrinana

Deploying MARU 7.
Credit: Luis Bedrinana

Deploying MARU 7. 
Credit: Luis Bedrinana

MARU 7 ready for deployment.
Credit: Luis Bedrinana

A blue whale when we were deploying MARU 7!
Credit: Luis Bedrinana

Capitan Espana,  me, Oliver (first mate), Fred and Rodrigo.
Credit: Luis Bedrinana

Piratas!
Credit: Luis Bedrinana