Watching dolphins from the shore
The old pier took about ~30 years to fully complete and was built about 40-50 years ago. The new pier was completed last year and took about 5 years to build. The new pier provides a more protected area for the fishing boats, and this is now where we meet the boats to go out looking for dolphins.
Today was sunny and warm. Hot actually and a bit humid. But it felt good to dry out after several days of rain. The wind did not diminish until late morning and the sea was covered in white caps till afternoon. I did not have a boat trip today and so began the process of cleaning and braking down my camera system. I packed my gear this evening and will send it to Tokyo some time between tomorrow and Saturday.
I send my research cases (2) on ahead to Tokyo because the weather may shift my return plans. That is, the ferry usually comes and I could take all my gear with me. However, if the ferry is not permitted to land at the pier because of rough seas or bad weather, then I go to plan B … the helicopter. If I use plan B, I cannot take my gear because it is too heavy. So, shipping my research gear ahead helps me try to outguess the weather.
I go to the schools tomorrow and Saturday morning to teach the children about dolphins. Over the next few days, I'll update information about my research, and my time on Mikura. I will have a summary of my research effort on Mikura available in PDF format from the Japan page at the end of this month.
Cheers
Kathleen