Clear Skies Ahead

Zipping up my backpack and small suitcase filled with all the necessary equipment, I was almost jumping out of my skin in excitement for this trip. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for something in my life! After triple checking the list of required items, I looked down at my watch and realised it was only six A.M.

I still had three solid hours until I had to meet Doctor Kokomi and Toya at the front entrance.

With that in mind, I decided it would be best I read up on the experiments we would be doing on the boat. Better to go in informed so I can impress everyone on the boat. I opened the large booklet that I received yesterday.

Last night, I had attempted to read it but after reading a few pages, I realised that nothing was sinking in. As such, I decided to get an early night’s rest to ensure that I would be ready for the morning.

Opening the booklet this morning, the title read ‘Contribution of hurricane-induced sediment resuspension to coastal oxygen dynamics, a continued look from all over the globe.”

Not exactly an appealing title, but this would be my first investigation into uncovering more truths about the world. From what I gather, I would say that we are going to be looking at the aftereffects a typhoon has on the distribution of natural minerals in the ocean. Since typhoons disrupt the natural flow of the ocean, we are testing to quantify the effect they have on the ocean as well as comparing them to results from various tropical storms around the world.

The realisation dawned on me- so, this is why we have so many different organisations involved in these experiments on this expedition.

Kokomi informed me that this expedition would be happening so soon because a typhoon occurred not long ago. I didn’t realise that a typhoon had hit Japan until Kokomi informed me that the heavy rainstorm I had seen a few days prior to coming down to Kamogawa were the outer edges of the typhoon hitting the mainland.

The typhoon had drifted close to Chiba before turning out to sea and dissipating. This presented the perfect opportunity for all the organisations to gather data in a location close to shore. The only boat available for such a sudden mission was one coming down from the arctic circle near the top of Hokkaido, off the shore of Russia.

The plan was for the boat to meet us at the fishing port in Kamogawa where we would spend a day going out to sea. According to GPS coordinates, we are to follow the path of the typhoon and begin our research where the typhoon had finished days prior whilst checking ocean samples.

If I’m honest, I was having trouble keeping up with all this information. However, seeing Doctor Kokomi’s enthusiasm in science gave me the confidence I would be very helpful on the trip. I really don’t want to let her down on my first trip!

I started to happily walk toward the aquarium and noticed that the weather was perfect today. A little breezy but a perfect day to be on the water. I wonder what sort of boat the research ship is. I never actually asked Kokomi, but I bet that the ship is massive. I originally thought that the ship would be small to medium sized but now I am starting to reconsider. Either way, I guess we will find out shortly.

Arriving at the gates at eight fifteen, I swiped my pass at the gate and walked into the aquarium. I had about forty-five minutes until I was scheduled to arrive, but I knew both Kokomi and Toya would be here early preparing for the trip. I went straight to the dive locker and saw Kokomi starting to wheel all the diving equipment out of the room.

“Good morning Doctor Kokomi! Allow me to give you a hand with that.”

I made my way to the front of the cart that Kokomi was pushing and proceeded to assist her in moving the heavy diving gear.

“Good morning to you Kayo, you’re here nice and early. Thanks for the help! We are going to take all the diving equipment to the front entrance. In an hour’s time, we are going to get a ride down to the port with all the equipment. As for right now, the job is to get everything to the front door on time.”

Kokomi huffed for a moment, finally taking a moment to catch her breath, “It’s nice to have an extra set of hands, I appreciate it.”

I beamed at her, “Of course, I’d come to help! That is part of my job! You should have told me to get here earlier, I would have made sure to come help from the beginning! It was hard to sleep after all due to the excitement I have been building up. I decided to get up a little early today anyway.”

“I’m glad to see you’re so enthusiastic!” Kokomi seemed doubly pleased in her decision to have sent me the offer, “Now, you might remember at the bottom of your locker there was a large box which had a full set of different SCUBA equipment in it.”

I kept guiding the cart to the front door as I thought back to yesterday when we were gearing up for the tank dive in the pool. “I remember you mentioning the box and that we would use it on a later dive. Are we going to be using it on the research trip?”

Kokomi nodded, “Indeed. I didn’t want to overwhelm you with information yesterday as I felt it would be better to learn about that when we get on the boat. So, the equipment I’m referring to is called a rebreather. Have you heard of it?”

“No, I haven’t. What makes it different from normal SCUBA?”

“When you breathe out of the regulator, you exhale all the excess gases, correct? Well, when you use a rebreather, in essence- your excess air gets recycled through a scrubbing system. This means you can stay underwater for longer periods of time but also produce no bubbles in the process. This means we can get closer to wildlife without disturbing them with all our breath. It’s like a win-win!” Kokomi’s eyes seemed to sparkle as she passionately described the equipment to me.

“Since we were only going to be using it for part of the dive, I felt I could train you as we go to save some time.”

I could only smile in response to her contagious passion and excitement, “Wow that sounds amazing, I can’t wait to give it a try!”

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get the adapters for the Full-Face Masks in time. So, we will have to use the standard mouthpiece method instead. Don’t worry, nothing to worry about. As for communication, we will be using these small underwater whiteboards so we can collate all the information we will need during the testing phase.”

Kokomi stopped the cart and picked up one of the whiteboards and showed me. It looked like any old standard whiteboard that I would see back at the office in Tokyo, but I nodded in response as she continued to push the cart.

“Oh, one more thing I should note Kayo. On the boat, we must wear full length safety overalls whilst on deck in case we fall overboard. I didn’t know your exact size, so I checked your wetsuit size and matched it. When you get a chance, try it on and let me know how it fits. There should be no problems.”

“I’m sure everything will be just fine!”

We continued to go back and forth between the storeroom and the entrance making trips with all the equipment. As we moved equipment, we made some small talk, and I was able to ask a few more questions about the trip. I think this is the first time I’ve really had a one-on-one chat with Kokomi in such a personal atmosphere. I’m starting to like her more and more every time I spend time with her!

After finally arriving at the front gate with the last trip of equipment, I could see Toya with his clipboard in hand surrounded by all his gear around at his feet. He was entirely focused on the notes in front of him; he didn’t even see us approach with our bulky cart. Doctor Kokomi looked up to greet him.

“Hey Toya, did you get in contact with the boat yet?”

Doctor Kokomi, Kayo, good morning. Yes, I was able to establish a call with them. They were just pulling into the fishing harbor when we ended the call. They informed me we had almost a full crew onboard. Three members from NOAA, two from NASA, one from the Japanese meteorological group, three ship crew as well as the three of us. The ship isn’t totally full, but it is full enough that none of us will be getting our own rooms.”

Toya ran his finger down the clipboard in front of him, “Sorry Kayo, you’ll be bunking with one of the NOAA women so we can keep the numbers even.”

“It is nice to see that we have quite the diverse team onboard! Out of curiosity, does everyone onboard speak Japanese?”

“I was informed that all the science crew can speak Japanese, however the captain can only speak English. That means you’ll have to do the speaking for both myself and Kayo. I haven’t practiced my English in some time, and I am a little embarrassed...”

Toya’s voice trailed off as he began to scratch his head. I couldn’t blame him. I haven’t done English classes since high school and English was not one of my best subjects. Although I used to do decently in class, I never pursued it any further and have forgotten most of what I learned. I could make some very light small talk but that was about it. So, I’m a little relieved that Doctor Kokomi would be able to help me out. I should stick close to her anyway.

Kokomi nodded in acknowledgement, “Sounds good, we should get moving then. We still need to move all this equipment to the vehicle.” Just then she lifted her head in response to the sounds of an engine approaching, “Ah, what perfect timing. Here’s our lift to the port.”

I swivel my head around to look at the large van with the Oceanworld logo on it pulling up right in front of us. The van rolled to a stop a few meters away and the driver's side door opened to reveal Miyuki was the driver.

“Alright you three, let’s start loading up the transport van and get you down to the harbor. We don’t want to be late. Kayo, I hope you’re looking forward to this trip. Some of us have hoped for years to go on a trip like this one, so make sure to enjoy it and make the most out of this. We won’t get an experience to collect data like this for a while. It isn’t exactly everyday a typhoon comes so close to Chiba.”

I started to get an understanding of the reason why Miyuki was a little hasty towards me when we first met. I think that she wanted my role but was not successful in the transition process. I almost felt a little bad for her but in a time like this, it’s best not to cause any conflict.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to help Doctor Kokomi in any way I can and make sure this trip is nothing but smooth sailing! No pun intended.”

“That’s the spirit! Now, let's get this van packed and get going!”

We all started taking the equipment one box at a time and loading it into the back of the van. Finally, we were ready to head off on our grand adventure.

Arriving at the fishing harbor, it wasn’t hard to spot the large sailing yacht that seemed so out of place among the rest of the small fishing trawlers that were parked alongside it.

The yacht was a lot bigger than I expected. It was about eighty feet in length if I were to say and had a triple mast design that rose high above the deck below. The hull was all exposed metal with red accented paint in some areas to break up the complexion of the design. There were waist high rails around the entire ship, no doubt to make sure we stay inside the boat at all times.

I am glad those railings are there; I am sure the water can get rough when you get pretty far out to sea.

“Doctor Kokomi Mizushima, it’s so nice to meet you in person, I’ve heard so much about you from Captain Bell. He tells me all the time about the many stories you two have shared together. I am sure this is going to be a great trip.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Morikawa-san. We’ve only spoken through email so it’s good to meet you in person as well! Allow me to introduce you to my assistants. Here we have Toya, I believe you two have communicated a few times already over the phone.”

Morikawa reached out his arm to Toya, initiating a handshake, “Pleasure to put a face to the voice on the other end of the phone calls.” Toya grinned in response as he firmly clasped the outreached hand and shook.

Kokomi grinned and then extended her arm toward me.

“We also have brought along my newest assistant, Kayo, who will be joining me in the water for the experiments. This is her first scientific trip out in open waters so this should be a good experience for her.”

Morikawa turned to greet me and immediately grabbed my hand to shake it.

“Very nice to meet you Kayo! Don’t feel too intimidated, I am sure we will have some calm seas this week and you have a lot of people around here to help you if you need it. I know a few of the other crews onboard have a few first timers on as well so you’ll fit right in. Welcome aboard the Arctic Explorer.”

With that, Morikawa turned and went back onto the boat as we went back to the van to start loading our stuff onto the yacht.

As the yacht launched from the tethering point in the port, we waved to Miyuki on shore as we sailed out into the open ocean before us. The wind began to pick up as we started to leave the coast, and we were able to pick up speed as the land quickly got smaller and smaller in the distance.

The first order of business was to find my room. I had been told I was bunking with another girl from NOAA. I was a little nervous about what to expect from her. I wonder how good her Japanese was. Opening the door, we immediately greeted and introduced each other. Her name was Sara, she was the same age as I was at 25.

This was also her first expedition trip overseas! Being that she was from NOAA, she was one of the two groups that came in from the United States to help with the experiments. They were running their own experiments as well as helping us with ours. Her role was to help monitor the currents and sea activity while we were diving to make sure we were in the right place for the experiments.

Heading back up on the deck, I could no longer see land in any direction. We must have made it pretty far offshore in only a short time! Only the ocean as far as the eye could see! It was a surreal feeling and surely a sight to see.

Before coming above deck, I was given an instruction by Morikawa on the proper use of the life vest overalls. There were four different colors given that would distinguish the different teams onboard. Firstly, the red team was our team from Japan. The blue team was from NASA, the green team was the NOAA team, and the yellow team was the crew of the boat.

Inside the overalls, just below the collar was a small compartment which contained a small rescue SCUBA tank, similar to the one I had used when I went swimming with the dolphins on the first day. Once I was trained on the use of the overalls, I went above deck and was taken to the aft rear deck.

Kokomi and I were taken below one of the many storage compartments in the floor. It is amazing how many little compartments are around this ship! This ship is really built for everything!

Below the storage compartment, we were shown the compressor and storage area for all the SCUBA equipment. We were also shown the watertight hatch. With this, we could open to enter and exit the water with ease, rather than having to take our equipment back above deck every time.

It was definitely a day of firsts for me. I spent almost the entire day learning about the ins and outs of the boat. It was important that I learned what everything did and where everything was.

Before long, the day had come to a close and dinner was served. Even though I had done nothing but learn about the boat, I was still worn out from the whole experience. I needed to try and keep all this information in my head! I had a small dinner with Toya and Sara. However, I began to worry as Kokomi was nowhere to be found during the dinner. There is no way she could not be hungry right now.

As sunset was entered its final phase, I headed up to the bow of the boat. The fresh air and sounds of the wind were a nice change from all the chatter below the ship. It seemed everyone was getting along well with each other. This was a good sign for sure. I really hope that this means the trip will be successful. Although, with this being my first trip, I’m not sure if there is any correlation. The sky began to darken and just then I saw a figure ahead of me.

Sitting under the forward mast, I spotted Doctor Kokomi. She was leaning on the side of the mast and looking off into the black abyss that laid before us. I could just make out the shape of her body from the lights the stars were giving off as they came into view. Kokomi looked back at me and started to speak.

“It’s a beautiful sight isn’t it Kayo? I always love coming to see the stars from out in the middle of the ocean. It is a sight that many people never get to see. You can see the stars so much clearer than you can on land. Especially with the lack of light pollution. It's a magical sight!”

“I’ve never seen them so clearly before. It looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before!”

I joined her on the other side of the mast as the waves continued to crash into the front of the boat, occasionally splashing us with a dusting of cool sea mist.

“Ummm, Kokomi, there’s a question I’ve been meaning to ask you. I told you why I got into diving, but I’ve never asked why you got into wanting to be an oceanographer. What started it all?”

After asking, Kokomi's eyes immediately fell on mine. She pondered for a second before replying to me.

“Well, When I was younger, I saw a documentary in science class. We were learning about the reef and all the fish that lived among it. In the documentary, they spoke about many famous explorers into the deep unknown world, but one stood out to me.”

Kokomi paused before continuing with a small distant smile, “A famous Australian lady who worked tirelessly to protect sharks from being killed and I thought how brave she was and how much I wanted to be like her! It seemed like I was the only one in the class that was remotely interested in that documentary. I just couldn’t keep my eyes off the screen.

After that, I spent so much time researching what that woman had accomplished and what she stood for with her work. In one of the many interviews that she conducted, one quote stood out to me that I keep with me even to this day.

‘Slide into the water from the world we all know and enter into another world. A different world. An alien world. I was not a part of that world. I was just a visitor. And I think that's where it began. Exploring the ocean is nerve racking. But every single step of the way was a new adventure, another step into the unknown. And every time you did it, you came out with a little bit more knowledge.’

To this day, those words have such a massive impact on me, and I think about them each time that I step into the water and dive. Each day and each dive, there is always something to be learned. No matter how many times you’ve done the same experiment in the past, you can always find something new. Never count out the unexpected happening.

During my first trip to Australia, I was lucky enough to not only meet that famous woman but also become lifelong friends with her. I even got the chance to help her carry out her own experiments in the Great Barrier Reef. It filled me with delight being able to help my lifelong hero with her work. It was literally like a dream come true! Even in her late eighties she refused to give up on her work. It was that strong dedication that I found so awe-inspiring.

She’s the reason I spend so much of my time in Australia. She helped me get a travelling professor position at one of the universities near the Great Barrier Reef so I could continue my research whenever I wanted. I owe a lot of my success to her.

That’s the reason I dive and research. To continue to learn the wonders of the mysterious blue ocean. There is so much we still don’t know about the ocean, and I feel like it's the last great place on this Earth that humans have yet to fully explore. Now it’s getting late, I might turn in early. It's best you head below before it gets too dark, and we certainly don’t want to lose you overboard. Have a good night's sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With that, Kokomi was gone before I could even reply. She had left me on the top deck of the boat. Alone with nothing but the incredible story she had just told me. I hope one day I can meet this incredible lady and live up to the same expectations as Doctor Kokomi! I’m now even more nervous to not let everyone down tomorrow.

I picked myself up and headed below deck to also get to bed early. I need to make sure I have all my strength for tomorrow as you never know what storm can sweep across you in the middle of the ocean.