readings. At 100 m from the bottom we should also be able to pick up the altitude
readings of the submarine based on instruments placed on its bottom. Niva read
out ‘‘seventy, sixty meters, fifty…’’
That’s it, we were very near the bottom, so Niva had to flip a switch on an
electromagnet to liberate 50 kilos of steel ballasted-bags hanging from each side
of the submarine. We were now lying flat on our bellies, our noses pressed to the
portholes and we were excited to think about who was going to be the first to
actually see the sea floor. In the meantime, the noise of the pinging sonar waves
bouncing sound off the surrounding cliffs made a squealing noise every time they
hit an obstacle. We were surrounded by cliffs about 150 m high. When the submersible reached an altitude of about 30 m above the sea floor, we were able to
guess at the shapes on the rocky bottom and soon we found ourselves among giant
lava flows at about 2,650 m deep. We didn’t actually touch bottom but remained
about 30 m above the sea floor surface. The pilot turned his light projectors on full
force and using its motor, the submersible started to turn around in a circle, just to
see what the surroundings looked like. In the meantime, a message was sent to the
surface ship telling them that we arrived on the bottom and requesting that they
give us our exact position before we started to move.
The pilot usually took a short break before starting to move the submersible in
order to stabilize and re-verify the equipment. Then we would proceed on our
itinerary as planned. The first reflex prior to getting underway was to take a rock
sample and a few photographs of the landing site.
After working about 5 h on the sea floor, the submersible’s batteries would be
getting low and it would soon be time to request permission to return to the
surface. Time has flown by and suddenly I realized my dive was nearly over. I’ve
been so engrossed in my work, I’ve forgotten to take time to eat, but this is my
usual way of operating.
Generally a dive involves a lunch break, although this will depend on the target
as well as the divers. Some people prefer to take a brief break while others, like
me, are eager to continue. If this is the case, the pilot usually moves to the rear of
the vessel and allows the co-pilot to take over. This helps the pilot to relax and
gives an opportunity to the co-pilot to be trained in handling the submarine. This
kind of pilot/co-pilot approach does not exist on Alvin since there is only one pilot
on board, therefore this submersible’s pilots must be trained during special training
dives without any scientists on board.
When it was time to leave the ocean floor, Niva pushed the electro-magnet
control button to release the steel pellets stored in the ballast compartments on the
side of the submersible. Slowly, our little yellow submarine rose back to the sea’s
surface.
Our return trip was generally more relaxed because we felt that we had
accomplished our task. This was the time I used in order to write up some final
notes before I forgot the details, and to make an inventory of the videotapes and
the number of pictures taken with the outside camera.
Arriving near the surface, the sunlight penetrated into the sea giving a bluishgray coloration to the water. When we were about 15–20 m below the surface we
A Normal Diving Day
73
readings of the submarine based on instruments placed on its bottom. Niva read
out ‘‘seventy, sixty meters, fifty…’’
That’s it, we were very near the bottom, so Niva had to flip a switch on an
electromagnet to liberate 50 kilos of steel ballasted-bags hanging from each side
of the submarine. We were now lying flat on our bellies, our noses pressed to the
portholes and we were excited to think about who was going to be the first to
actually see the sea floor. In the meantime, the noise of the pinging sonar waves
bouncing sound off the surrounding cliffs made a squealing noise every time they
hit an obstacle. We were surrounded by cliffs about 150 m high. When the submersible reached an altitude of about 30 m above the sea floor, we were able to
guess at the shapes on the rocky bottom and soon we found ourselves among giant
lava flows at about 2,650 m deep. We didn’t actually touch bottom but remained
about 30 m above the sea floor surface. The pilot turned his light projectors on full
force and using its motor, the submersible started to turn around in a circle, just to
see what the surroundings looked like. In the meantime, a message was sent to the
surface ship telling them that we arrived on the bottom and requesting that they
give us our exact position before we started to move.
The pilot usually took a short break before starting to move the submersible in
order to stabilize and re-verify the equipment. Then we would proceed on our
itinerary as planned. The first reflex prior to getting underway was to take a rock
sample and a few photographs of the landing site.
After working about 5 h on the sea floor, the submersible’s batteries would be
getting low and it would soon be time to request permission to return to the
surface. Time has flown by and suddenly I realized my dive was nearly over. I’ve
been so engrossed in my work, I’ve forgotten to take time to eat, but this is my
usual way of operating.
Generally a dive involves a lunch break, although this will depend on the target
as well as the divers. Some people prefer to take a brief break while others, like
me, are eager to continue. If this is the case, the pilot usually moves to the rear of
the vessel and allows the co-pilot to take over. This helps the pilot to relax and
gives an opportunity to the co-pilot to be trained in handling the submarine. This
kind of pilot/co-pilot approach does not exist on Alvin since there is only one pilot
on board, therefore this submersible’s pilots must be trained during special training
dives without any scientists on board.
When it was time to leave the ocean floor, Niva pushed the electro-magnet
control button to release the steel pellets stored in the ballast compartments on the
side of the submersible. Slowly, our little yellow submarine rose back to the sea’s
surface.
Our return trip was generally more relaxed because we felt that we had
accomplished our task. This was the time I used in order to write up some final
notes before I forgot the details, and to make an inventory of the videotapes and
the number of pictures taken with the outside camera.
Arriving near the surface, the sunlight penetrated into the sea giving a bluishgray coloration to the water. When we were about 15–20 m below the surface we
A Normal Diving Day
73