P-MAN XVII Update # 11 - Hiking with the CAT; fish sometimes need CPR; Mickaila learns to use the Alien Finder

05 April 2015

It's been a slow couple of days in Palau. A lot of exploring and searching; not a lot of finding.

Derek stayed on land on the 5th because he had to fly out that night. He took a contingent of the CAT (Civic Action Team) hiking with him on a hill in Malakal overlooking an area where we're searching in the water. Although after-action reports say a couple of planes crashed in the water, there's always a chance that they could be on land. So Derek ruled that out. We could actually see a couple of the CAT team members on the side of the hill from the boat, even though the hill is mostly jungle covered.

Can you see the CAT team guys?

How about now?

The rest of us were on the boat. We did a bunch of dives and saw a bunch of nothing. But we did get to watch the Japan Coast Guard fly their helicopter, use their work boats and do lots of stuff in anticipation of the Emperor's arrival. That's just a few days from now. The Stockbridge team went down to Peleliu and toured the battlefields there. Those who had gone to Peleliu on a previous trip went diving instead. When they got back, they found their fix to the ROV hadn't quite fixed it. So they prudently decided to take Monday the 6th off to complete repairs and start in on visiting the local schools.

So here are some more pictures from the day.

Joe keeping us all in check

Jennifer, Val, Dan and Joe trying to keep warm in a rain shower

Mickaila got checked out on the Navigator and is going for his first swim with it

Day two with the Navigator. Photo by Val

Abandoned ship in Malakal harbor

A special photo for Mickaila's kids

Selfie, Flip and Pat

Val getting to visit this piece of Avenger wreckage for the first time,
and retrieve Flip's reel and line. Photo by Dan

Derek flew out on the night of the 5th. Our group is slowly shrinking.

06 April

Split ops today: I stayed in to watch video from the underwater vehicles while Pat, Dan, Jennifer, Val and Mickaila went on the water. This is Val and Mickaila's last scuba day. They fly out early on the morning of the 8th.

I watched a bunch of hours of the video and found three interesting items in Malakal Harbor. We'll try to visit them tomorrow while diving. The rest of the team saw a bunch of junk at the bottom, a soon to be dead fish revived by Joe and a pod of Dugongs. A Dugong is a Palauan Manatee.

So here are some more pictures from today.

Joe, a Conservation Officer, saving a fish.
It looked like a goner, but after a little pin prick and CPR...Photo by Val

Joe releasing a very happy fish. Photo by Val

Our shot line landed on the object we wanted to look at.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be just junk. Photo by Val

Moonrise in Palau

- Flip Colmer

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