RV Heraclitus Sails the South Pacific!

  Expedition Logs
Prior to 2000

• Manado, Wakatobi, Takabonerate & Bali, Indonesia
• Nha Trang,Vietnam
• Ko Samui / Ko Tao, Thailand
• Tioman Islands, Malaysia
• Singapore
• Sandakan, Malaysia
• Sulawesi, Indonesia
• Darwin, Australia
• Bali, Indonesia
• Sumatra, Indonesia
• Maldives
• Kenya
• Seychelles
• Maldives
• Sri Lanka
• India
• Oman
• Other PCRF Highlights

RV Heraclitus departed Vietnam on September 8, 1999 after completing the scientific studies with the Nha Trang Oceanographic Institute and arrived in Manado, Indonesia on September 26 to participate in the inaugeration of Francis Lee's Aseanarean Expeditions: September to December, 1999 Indonesian voyages.

"Aseanarean Expeditions" was created by Frances Lee, President of the Raffles Marina and Chairman of Corporate Ventures Group in Singapore, and Professor Chou at the Biology Division of the University of Singapore, to study and help protect coral reefs of the South China Sea region. Each year, for the next five years, they will focus on an area of the Aseanarean region: Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. Frances Lee calls this region the Aseanarean Sea to be analogous to the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas.

RV Heraclitus sailed with Francis Lee's expedition team to Wakatobi, Takabonerate, Krakatau, and Bali. Included in the ship convoy were the vessels Indonesian Navy Tall Ship Kri Arung Samudera, the Nordhaven Feeling, Agape and Francis Lee's own Leeway II. Coral reef studies were completed in Wakatobi and National Geographic Asia Television filmed the expedition.

On returning to Bali, the crew completed a study of the health and vitality of coral reefs off Lembongan in the same site they were anchored two years ago. As well the crew joined Theater of All Possibilities in a cultural music and dance exchange at the Bali Marina to celebrate the 1995-2000 expedition completion and to prepare for the new 2000-2005 coral reef expedition originiating in the South East Asia Seas and voyaging back accross the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope, up to the Carribbean, through the Panama Canal and on to Oceania. On January 15, 2000 the crew set sail for Admirality and Solomon Islands.

On August 12, the RV Heraclitus arrived NhaTrang after a beautiful sailing voyage from Ko Samui. The ship was received and hosted by the Oceanographic Institute of Nha Trang and Gessie Houghton, Aliya and Craig Inglis of the October Gallery London project, joined the crew in Nha Trang.

Mr. Pete Peterson, the US Ambassador, his wife Vi, Mike Eiland, their Vietnamese interpreter, and His Excellency, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Kanh Hoa visited the ship on August 16. The US Ambassador assured Dr. An of the Oceanographic Institute of Nha Trang that he was following the RVH visit with keen interest and was extremely pleased that we were here as the first research vessel to work with Vietnam at this level.

It is an honor to have received the research permits for studying coral reefs with the Oceanographic Institute of Nha Trang and the efforts of members of the US Embassy in Hanoi to assist us in this process has been exceptional.

The ship will remain in Vietnam until early September, when it will depart for Manado, Indonesia to join the Aseanarean Expedition.

The crew of the RV Heraclitus had an easy voyage from Malaysia to Thailand and arrived off Cheweng Beach in Ko Samui. Abigail Alling and Mark van Thillo joined the crew in Ko Samui and sailed with the them North to Ko Tao. The ship anchored off a beautiful bay in Ko Tao where the crew again conducted a study on the health and vitality of coral reefs and trained new crew members in field research techniques.

On August 4, 1999, the ship departed for Nha Trang, Vietnam.

The RV Heraclitus arrived the Tomian islands on June 8 whereupon the crew immediately commenced a study of the health and vitality of corals off the Tomian Islands and trained new crew members in field research techniques.

RV Heraclitus arrived Singapore and was graciously provided hospitality, dockage and membership for the crew at the Raffles Marina by President Frances Lee. Chairman John Allen, Abigail Alling and Mark van Thillo joined the crew at Raffles Marina to discuss a future partnership with Frances Lee's Aseanarean Expeditions: a series of expeditions to explore, study, and promote the coral reefs and seas of Southeast Asia. A press release supported by National Geographic Channel Asia was held on May 18, 1999 at the Raffles Marina to announce the First Asia-led expedition series to rediscover the region's marine paradise with the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation's ship Heraclitus.

Frances Lee, who is also Chairman of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle, Marine Tourism Sub-Committee said: "We want people to rediscover and enjoy the marine paradise that we have right here in the waters of Aseanarean. It has the highest marine bio-diversity in the world - many times greater than even the Mediterranean and Caribbean combined."

The ship departed Singapore on June 6, 1999 for the Tomian Islands off Malaysia.

Sandakan, Malaysia
March 15 to April 7, 1999

RV Heraclitus arrived Sandakan, Malaysia on March 15. The 15 member crew enjoyed a break in the coral reef field research and took turns visiting the beautiful rainforest/mountain countryside. On April 7 they again set sail, this time for Singapore to prepare for the next big research study in Vietnam. The ship is due to arrive in Singapore on May 1.

The crew of the RV Heraclitus had a celebratory sail to Sulawesi after having reconstructed the ship in Darwin, Australia. Mark Van Thillo, C.O.O. of PCRF, joined the crew during the voyage to Sulawesi where they were greeted by former Captain Klaus Eiberle (who had taken the RV Heraclitus around South America and to Antarctica in 1987 - 1989) in the port of Kendari, Sulawesi. Klaus remained on board through December 1.

During a period of 5 months, coral reef field research was conducted off the islands of Banggai Islands, Wowoni Island on the east coast and Pulau Talatakan in the Togian Islands. Abigail and Mark again joined the ship in January 1999 to assist in the field research.

The coral reefs of Sulawesi are considered by David Doubilet of National Geographic to be the most beautiful reefs in the world and reports from all on board agree that they are exceptional! The recent National Geographic Magazine, Vol. 195, No. 1, January 1999, features David Doubilet's stunning work in Sulawesi. The ship departed the Togian Islands on March 6 for Sandakan, Malaysia.

The RV Heraclitus arrived the port of Darwin on April 8 after voyaging from Bali. Abigail Alling and Mark Van Thillo met the crew on their arrival and were kindly hosted by the Port Captain, Bruce Wilson, in a safe harbor in Frances Bay.

On April 15, the RV Heraclitus was brought up onto dry-dock at the Paspaley Pearls' Darwin Ship Repair and Engineering. During this time, the crew participated in the ferrocement repairs and engineering maintenance. The ferrocoment repairs were completed with the pouring of new cement on July 2 and July 6 and a curing process for 10 days. The ship was unslipped back into the water on July 25 (for more information see the RV Heraclitus Rebuild).

Chairman John Allen, Director Deborah Snyder, and former crew member Robyn Tredwell, joined the crew for 4 days as well as former Captain Robert Hahn (Around the Tropic World Expedition) and former Expedition Chief Bill Dempster (Amazon River Expedition) for one month to assist in the dry-dock operations.

The Planetary Coral Reef Foundation wishes to thank again the Darwin Ship Repair and Engineering management team, the Ann Lurie and Robert H. Lurie Family Foundation, Detroit Diesel, and the extraordinary support of the Darwin Community. As well, we wish to give a very special appreciation to Mr. Don Tellman, the CEO at the ship yard, who was exceptional.

RV Heraclitus departed Darwin on September 28 for Kendari, Sulawesi.

While in Bali, the crew of the RV Heraclitus participated in a Japan Asahi TV and Canal + French TV documentary about the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation and our work with coral reefs worldwide. British Producer, Suzanne Cambell-Jones, BBC cameraman Peter Scoones, and sound recorder Paul Kennedy, joined Abigail Alling and Mark Van Thillo on the RV Heraclitus off the island of Lembongan. The film involved, as well, WWF coral reef scientists Ir. Ketut Sargana Putra and Dr. Ir. Neviaty Zamani who explained the comprehensive coral reef management and monitoring program underway in Bali.

Coral reef research continued with coring of corals for Dr. Richard Fairbanks at Columbia University, Chris Charles at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, health and vitality of corals and mapping of coral reefs via satellite with Dr. Phil Dustan, College of Charleston.

The crew also participated in a cultural event on board the RV Heraclitus where the crew exchanged dance and music with a Balinese orchestra and dancers.

RV Heraclitus departed Bali on March 26 to sail to Darwin Australia.

The RV Heraclitus arrived Sabang, Sumatra from the Maldive Islands on November 12, 1998 after a 35 day sail in calm seas. "We are a crew of ocean lovers. We had not a single day without fresh fish. A group of mahe mahe, rainbow runners and yellowfin tuna permanently accompagnied the ship for days on end" wrote the Captain about the voyage.

During the two months in Sumatra, the crew will be assessing the health and vitality of coral reefs working off the remote islands of Palau Palau Hinako and Tello Island.

Abigail Alling and Mark van Thillo joined the crew for three weeks to assist in the studies and prepare for the upcoming drydock in Australia. The Heraclitus will go on drydock this April at the Darwin Ship Repair and Engineering Pty. Ltd., a company owned by Paspaley Pearls, Ltd. who has generously sponsored the drydock.

The ship will sail through the Sundra Straits to Bali end January.

The Heraclitus arrived the Maldives Islands on July 12, 1997 sailing with the steady South West Monsoons across the Indian Ocean after its successful work in Kenya with coral reef studies. The international crew was welcomed by Abdulla Naseer, Senior Reef Research Officer at the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, Mohamed Madeeh, Fifo Maldives, and many friends whom they had met and worked with in the fall of 1996.

During their stay in the Maldives the crew cored corals and conducted depth sounding of submerged coral reefs for off the northernmost island of the Maldives in support of Richard Fairbanks(Columbia University) and Chris Charles (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) long-term studies of past climates. See C.D. Charles, D.E. Hunter, R.G. Fairbanks. 1997. Interaction between the ENSO and the Asian Monsoon in a Coral... Vol 277. pp 925-928.

Rob Peacock and Dawn West, research students at the University of North London, joined the crew of the Heraclitus in Male and were trained by Expedition Chief Christine Handte in the coral reef health and vitality field research. Rob and Dawn will meet later in the year with Dr. Phil Dustan to work with data analysis of the coral reef mapping by satellite imagery.

Klaus Eiberle, Former Captain of the Heraclitus on the Circumnavigation of South America Expedition, joined the ship in Kenya and helped with the research through the first week of August. Klaus runs Blue Planet Divers with Mark Van Thillo, a diving company in Belize, and works with the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation in Mexico to oversee the quality control of waste recycling system construction.

The ship departed the Maldives on October 8, 1997 for Sumatra, Indonesia.

The Heraclitus arrived Mombasa, Kenya on March 15, 1997 having successfully completed its difficult and productive Indian Ocean segment of the five year expedition with a healthy crew and ship-shape vessel.

By April 8, the Heraclitus crew had finished its coral coring work at Kilifi to discover past climates of the Indian Ocean for Richard Fairbanks of Columbia University and the cores were hand delivered to Dr. Fairbanks by Abigail and Mark on April 14. The crew is now well underway with the Kenya study of coral reef health and vitality and coral reef mapping via satellite undertaken in conjunction with Dr. Phil Dustan at the College of Charleston. Depth sounding work to locate submerged reefs for Dr. Fairbanks will commence a the end of April.

The RV Heraclitus was hosted in Kilifi by Lorenzo Ricciardi and the Mnarani Club through the duration of their visit. We were delighted to accept the invitation of Lorenzo Ricciardi who offered the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation an anchorage off his Baobab Gardens in Kilifi with a long term offer to establish a land-based headquarters there. A new home port for the Heraclitus in the Indian Ocean! Kilifi is a productive location for the Heraclitus, a beautiful coastal town with an excellent anchorage, and a healthy coral reef just 2 miles outside of the harbor.

With the kind help of Don Young, Ker and Downey Safaris, and introduction from the famous photographers of African cultures, Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher, John Allen, Chairman of PCRF, Deborah Snyder, Director, and Abigail Alling and Mark Van Thillo arrived Kenya on March 13 to meet the ship as it sailed into Mombasa on March 15. John and Deborah visited the ship for one week and met with Ahmed Sheikh Nabhany, Ali Abubakar and Omari Bwana of the Fort Jesus Museum. Abigail and Mark remained with the ship for one month to help with the coral reef research and ship maintenance.

The research permits were authorized by J.E. Ekirapa at the Office of the President in conduction with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KEMFRI). Drs. Nyiwara Muthiga of KWS and Frederick Guya of KEMFRI visited the crew in Kilifi.

RV Heraclitus departed Kilifi, Kenya on June 17, 1997 for the Maldives where it is scheduled to arrive on July 10.

The RV Heraclitus remained in the Seychelles to conduct work on coring corals for climateology studies for Dr. Richard Fairbanks, Columbia University, and Dr. Chris Charles, Scripps Institute, as well as the studies of health and vitality of coral reefs with Dr. Phil Dustan, College of Charleston. They were invited by the Marine Parks Authority.

The ship arrived in Male Harbor on October 25, 1996 where they remained for several months while doing the coral reef studies. They were invited by Abdullah Naseer, Senior Reef Research Officer at the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, Republic of Maldives. They will be conducting work on coring corals for climateology studies for Dr. Richard Fairbanks, Columbia University, and Dr. Chris Charles, Scripps Institute, as well as the studies of health and vitality of coral reefs with Dr. Phil Dustan, College of Charleston.

RV Heraclitus arrived Sri Lanka on August 7 where the ship remained through October 1996. During their stay in Sri Lanka the crew was hosted by old friends of Abigail Alling and John Allen, Arthur C. Clarke, Brian Lourensz of Consolidated Engineering , the Chief Military Commander of Galle Harbor, and Don Windsor and Company, LTD. Other friends, W.P. Thunga Prema of Trincomalee, is brother Mahendra of the National Aquatic Resource Agency, and Mahen Vaithianathan who had assisted Abigail when she was working with the WWF in Sri Lanka studying whales back in the 1980's, also visited with the crew.

The crew carried out ship's repairs and maintenance, engaged in slide shows at the Goethe Institute, and performed Caligula by Camut.

Luke Murray (UK) joined the ship in Sri Lanka.

Heraclitus set sail for Bombay, India on July 4, 1996 from Muscat, Oman and arrived Bombay on July 15, 1996 on invitation from the Embassador of India in Oman. With the help of M.V. Bhatavadekar and Vijayan Dsouxa of J.M. Baxi and Company, the ship was hosted by the Subhash Awasthee, Assistant Commissioner of Police, and Captain Sunily Pradhan, Bombay Port Trust. The crew also received great support from Danny Coelho, Raul and Anes Gupta, and the Zorastrian Trust Fund.

The crew was greeted in Bombay and the ship, research, and the health of the crew evaluated by Chairman of PCRF, John Allen, President, Abigail Alling, and Chief Operations Officer, Mark Van Thillo. Two crew members, Caroline Mekie (Scotland, UK) and Nicola Corrente (Italy), joined the expedition there.

Dodo Bhujwala, renowned artist in Bombay, joined the ship for its voyage to Sri Lanka.

March 30, 1996 - April 23, 1996

After a two month journey down the Red Sea , the RV Heraclitus arrived Salalah, Oman on March 30, 1996. The crew immediately commented on the abundance of marine life in the port waters which was an obvious credit to the wealth of the country which has a keen interest in the ecology of their environment.

The RV Heraclitus was invited to Oman by Dr. Said Azadjali, Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Environment who had endorsed the scientific work of the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation and Richard Fairbanks at Lamont-Doherty, Columbia University. As well, the crew was received graciously by Hilal M. Al Busaidi, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Abigail Alling, President of PCRF, and Mark Van Thillo, C.O.O., met the crew in Salalah to assist with research and technical systems.

Halaanyaat Island, southeast of Salalah, was the first research stop. There, cores of large hard corals, porites spp., were collected and transects were made along the island to survey if there were submerged reefs. The analysis of this data is done by Richard Fairbanks at Lamont-Doherty, Columbia University and Chris Charles at Scripps Institute to understand the natural variability of the southwest El Nino and Monsoon climate systems, the thermal stability of the oceans warm pools, and the hydrologic cycle. The coral coring of living and ancient submerged reefs provides information on sea surface temperature and rainfall from past centuries.

Coring work: A small boat carries the coring team from the RV Heraclitus to the chosen site. The deadlines are tight to complete the studies which means sometimes working in rough weather conditions. The equipment consists of a large drill, which is mounted underwater, connected to, and powered by a a high pressure pump in the boat.

The sample core is as many feet as the coral is high, and as each piece is carefully brought to the surface, a tube container is prepared and labeled. Technical problems and unfriendly weather conditions are the cause of most delays with this kind of work and credit must be given to this team who may sometimes spend virtually a whole day underwater with little to show for their efforts. However, there is no mistaking the intense personal satisfaction derived when a coring is completed, not just by the specific coring team, but also by the rest of the few, who look out for the smiling faces as the small boat returns to base at the end of the day.

Survey work:

The depth sounding team works from a small boat with mounted depth sounder. Starting at the shore, the boat motors out to 140 meters depth. Each transect is on average 2.5 miles.

April 23, 1996 -

RV Heraclitus sailed to Masirah Island to continue the work with Richard Fairbanks and Chris Charles. Without the help of Mussalem Jaboob, Ministry of Fisheries, and people of Masirah, the crew could not have carried out the research. Due to heavy seas, the expedition had to be carried out overland and a camp was set up on the southern beach near the chosen site. With Mussalem as the coordinator, the participation of the local people was breath-taking. Jeeps were made available, along with army tents, cooking facilities and fish, lamb and fresh coffee. The Heraclitus crew hosted the islanders for an evening on the ship under a full moon, slide shows and authentic biriyani made byPADI dive instructor and master French chef, Michel, Lippitsch.

May 8, 1996 - July 8, 1996

Heraclitus arrived the Port of Sultan Qaboos, Muscat on May 8 where they remained for two months working off the islands of Daymaniyat until their departure to India in July, Dr. Azadjali, the Director of the Ministry of Environment and Sulieman bin Mohammed Al-Busaidy, Superintendent General Pollution Control, welcomed the ship and it was off the islands of Daymaniyat Islands that the crew commenced the third site for the coring and transect work for the studies of past climates and commenced the work for the health and vitality of studies under the direction of Dr. Phil Dustan, College of Charleston.

With the advent of satellite imagery it is possible to use remote sensing to study the world's coral reefs without having to physically traverse every section of coral reef. To do this, an initial base-line study is required to "ground truth" the environmental conditions, health and vitality of the reef system, and map the coordinates of the reef in order to compare this information with satellite image taken at the same time. The Heraclitus team is involved with providing data to develop the tools to map the worlds reefs using satellite imagery and monitor the health and vitality of reefs worldwide.

In support of the efforts of the Ministry of Environment to monitor turtles, the Heraclitus crew monitors the number of successful and aborted nests of turtles that come to the beaches of Daymaniyat to lay their eggs.

The visibility of the Daymaniyat water was superlative and the crew were fortunate to see sting-rays, sharks, lobsters, giant turtles, and abundance of other fish species.

On June 28th, the crew of the Heraclitus prepared a fund-raising event with the tremendous support of Jennifer Fulton, "Celebrate the Sea", at the Marina Bander Al-Rowdha. The Planetary Coral Reef Foundation depends entirely upon the generous support of individuals, corporations, and institutions to continue its work. In this celebration of coral reefs, the rainforests of the sea, the event was a wonderful success. Please see our sponsor list to view all the extraordinary support we received while in Oman.

Gonzalo Arcila, Vice President of PCRF's Mexico project, worked with the ship for several weeks in Muscat and Toni Phillips (New Zealand) joined the ship in Oman.

The Planetary Coral Reef Foundation hosted a conference, ěthe Tropical Seas Satellite Mission for Biospheric Studies of Coral Reefs,î at the Geosphere Project in Santa Monica, California on January 10 - 11. The conference participants reviewed the concept of biospherics, the status of monitoring the health and vitality of coral reefs from space, projects now underway to study coral reefs worldwide and other coordinated efforts, and the challenges of developing and designing sensors for coral reef monitoring. Tasks were outlined for the coming year to advance our capability to further the technology.

On January 29, 1997, the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation in conjunction with Centro Ecologico Akumal, hosted a presentation about the Planetary Coral Reef Foundationís subsurface flow wetland waste recycling systems. Two of these systems are now in operation at the Akumal Field Station and Doctoral student Mark Nelson described the systems and presented data on their first months of operation. The systems are already showing their effectiveness in improving water quality and lowering nutrient and contaminant levels.

An eight thousand gallon ecological waste recycling system went on-line August 19, 1996 at PCRF's spanking new field research station on the beach at Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The long term waste recycle demonstration system and four room, thatched roof, field station was mainly underwritten by two grants; one from the Wallace Genetic Foundation and the other from the Atkinson Foundation with additional support from Centro Ecologico Akumal. Members of the board and several officers of PCRF donated their design, project supervision and other expenses.

The ecological (recycled) use of human waste along shorlines is essential to maintain the health of coral reefs threatened by the increasing numbers of humans diving in and living near them. This development of waste recycle units operating with slightly saline water marks a major developmental strategy in PCRF's total approach to the study of coral reefs.

Centro Ecologico Akumal, the organization who made a long term lease of the demonstration center to PCRF on a joint venture basis, almost at the same time contracted PCRF to build a second eco-waste-recycle unit for its sewage. This system is scheduled to be ready by the end of August.

A Mayan horticultural garden will be fertilized by the outflow of both waste recycle systems.

Visitors and researchers are welcome. See "Akumal Field Station