¡Hasta la vista, Vigo! (English version)

May, the 23rd

One more year R.V. Vizconde de Eza heads for the Grand Bank to carry out the NAFO surveys, as we call our three consecutive surveys Platuxa, Flemish Cap and 3L – demersal 3LMNO surveys are they called in the EU.

This is a special year: our dear ship just turned 15, 15 years of hard and well done work in the North and Southeast Atlantic, Mediterranean and even the Indian Ocean. You wouldn’t tell, so good it looks! Anyhow, at such age and in these times, it has been finally granted internet access. With a bit of luck and megas allowing we will be able to edit the blog from the ship, uploading more photos.

You will remember than in years past Uxía, one of the librarians at IEO Vigo branch made possible the blog, as she uploaded every day all the material. She offered her help once more and we definitely count on her. Thanks, Uxía! Editing from the ship we take all the risks of live broadcasting though...

We left Vigo at 10 in the morning, in good weather, but we already know we will get head winds. Mothers need worry not though, as our captain has set the course to keep the low to the south and ease our trip.

The day has been easy, everybody had lunch and dinner and tomorrow we will start to get ready for the work awaiting us, which will be hard, specially for the biologists and seamen that will be on board for the whole three months.

We will leave it here but first we want to thank our colleagues at the Distant Fisheries Program in Vigo, who made possible once more that all the scientific aspect of the survey was ready on time without loose ends, all the staff overseeing the Vizconde de Eza logistics, and of course the Spanish Directorate of Fisheries for the internet access, which was sorely needed and will allow us to give the ship the visibility it deserves.