A lot has been happening in the past two weeks as we gear up for the Bermuda expedition! We are busy packing, shipping, and working on the logistics of this really unique experience!
We began the week with a trip to the Dive Station in Orlando where Capt. Keith Mattson graciously let us test our O2 deco rigging on his K bottles. For this particular project, we are using a K bottle of O2 at each site attached to a 50’ whip with a 3-way swivel for the second stages so that three divers can decompress at once in the cavern. This will prevent us from having to fill O2 tanks each night and affords us the luxury of a smoother on-site deco operation. Thanks Keith!
We ended this week finishing our manifests and shipping seven crates (about 400 pounds worth!) of equipment to Bermuda. It was a little disturbing when we arrived at the shipping counter only to be asked if Bermuda was a “state or a country?â€Â, and did we want this to go “via ground service?†Once we got those MINOR details cleared up, our gear was on its way!
In addition to our hosts in Bermuda and the sponsors who are providing us with the opportunity to assist on the Bermuda Biodiversity Project, we would like to take this time to recognize and thank all of the other folks who have made SIGNIFICANT contributions to this very worthwhile Project. Without these generous gifts, this expedition would not be possible. Please keep in mind, this list is not exhaustive..it is growing everyday!
Aaron Mills, Ph.D., University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA
Atlan, Quebec CANADA
Benthic Technologies, Inc., Orlando FL
Bermuda Aquarium, BERMUDA
Bermuda Underwater Explorers Institute, BERMUDA
bGenesis Productions, Orlando FL
Clear View Guest Cottages, BERMUDA
Clyde Martin, M.D.
Compass software and mapping program
Divers Alert Network, Durham NC
DiveRite, Inc., Lake City FL
The Dive Station, Orlando FL
ESRI (Environmental Science Research Institute), Redlands, CA
Global Manufacturing Corporation, West Allis WI
John Chluski and DigitalFUSIONhouse, Boca Raton FL
Julie Kaye
Law Offices of Patrick Magill, Orlando FL
Liberty Mountain, Salt Lake City UT
OTEP, UK Government
Sartek Industries, Medford NY
Seminole Scuba, Lake Mary FL
Terrence N. Tysall, Orlando FL
Tim Gallagher, Ft. Collins CO
Triangle Diving, Bermuda
Ultralight Control Systems, Oxnard CA