Final Dive in the Gulf of Mexico

Divers, Dr. Manuel Maldonado and Tralee Chapman
“Getting to ALVIN dive at the deepest point in the Gulf of Mexico is at the top of the list in surprises that life has thrown at me in my marine biology career. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime and a lot like what I imagine going to space is like!”
Tralee Chapman
B.S. Marine Biology, University of Oregon

We live in a world where we can visualize virtually anything through the use of technology and word-of-mouth. Places you haven’t visited can be 360-toured through Google and legends get told by word-of-mouth globally and have been for millennia. Life at sea, despite having limited internet connection, is a part of this world as well. The instant I set out on this journey I was told stories of previous dives in ALVIN and what life is like at the bottom of the ocean. Tales varied from rock structures that looked like giant skeletons to Humboldt squids swimming right up to the windows. Every story that was told I desperately wanted to believe, however, like most people, I am a believe it when I see it kind of person.

Today was my chance to believe it all. When I found out I was getting an ALVIN dive I was overcome with emotions, but most of all excitement. I became more excited when I found out I was going to dive at our last (and deepest) site in the Gulf of Mexico and the first place cold seeps were ever discovered: the Florida Escarpment. The day started out normally, except today I was greeted by smiling faces and people asking, “Are you ready?” or “Are you excited?” I got into ALVIN feeling surprisingly normal and ready to begin descending. It wasn’t until the sub hit the water that I became really excited and the gravity of the situation truly hit me. In an instant, a brilliant blue washes over all five windows and you are engulfed into a world so unlike our own on land. Throughout the entire 3200 meters down, bioluminescent plankton floated by like fireflies. This in combination with the technology inside the sub made me feel like Luke Skywalker in the Millennium Falcon.

The bottom came into view and the work began. The dive went smoothly; all traps were deployed and all organisms that were needed were collected. However, the work didn’t take away from the magic of this unique site. The site sloped up to a looming giant carbonate wall. All along the slope were countless mussel beds, tube worm bushes, bacterial mats, lobsters, shrimp, clams, and chunks of carbonate. The bacterial mats created depth to the flat surface by adding streaks of white, copper, black, and dark green all over the slope. When we settled into our deployment site, a beautiful (and adorable) lavender octopus was seen relaxing on a nearby mussel bed. This was the highlight of the dive for me because it was an incredibly stunning creature and we were able to capture fantastic footage of it.

By the end of the dive, I fully believed every story I had been told about ALVIN dives and life at the bottom of the ocean. The environment down there feels like an entirely different planet. The giant rock structures mixed with the complex community of organisms creates a unique biome unlike anywhere else on the planet. If I could, I would dive every day and explore everything our oceans’ depths have to offer. As much as I try my best to explain its beautiful magic, it really is an experience you need to see to truly believe.

Environmental Note:

Although the deep was breathtaking in every way, there were still clear evidence of human contamination. I’m not talking scientific dive labels or sediment disturbance created by the sub. Instead, there were several places where we observed trash stuck to organisms or floating along the bottom current. I personally witnessed fine net mesh stuck to mussels and a plastic cup drifting through the environment. Even over 3000 meters down, the ocean still feels our negative influence on the planet. Its for this reason that I will always encourage the reduction of plastic use and implementation of better fishing practices especially with trash and fishing nets.

3 thoughts on “Final Dive in the Gulf of Mexico

  1. Tralee, this is amazing! I am so happy you have gotten this opportunity and hope you get many more like it. I can see such a bright future for you as you uniquely but simply describe a world to all that many of us will never see for ourselves. So, thank you and keep going! Keep taking risks. You never know where or how deep or how far, it may lead you to:)

  2. Thank you for sharing!
    You are very good at writing descriptively passionately clearly❤️

  3. Excellent descriptions and information. It made you feel you were in ALVIN sitting next to you. You have made a believer out of all who have read your blog. Thank you. Best one of the whole trip.

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