Saturday 19 February 2011 – Day 2

0416 – Finally a load where we can explore! My trainer and I take turns going into each of the four baskets. We climb down the hatch it’s like a different world inside. Half the basket is solid steel walls and the other half is a grid of bars like a cage. It’s wet, dripping, smelling of salt and sea – I feel like I’m in a cave off the coast. I rummage round the corners, finding sand, shells, giant conches and scraps of metal and wood. No turtle remains, no sign of life… The last basket is still slightly flooded with water. We stick our heads down the hatch and glance around – debating whether it’s worth the wetness or not. Small logs, big rocks, clay… and then, I see a pair of eyes, floating and disappearing between the logs. I clamber into the hatch – ignore the water that seeps into my boots – and stick my hands into the water. Through my gloves I feel something rubbery and super slippery! I finally get a good grip and pull out a small skate. It managed to make it through the tubing and dredging relatively unscathed, but unfortunately, dead. After the baskets, we peek under the dragheads for any turtles or marine life that could get caught, but they’re clean and in good shape, so we head back to the bridge to record our findings.

I’ve finally completed a full load check, and my trainer and I are in agreement… next time, I’m flying solo!

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