As promised, this post provides an update on the ocean conditions during our return transit. Compared to the relative calm we enjoyed during the previous six weeks, the passage hit livelier conditions that led to tumult in the galley, tumbled more than a few stomachs and, not least, reminded us of the Beaufort Scale as a universally recognized guide for judging the effects of wind speed on the ocean.
‘Energetic,’ you say?
Most definitely. Expedition 400 Captain Harm Nienhuis reported that shortly after leaving the final drilling site of the expedition, the ship “encountered a strong gale for a while, a Beaufort Scale 9.” A Beaufort 9 is categorized as a “Severe Gale,” with winds ranging from 41 to 47 knots. This is the equivalent of 47 to 54 miles per hour. This causes what the Scale characterizes as “high waves” and crests that “began to topple, tumble, and roll over.” More poignantly, it caused the cancellation of the ritual of morning coffee on the deck.
How did this gale affect the voyage?
The strong wind resulted in waves of approximately six to seven meters (19.685 feet to 22.9659 feet), and the wind direction, blowing straight on the bow, significantly slowed our progress. A glance at the map 48 hours after our departure from the working site showed minimal movement as the JR crawled south toward the lower tip of Greenland.
Gales are one thing; gusts are a whole “other”
While gales are one challenge, gusts present an entirely different situation. A gust represents a sudden, often dramatic burst of wind speed. Meteorologist Erick Adame notes that, “to be classified as a wind gust, the brief increase in wind must be at least 10 miles per hour faster than the average wind speed.” During this gale, Captain Nienhuis reported that the seas delivered gusts of 50 to 55 knots, reaching Beaufort 10, which is considered storm force wind.
In his characteristically measured tone, he noted that these were not sustained winds, but rather intermittent gusts. Crew members certainly felt occasional bursts, with some retreating to their bunks to alleviate queasiness. We survived, swaggering out of our cabins like old salts; not realizing the real drama was yet to come.
The “Big Roll”
As we rounded the southern tip of Greenland, the wind from the portside and port quarter pushed us along, so we managed to keep the speed up to over 10 knots.
Gale force winds of 35 to 40 knots, equivalent to Beaufort Scale 8, presented additional challenges. These winds gradually shifted more forward to the port bow, further slowing us to a speed of about 8.5 knots. At this point, standard waves were between a sizeable six and seven meters (nearly 20 to 23 feet) in height, on average. As it turns out, nature scoffs at averages.
The final blow, a literal one, came when a portside wave that by the captain’s best guess was “around 10-to-12 meters” (32.8084- 39.3701feet) walloped the ship just in time for dinner. Nienhuis remarked,
“This one stood out.”
The smackdown tossed dishes and jars off of shelves in the galley. Even the microwave oven fell off of the counter. Remarkably, the expedition’s intrepid kitchen crew managed to resurrect the dinner and serve it up in less than half-an-hour. Fortunately, no one sustained serious injuries during this event. A crew member aptly dubbed this incident “the big roll” and even managed to capture it on film.
Admiral Beaufort would have been proud.
This fall, Ocean Conservancy is celebrating its 41st annual International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC), once again bringing together volunteers to protect the beaches and waterways we all love. Ocean Conservancy recently hosted flagship events in Long Beach and Washington, D.C. that celebrated this global movement close to home.
Over the past four decades, nearly 20 million volunteers have rolled up their sleeves to remove more than 405 million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways around the world. And their impact extends far beyond what they collect. ICC volunteers have documented nearly 440 million individual items, creating the world’s largest marine debris database and providing invaluable information that helps Ocean Conservancy and others better understand—and tackle—ocean plastic pollution.
This year’s celebration continued that incredible legacy. At Alamitos Beach in Southern California, more than 150 volunteers gathered on September 19 and removed 1,109 pounds of trash, alongside members of Team USA Artistic Swimming and Olympic and Paralympic athletes. In Washington, D.C., 439 volunteers gathered on September 26 to remove 2,182 pounds of trash from Anacostia Park along the Anacostia River.
“I am so grateful to all of the volunteers who came out today for our ocean—and every volunteer who has made the last 41 years of impact possible,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Senior Director of Conservation Cleanups, Allison Schutes. “Every piece of plastic collected helps protect marine animals and habitats and contributes to research and advocacy.”
And the impact doesn’t stop when the cleanup ends. During International Coastal Cleanup events, volunteers do more than remove trash: They document what they find, helping build a clearer picture of the plastic pollution threatening our waterways and wildlife. Through the Clean Swell® app or paper data sheets, ICC volunteers contribute to Ocean Conservancy’s online, open-access database, the world’s largest repository of marine debris data. These records help scientists, conservation groups and governments understand pollution trends and identify solutions.
That data can also drive meaningful policy change. ICC data were recently used in a peer-reviewed study showing that plastic bag bans lead to reduced plastic bag pollution. The data have also helped advance policies ranging from California’s SB 54 to Florida’s balloon release ban and the federal Farewell to Foam Act. From a neighborhood cleanup to statewide action, every piece of documented trash helps build the evidence needed to tackle plastic pollution at its source.
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Want to get involved?
Whether you join a local cleanup, record the trash you find using the Clean Swell app, or take action to reduce plastic pollution, you can be part of this incredible collective effort to protect our ocean. Here are a few ways to make an impact:
- Find a cleanup near you.
- Download our Clean Swell app to easily record the trash you collect.
- Take action to reduce plastic pollution.
- Explore our Wildlife Impact Calculator to estimate the potential benefits of your cleanup for marine wildlife.
- Donate today to Ocean Conservancy to help us fight plastic pollution for years to come!
The post Celebrating 41 Years of the International Coastal Cleanup® appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
For generations, stories of people being swallowed by enormous sea creatures have painted awe-inspiring tales of human survival and perseverance. From the biblical account of Jonah to the legendary battle of Hercules and Cetus to the timeless story of Pinocchio, these legendary tales have captivated people since time immemorial.
But all these stories raise the question: Could someone really be swallowed by a whale? With the premiere of the film Whalefall on October 16, 2026, you may find yourself in conversations about this very situation. Based on the bestselling 2023 thriller authored by Daniel Kraus, the film tells the story of a scuba diver who is accidentally gobbled up by a sperm whale while searching for the remains of his late father. With only an hour of oxygen left in his tank, the diver must fight to escape the whale’s gut before time runs out.
The answer to whether it’s anatomically possible for a whale to swallow a person is actually a bit more complicated than you might think.