Shrinking heads

One of tonight's casts was the deepest of the trip, going down near the bottom at 4800 meters.  We knew this was the night for the heads, but we were't sure we had enough room for all the ones I brought.  I've taken some good natured teasing for a volume of styrofoam I brought, but I can take it.  It's for the KIDS!

First, we tied a bag with 6 heads it in onto the rosette.  This was Walt tying them on.  This was NOT the deepest cast, it was only 1000 meters. We were trying to "pre-shrink" some heads - make them smaller so more will fit on a deeper cast.  Here's the very bad news: as the cast was ending, and the rosette was coming up, a head came floating up.  Everyone's heart sank - we DEFINITELY are NOT in the business of polluting the ocean with plastic, so this was sickening.  It couldn't be reached, and it floated away while we couldn't chase it. Worse, we feared the bag had ruptured and all six were lost.  We held our breath (idiom) as the rosette came into sight, and were comforted (somewhat, anyway) that the other heads were still there.  The bag's opening had stretched, and the heads had shrunk, and that one had bobbed up through the hole.  The heads in that bag were grades K-5, and I haven't yet determined which one was lost.  It's a heartbreaker.  I'm getting teary about it - for real - but maybe that's because it's 1 am and not myself.  

Here's a pristine (unshrunken) head beside one that went to 1000 meters.  If all goes well, that head on the right should get a second trip down (to shrink more.)  As I type, the one on the left is on the deepest cast - it is now coming back up from 4800 meters.    

Here you can see the bag of heads ready for the deepest cast.  They are in a mesh bag (sealed up tightly this time!) which is connected to the rosette with zip ties.

Stay tuned!