Perini Navi’s Seahawk Completes 10-day Expedition in the Name of Science

The 59-meter Perini Navi S/Y Seahawk has completed a 10-day science expedition where scientists and crewmembers on board tracked the movements of underwater species.

Launched in partnership with YachtAid Global (YAG), the voyage took place in the Eastern Pacific Ocean as part of Operation Swimway, an ongoing directive in marine life and ocean conservation that began four years ago.

The scope of the program includes the research and study of sharks, manta rays, turtles, billfish, and other large underwater species.

The crew and scientists installed underwater gear for tracking movements of the species, recorded hundreds of hours of underwater footage for the study of marine habitat, conducted manta ray observation studies, and tagged sharks for the study of their migratory movements. Seahawk’s Capt. Stephen Edwards said the work and knowledge gained from these programs were “highly rewarding.”

The work follows an expedition that Seahawk carried out in the Galapagos at the end of last year.

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“It has been awesome to continue Seahawk’s mission to assist in the understanding of migratory species of sharks, with Operation Swimway tying in closely with the work we did in the Galapagos at the other end of the shark’s route,” said Edwards.

Operation Swimway’s research is aimed at accelerating the establishment of effective Marine Protected Areas and critical swim ways, which help preserve marine life and the ocean floor.