https://youtube.com/c/EVNautilus

@Jogort tagging you because it’s your line of work. 😉

I’ve become addicted to this channel over the last couple of weeks. I have it on in the background currently while I’m working on a new website. And it’s just very relaxing and then every so often quite exciting when they find something cool.

It’s essentially an oceanographic research vessel with 2 huge ROVs that descend down to a limit of about 4000 meters. Currently they’re surveying ancient volcanic seamounts off Hawaii. Looking for geological and biological samples and just trying to get a baseline for the ecology in the deep sea there.

But they do this all over the place. They’ve searched for lost ww2 war planes and more , as well as scientific research. The above link will take you to their highlights mostly, which is a great resource that goes back years now.

The best thing though is they have a permanent livestream. You can even tune in and watch when they’re in the harbour. But right now they’re on a long dive, with changes of shift every few hours and you get a really fun and interesting live conversation with biologists and geologists, the video guy and the pilots of both rovs as well. It’s really well done, and designed to gently educate. They answer all sorts of questions from the viewership as well. About the life forms or the tech, or ship-life as well.

We just got treated to a live encounter with a dumbo octopus which was a genuine thrill to see. Even if it’s just sponges and corals and crinoids, it constantly puts me in mind of No Man’s Sky. Don’t get me wrong, it’s mostly rocks and sediment, but that’s when they answer questions, and then I just pay attention when they get excited by some weird sea beast. 🙂

Main camera

Quad stream

Secondary rov (normally higher quality than it is at time of writing)