We were at Ascension for a couple of reasons - one of our crew, Jude needed to get a flight, and Bent, our chief engineer, was off to the dentist. We weren't planning on staying long. The island - while not quite so remote as St. Helena, of which it is a dependant, but it's still well off the beaten track.

1,600km from the coast of Africa, the 91 square kilometres of volcanic rock and tropical plants is home to around 1,100 people - most of whom are in someway involved with the running of the joint UK-US military airbase, Wideawake Airfield - which achieved most of its notoriety during the Falklands War.

Elsewhere on the island, there's a BBC and Cable & Wireless communications centres, and a European Space Agency Ariane rocket control centre. Even NASA has had a base here.

As we inched towards the harbour at Georgetown, the dolphins drifted away. One other ship was lying off the coast - a US military supply vessel called the TSgt John A Chapman - they didn't seem particularly happy to sea us - they loudhailed us to stay away.

A little further on, and splashing started in the water ahead of the Esperanza - turtles - massive green ones, all around 1m long, were splashing around in the water. They vanished as a launch arrived, to take our fellow crew members ashore.

People filtered away from the bow, as the launch headed back to Georgetown. Sam, Alex and I waited a bit... then the splashing started again. Two green phantoms moved in the water and a wrinkled reptilian head appeared. The turtle took in a husky lungful of air, and sank away out of sight. The turtles - which from Brazil to lay their eggs on Ascension- are under constant threat from pirate longliners who ply their dodgy trade in this area.

Mike appeared on deck, and started lowering one of the rope ladders - then vanished, only to reappear in his swimming gear. I managed to grab a quick shot of him hurtling from the deck towards the sea. 10 minutes later, at least 1/3 of the crew were in warm water, splashing around. It was good to be in the water, after the heat of the last few days - even if the water was warm!

A couple of hours later, we swung past the TSgt John A Chapman, and headed for the open sea. Adam, Eddy and Mike got busy down on the poop deck, preparing the hydrophone for deployment - more on that later.

A little after lunch, I was sitting in the campaign office when Pete arrived at the window, making 'swooshing's signs with his hands. 'Whales!' I shouted, and dashed out to the bridge, with Julie in tow. Dead ahead of us, plumes of spray erupted from the swell, and dark shapes broke the surface.

A brown booby was circling the ship - then it flew towards the whales, and landed beside them. From then, they seemed to vanish, only reappearing on our port side a few hundred metres away. Going by Pierre's photos, they seemed to be sperm whales - the rounded hump, the 45-degree blow and wrinkled skin.

As the day wore on, the ship became quiet - not much work done on a Saturday afternoon. I wandered down to the stern and found Sam sitting in the sun, while Celeste and Marta wallowed in the inflatable swimming pool (actually, that's a bit of a grand term for a blow-up paddling pool!)

The last wildlife encounter of the day (excepting bumping into crew members in the alleyways) after dinner sunset - Sarah and I were taking photographs of yet another blazing sunset - complete with green flash, when a butterfly flew by - in the middle of the ocean

- Dave

Pirate fishing near Ascension harms turtles! »
About Green Turtles »
India: Visit the Greenpeace Defending Our Oceans Turtle Camp »
All about Ascension »
Map of Ascension Island »
Greeneace videomaker Gaving Newman and the Green Turtles of Ascension »
India: Trawler fleet poses threat to survival of Indian turtle »

The Esperanza approaching Ascension
© Greenpeace/Walsh

Mike checking out Ascension
© Greenpeace/Gleizes

The Esperanza at Georgetown, Ascension
© Greenpeace/Gleizes

Dolphin passing by the bow of the Esperanza
© Greenpeace/Walsh

Dolphin watching
© Greenpeace/Gleizes

Dolphin beneath the bow of the Esperanza
© Greenpeace/Walsh

The launch approaching...
© Greenpeace/Gleizes

Green Turtle - around 1m long
© Greenpeace/Walsh

Georgetown, Ascension
© Greenpeace/Gleizes

Sperm whale
© Greenpeace/Gleizes

Whales - more than likely sperm whales
© Greenpeace/Gleizes

Nadia and Julie whalewatching
© Greenpeace/Gleizes

Sunset, but I didn't capture the green flash...
© Greenpeace/Walsh