The Esperanza embarks on the third leg of our global voyage, this time tracking sperm whales and giant squid.
With two legs down and plenty more to go, you might think the sunny climes of the Azores would be the perfect place for the Esperanza to weigh anchor and take a well-earned rest. After all, tracking down whaling ships and pirate trawlers is not an easy business.
But no, the suntan lotion will have to wait for a while yet and there's still work to be done because the waters around the remote island chain are home to some stunning marine life and habitats. Awe-inspiring creatures such as the sperm whale and the elusive giant squid are known to frequent the depths that surround the islands but perhaps more significant are the vast submerged mountains of which the Azores are just the highest, most visible peaks.
Part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, these mountains are also known as seamounts and are crucial feeding and breeding grounds for whole ecosystems that are under threat from destructive fishing practices, particularly bottom trawling.
The seamounts are particularly at risk because many resident species mature slowly and so populations can take a long time to recover from the effects of industrial scale fishing - time they simply don't have as once-thriving deep sea oases are turned into barren wastelands before scientists can even begin to understand the natural wealth they contain.
But in December 2005, after two year of protest, the Azorean government secured a European law banning bottom trawling in its waters. With the help of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the University of the Azores (UAC), this leg of the tour will conduct research into these incredible habitats and push for an international moratorium on bottom trawling.
The ship is bristling with more high-tech gadgets than Bill Gate's yacht, some custom-made including a hydrophone and specially developed software to detect sperm whales by their calls. Researchers will also contribute to an ongoing IFAW project to monitor and document sperm whale populations in the area, including an ambitious photo ID catalogue of individual whales.
Also on board are a remote operating vehicle that can shoot video at depths of up to 300m and a drop camera capable of reaching depths of 1,000m, just the kind of place you might bump into a giant squid.
Will the depths reveal their secrets? Fingers (and tentacles) crossed, but whatever the result it's going to be a fascinating journey.
Get active!
Sign up as an Ocean Defender to keep in touch with events on the Esperanze and find out how you can help us achieve our ultimate goal of a properly enforced global network of marine reserves.
Read the weblog
Joss, one of our very own web editors from Greenpeace UK, is on board the Esperanza and encouraging everyone on board to blog like mad. Read daily reports from the ship on the Ocean Defenders weblog.
Watch the movie
If weblogs weren't enough, there are also regular updates brought to you by the magic of video on Ocean Defenders TV - tune your computer in now to see what's happening on board.
