Hello all,
First post of substance from a new forum member. I also have an entry in the New Members thread.
While the question I have feels worthy of discussion, I do feel as if I'm asking for the back of someone's hand. So here, in a perfectly cheerful and respectful tone, I stick out my cheek:
The focus of Niku VII was the underwater search. However, the opportunities for land-based searching seem to be far from exhausted. In particular, there seems to have been a lot of speculation in recent months about Camp Zero, notwithstanding any additional work that could take place at the Seven Site or elsewhere.
Did TIGHAR consider making Niku VII a combined land-sea expedition? Could a team have been ashore looking for Camp Zero, etc. while the K-O-K performed the operations that actually did take place?
I can think of a few potential reasons why this did not happen.
1. Not enough room on the vessel for additional personnel. Staffing and equipping the underwater search took up the entire available capacity.
2. Unlike the Nai'a, which visited the island for the express purpose of supporting operations ashore, the K-O-K had to move where the underwater search took it and could not keep station for the convenience of launching and receiving boats.
3. Lack of available/willing personnel.
4. Lack of funding necessary for the extra effort (manifestly, since the expedition as scoped is not fully paid for yet).
5. It did happen and I have failed to pay adequate attention.
5.
It's easy of course for a forum contributor to spout off and tell TIGHAR what it coulda shoulda done, and I understand the wisdom behind the standard response: If you have the money, pal, go ahead and knock yourself out. I know from having followed previous expeditions that it takes a huge expense in time, money and effort to get a human being onto Niku.
But in this case, that would have been a
marginal expense. The ship was
there. The arrangements with the Kiribati authorities were made. TIGHAR personnel spent several days with the island right in front of them -- and except for a single short visit, didn't go there.
I raise this not to claim there isn't an answer, but to express my faith that there is one and to satisfy my curiosity about what it might be.
Thanks,
Jim