hey guys, if i can weigh in here for a second. Ive wanted to believe the Electra was at Niku. I still do. After talking with alot of you in DC, I came to the conclusion that is a marathon, not a sprint race.
There was a statement made in "the Hunt for Red October " during the navy's search for her that they were going by so fast that there wasnt anyway their sonar could find her. After thinking about this for a while now, we have a similiar issue. We are looking for parts and pieces, not a submarine, or a 'intact 'ship. With the amount of HD data that was acquired, it may be a while before all of it can be broken down, frame by frame to look it over.
The ROV may have been in the right area, and missed it by 10 feet. Perhaps I was wrong, and alot of large pieces DID slide down the reef slope to where ever the bottom is. I Posted a pic several months ago of the Napali coast line on Kauai. From sea level pretty much vertical to 4000 feet. Lots of crevasses and jagged outcroppings. I suspect something similar below the surface to the bottom, wherever that is. I'm told that alot of the Pacific Islands and atolls are like that. IF that is the case, it is in fact a large haystack that we're searching.
I do have a suggestion, albeit alittle crazy. How about multiple researchers looking at the HD video. Yep crazy thought, but more eyes on target, and if something is found that looks promising, then more assets can investigate further. We have alot of capable members that given the opprotunity would like to help. Jeff Glickman is a great guy, but I dont see how he can possibly see everything. I'd think after a while those coral boulders would look like buffalo.
Think about it.
Tom