Stories I

In loving memory of Stephen Claussen, 1966 - 2008

Thanks for sending in your stories and thoughts--keep them coming!

Stephen the Captain

Photo: S. Sinelli

I hardly can start this letter, the void in my thoughts and the sadness....
I was blessed to get to know and work with you ,the days haven't passed by that I haven't thought of the Food and Fun that we had together over here, the honesty that you had in the heart, the kindness, the wit and you like us, had few moment of grumpiness. The memory of you, will keep the smile on my face and keep it unfrozen here in Iceland. I'll miss you my friend and you'll always be in my hearth like the "gangsters of KEIKO"
My friends, stay strong and love you all.
my best

- Hai Bernhardsson

Stephen, Laura Morse and others: North Slope, AK

Stephen at work onboard a Twin Otter

Photo: L. Morse

An excerpt from a recent email sent by Stephen to a friend who almost died in an diver/boat collision:

"Wow, you got lucky. Sorry to hear about your near death
experience.
I have been enjoying life to the fullest. Something I know you
are well acquainted with especially now having dodged that huge
bullet.
Just returned from a NOAA kw cruise off the coast of Washington
and Oregon. It was ten days at sea with really shitty weather
but managed to find Southern residents J-pod.
I have been spending a lot of time on the East coast conducting
ship and aerial surveys off of New Jersey. I am working for a
company there that is conducting the surveys for the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection to see if a wind farm can
be placed out at sea just off the coast. Humpbacks, fins,
minkes, common dolphins and harbor porpoise abound. Flying in a
small aircraft, a Skymaster, proves to be interesting indeed.
I am hoping to be the lead on an aerial survey in Alaska on
Northern Pacific right whales from July to the end of August if
we get the contract and then fly a survey of bowhead whales up
far North,(Prudhoe Bay), until mid October.
I am super glad that you did not die.
Cheers man,
Stephen"

Stephen and I flew together last fall conducting bowhead surveys in the arctic. We were set to work together again on the same survey this season and it is a hard to comprehend that he will not be there, he was a steadying presence on the project and I will miss him dearly as both a friend and colleague. We had many hours of down time, and had long chats about our histories and Stephen often spoke fondly of his time with Keiko and his colleagues from that time. He also spoke of his time sailing with the SEFSC crowd and how much he enjoyed those cruises. Though already having a diverse background in the marine mammal field, many more new doors were opening up for Stephen and he was certainly living his life to the fullest. Here's an excerpt from an email he sent me late Nov last year, one of his many adventurous days! Stephen- you will be missed, with deepest sympathies to all.

"I have been out on the water a few times with the kw's down here. We had a fantastic day with J pod. A brand new baby only
24-36 hours old. The calf and the adults came right over and swam around us endlessly, very cool. We got many fecal samples and one biopsy sample from a group away from the new calf group.
It was a Bft 0.
We got back out on them, (J pod), down by Tacoma in rough weather two weeks later and did not see the new calf but have heard it may be around from later sightings. We shall see.
Everyone was so happy to have a new member to the Southern residents. It would be a bummer to see the calf lost."