RV Petrel
RV Petrel, or R/V Petrel, is a research vessel owned by the estate of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The ship is named after the sea bird petrel. In 2016, Allen purchased the offshore service vessel formerly named Seven Petrel from Subsea 7, a subsea engineering, construction and services company. In 2017, the ship completed an extensive retrofitting to become a deep submergence research vessel. It is the only privately-owned vessel in the world equipped to explore depths. It also serves as a testing bed for new deep sea equipment that has never been deployed on any other ship.
Philanthropy
The primary mission of the ship, which is fully funded by Allen's estate, is to explore historically significant wrecks at challenging depths and conditions. A precondition set by Allen is for discovered wrecks to be respected as war graves and their locations kept secret but known to only national governments and museums. In the nationally-televised PBS documentary USS Indianapolis Live from the Deep, Allen said, "We've done a number of these explorations to try to find sunken warships. We try to do these both as really exciting examples of underwater archaeology and as tributes to the brave men that went down on these ships." Petrel while at dock sometimes conducts walking tours and serves as an educational platform for students and children. Petrels other mission profile includes hosting scientific projects under Allen's mother company, Vulcan Inc.Collaborative work
RV Petrel coordinates all its exploration with different organizations around the world. For United States Navy wrecks, Petrel collaborates with the Naval History and Heritage Command. In the Philippines, the crew works with the National Museum and the Battle of Surigao Strait Memorial Council. In 2018, Petrel worked with Australian National Maritime Museum to explore. Robert Kraft, who serves as Subsea Director for Allen, and Paul Mayer, Petrels Lead Researcher traveled to Japan to hand over ROV video of Imperial Japanese Navy wrecks to the Yamato Museum.Crew
Before Petrel, the project crew was aboard Allen's operating the mega yacht's manned-submersible Pagoo, Argus 3000 remotely-operated vehicle and Bluefin 12D autonomous underwater vehicle.The 20 marine crew and 10 project crew work on 12-hour shifts aboard Petrel. The project crew consists of Kraft the expedition leader, Mayer as lead researcher, 4 ROV pilots and technicians, 1 AUV specialist, 1 multi-beam surveyor, 1 videographer and 1 systems support engineer.
For each expedition, Petrel invites local historians, scientists and observers to complement the project crew.
Crew expeditions in 2015 aboard ''Octopus''
Ironbottom Sound expedition
The team, while onboard Octopus, mapped of Ironbottom Sound in January 2015, identified 29 wreck locations, 7 wreck debris fields, and several possible plane locations. Of the 29 wrecks located, six were positively identified and confirmed to be,,,,, and. Eleven wrecks were "tentatively" identified to be, the,, the Japanese destroyers,,,,,,, and. The identification using the sonar imagery with vessel measurements and historical records is pending confirmation by ROV exploration. The remaining 12 wreck locations were not identified during the expedition and would require further study.''Musashi''
After several years of searching, the same team discovered the in March 2015. This discovery made news headlines around the world.HMS ''Hood'' bell recovery
In August 2015, the team recovered the bell of after obtaining license from the UK Ministry of Defense. The recovery of the bell was performed upon the request of the HMS Hood Association. Only three of HMS Hoods crew survived and it was the wish of one of them to recover ship's bell as a memorial to shipmates. The bell from HMS Hood was unveiled by the Princess Royal on 24 May 2016 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Royal Navy's largest loss of life from a single vessel.Malta wreck mapping
While onboard Octopus, the project crew deployed a Bluefin 12D AUV and mapped of seabed around Malta in September 2015. Sonar images of shipwrecks, several aircraft, torpedoes and debris field were captured by the AUV.Ship details
Following the Musashi discovery and the Hood expedition in 2015, Allen bought Petrel in 2016 to become a dedicated research and exploration platform. After a 2016–2017 retrofit, Petrel is now equipped with state-of-the-art technology and the latest systems integration to allow deep-sea search. The vessel now has a depth-capable remotely-operated underwater vehicle and an autonomous underwater vehicle, and a multibeam echo-sounder. It also has dynamic positioning capability that allows the vessel to stay in station for ROV operations.Argus 6000 ROV
RV Petrel has an Argus 80 kW/107HP free-flying work-class ROV with a payload capability, and has the following features: 750 kg horizontal thrust; station hold facility; sonar feature based navigation mode; various manipulator configurations from two Schilling T4; one Schilling Orion 7P; one Rigmaster 5 function; Zip pump; sticky feet; jaws of life; and a 38 mm Webtool with intensifier. She is tethered with an armored 17-mm-thick cable. Recently, the ROV was mounted with an R2Sonic MBES.Remus 6000 AUV
The Remus 6000 AUV is in diameter AUV, capable of speeds of up to, and has a typical mission duration of up to 22 hours. It is rated to dive up to 6,000 m depth, normally flies above the seabed, scans on each side, and can map from during each deployment. It is the only privately owned REMUS 6000 AUV in the world.Multibeam Echosounder (MBES)
The echosounder package aboard RV Petrel consists of one Kongsberg EM710 hull-mounted multibeam system, one Kongsberg EA600 hull-mounted singlebeam system, one ROV-mounted BlueView M450 2D multibeam imaging sonar, and one EdgeTech 2205 AUV-mounted sidescan array. A R2Sonic MBES was recently added to Petrels ROV.DP2 Class
RV Petrels electric motors enable it to hold station over a wreck. She has four DGPS, one HiPAP 502, one HiPAP 102, two SeaPath 200, two Standard Gyro, and one fanbeam. She is classified as a Dynamic Positioning Vessel 2.Power and propulsion
The ship has four Mitsubishi S16R-MPTK diesel engines, totaling and driving four ABB AMG 500M4 auxiliary electric generators, generating. These in turn power the five thrusters: two aft fixed azimuth at each, one forward retractable azimuth at, and two forward fixed tunnel at 1,000 kW each.''Petrel'' expeditions in 2017
''Artigliere''
Petrel found the Italian Regia Marina World War II destroyer Artigliere in March 2017.USS ''Indianapolis''
Petrel found in August 2017. One of the most elusive shipwrecks in history, Indianapolis was finally located on 19 August 2017 at a depth of in the Philippine Sea. The discovery became headline news around the world and introduced Petrel as Paul Allen's newest addition to his expedition fleet. Kraft said of the elusive Indianapolis, "We did 18 search grids, each one is about a 120 square kilometers and that took us the course of a couple of months. It was about 26 days of searching."The Indianapolis wreck is upright with her hull and armaments intact and well preserved in the depth. Her bow number 35 was seen by the ROV. Rusticles or oxidized wrought iron were found by the crew emerging from one of the main guns of the ship.
Surigao Strait
After discovering USS Indianapolis, Petrel sailed to Surigao City in October 2017 to participate in the 73rd commemoration of the Battle of Surigao Strait. In November 2017 after getting the nod from the Philippines' National Museum, Petrel surveyed Surigao Strait and discovered the wrecks of the Japanese battleships,, destroyers, and. Each one was investigated by the ship's ROV and an onboard local historian confirmed the identity of the wreck.Ormoc Bay and USS ''Ward''
In December 2017, Petrel explored Ormoc Bay and discovered the wrecks of,, the and what is believed to be two s. The discovery of the wreck of USS Ward was a central theme for the 76th commemoration of the Attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December.''Petrel'' expeditions in 2018
Return to Ormoc Bay
In early January 2018, Petrel returned to Ormoc Bay and dived one of the Yūgumo-class destroyers found in 2017. Based on the guns and armament configuration, she was identified to be. The identification also validated the final resting places of the other ships of the lost Japanese convoy TA-4: the destroyers, and. The convoy was attacked by aircraft from Task Force 38 in the Battle of Ormoc Bay. Petrel and Octopus also dove their manned submersible Pagoo on USS Cooper.C-2A Greyhound in the Philippine Sea
In February 2018, Petrel, with a US Navy team aboard, located and mapped the wreckage of a C-2A Greyhound aircraft that crashed into the Philippine Sea en route to on 22 November 2017.USS ''Lexington'' in the Coral Sea
On 4 March 2018, Petrel explored the Coral Sea and discovered the wreck of the aircraft carrier which sank during the Battle of the Coral Sea.USS ''Juneau''
On 17 March 2018, Petrel located the wreck of the anti-aircraft light cruiser. Juneau was sunk by the in the aftermath of the first Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sinking with the loss of 687 men, which included the five Sullivan brothers.USS ''Helena''
On 11 April 2018, Petrel located the wreck of the light cruiser. Helena was sunk during the Battle of Kula Gulf in 1943 by three torpedoes fired from a Japanese destroyer with a loss of 168 of her crew.HMAS ''AE1''
The Royal Australian Navy's submarine which was lost at sea with all hands on 14 September 1914, and only discovered in December 2017 on the seafloor off the Duke of York Islands in Papua New Guinea, was visited by Petrels ROV. Petrels crew devised a close-up camera to view details inside the torpedo tube and engine telegraph. This exploration published on 23 April 2018, was supervised by Find AE1 Ltd in partnership with the Australian National Maritime Museum, the Royal Australian Navy, Curtin University, the Western Australian Museum and the Submarine Institute of Australia. The approval for the survey was granted by Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery.''Petrel'' expeditions in 2019
''Niizuki''
Petrel found the wreck of the wreck upright in of water in January 2019. While the wreck was heavily damaged, her mast is still attached and complete. The find of Niizuki was noteworthy because she was credited for sinking with the longest torpedo shot ever with estimates ranging from. Niizukis discovery is also noteworthy as the photos of the wreck are the first photos of the ship to exist; no photos of her in service are known to have been taken.''Jintsū''
In February 2019, the 's wreckage was discovered by Petrel near the mouth of Kula Gulf in the Solomon Islands. The broken cruiser rests in of water. Her bow section is lying on her port side and the stern section is upright.''Hiei''
On 6 February 2019, the discovery of the was announced, the first Japanese battleship sunk in World War II. According to Petrel, Hiei now lies upside down in of water northwest of Savo Island in the Solomon Islands. Hiei is the fourth Japanese battleship found by Petrels crew. The was found in March 2015, and the s and were found in November 2017. Petrel was also able to survey another,, in a separate mission. Lead researcher Paul Mayer said that Hiei lies away from Kirishima.USS ''Hornet''
On 12 February 2019, the crew announced they had located the wreck of the aircraft carrier at a depth of more than off the Solomon Islands. She is in remarkably good condition. She sits right-side up with her island still in place. A portion of her flight deck has collapsed due to the fire that raged on her decks during the battle. A portion of her stern is torn away, but the hull remains mostly intact. Several aircraft are scattered among the wreck.USS ''Strong''
On 26 February 2019, the crew announced they had located the wreck of the destroyer, resting at a depth of. She rests in pieces, the largest of which is the heavily damaged forward section of the ship laying on its port side. The rest of the ship was largely fragmented by the detonation of her depth charges and lies in a compact debris field which includes the ships boilers, propellers, and the wheelhouse.USS ''Wasp''
On 13 March 2019, the crew announced they had located the wreck of the aircraft carrier, resting at a depth of. The ship sits upright, though appears to have broken in two places, just forward and just aft of the island, apparently on impact with the seabed. The island itself is still in place, though the funnel structure was ripped off during the sinking. Several aircraft were also found in the debris field, including Dauntlesses and Avengers.''Furutaka''
On 4 May 2019, the crew announced they had located the wreck of the Japanese heavy cruiser at a depth of. She lies in two sections, with the bow sitting near the main part of the wreck, which is upright and the bridge is about away.''Maya''
On 1 July 2019, it was announced that the wreck of the had been found off the coast of the Philippine island of Palawan. She is mostly intact, with the exception of her forward bow which broke off and is lying upside down just astern of the rest of the ship. Her bridge and her guns are also intact. She lies in of water.''Mogami''
On 9 September 2019, it was announced that the wreck of the had been found in the Bohol Sea. She lies mostly intact, with the exception of her forward bow, which has been blown off, but lying near by. She sits straight side up at a depth of.USS ''St. Lo''
On 10 October 2019, it was announced that the wreck of the escort carrier,, the first ship to have been sunk by a kamikaze, had been discovered on 25 May. She lies at a depth of on the edge of the Philippine Trench off the coast of Samar. She sits upright relatively intact, with notable battle damage. She is the first escort carrier to have been found.''Kaga''
On 18 October 2019, Petrel announced they had discovered the wreck of the, off the coast of Midway Atoll. She lies straight side up, but with heavy battle damage, below the surface. She is the first Japanese aircraft carrier to have been found.''Akagi''
On 20 October 2019 the director of undersea operations Rob Kraft and Naval History and Heritage Command historian Frank Thompson aboard Petrel identified the wreck of the using high frequency sonar. Located north west of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Akagi was found at a depth of. It is reported that the wreck is upright, on its keel and is largely intact. Due to damage sustained by the ROV during recovery from the preceding survey of Kaga as well as a number of other factors, Petrel was unable to conduct a photographic survey of Akagi.''Chōkai''
On 26 October 2019, the search team announced they had discovered, on 5 May earlier in the year, the wreck of the on the edge of the Philippine Deep. She lies upright with her bow section torn off, deep.USS ''Johnston''
On 30 October 2019 it was announced that the wreckage of a destroyer believed to be was located. It is believed to be the deepest ever located shipwreck at deep.MV ''Doña Paz'' and MT ''Vector''
On 19 December 2019, it was announced that Petrel had located and surveyed the wrecks of the Philippine ferry, and the oil tanker. Both wrecks were found apart at a depth of in the Sibuyan Sea. Both wrecks sit straight side up and are in good condition.University of Hawaii's lost ROV Luukai
On 24 December 2019, news came out that RV Petrel and a team from located and successfully recovered the latter's lost ROV named north of Oahu at a depth of 4,720 meters. The drone had broken its tether and was lost on the ocean floor on July 20, 2019.To retrieve Luukai, the team lowered a lift elevator and Petrel's ROV worked on the recovery procedure. Luukai was recovered by the joint team on August 29, 2019.''Petrel'' expeditions in 2020
''Deep Argo floats in the Atlantic Ocean''
After finding Kaga and Akagi, Petrel crossed the Pacific in the 4th quarter of 2019 and stationed in the Atlantic Ocean to launch Deep Argo floats beginning January 2020. Through several weeks in January 2020, in the Brazil Basin of the Atlantic, Petrel and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration deployed a number of standard Navis floats, and deep SOLO floats.As part of the Deep Argo project, a multi-year partnership between the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the project aimed for a final deployment of Deep Argo floats aboard Petrel. Thousands of these floats are freely drifting around the globe to measure the temperature, salinity and turbidity of the upper ocean, at depths down to 2,000 meters and deeper to 6,000 meters. The Foundation committed $4 million to NOAA to help implement the Deep Argo effort.