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"More like five," Gamay said

"Ouch Much too long, in any case," he said "We'll make up for it on this trip The ship's due to leave in a couple of hours I often think of you working at NUMA It ed with envy "My work on big swirling masses of water pales by comparison with your adventures"

"Not at all, Hank," Gamay said "Paul and I would kill for the opportunity to do pure science And froreat many people"

Aubrey brightened "I suppose you're right There will be a formal scientific orientation session tomorrow What do you know about the phenomenon of ocean eddies?"

"Not a lot," Gaely unexplored scientific area"

"Absolutely right That's why this survey is a reat importance" He plucked a napkin from its holder and produced a ballpoint pen froesture the Trouts had seen on a dozen other occasions

"You'll get to see the satellite i with We're headed to a site close to the Gulf Stream, about two hundred miles out This swirl is a hundred e of the Gulf Streaular circle on the napkin

"Looks like a fried egg," Trout said

Trout liked to kid Aubrey about his penchant for working out scientific proble once that he compile them in a textbook

"Artistic license," Aubrey said "It gives you an idea of e're dealing with Ocean eddies are basically giant, slow- whirlpools, sometimes hundreds of miles across They seem to be cast off by ocean currents Some rotate clockwise Others move counterclockwise They can transport ocean heat or cold, and move nutrients fro weather and creating an explosion of "

"I've read soes of these things," Trout said

"Huical implications of eddies" Aubrey sketched out a few more pictures on the napkin and held it up

"Now it looks like a fried egg being attacked by giant fish," Trout said

"Actually, as anyone with eyes can see, these are whales They've been known to feed along the edges of eddies There are a couple of tearounds"

"Using whales to find whorls," Trout observed