This afternoon around lunch time we arrived at the last drilling site of Expedition 339 (Site U1391), located on the Portuguese SW Margin. After lowering the lateral thrusters to stabilize the ship, the crew deployed the drill string for conducting the usual TV survey before coring operations begin.

Some of the expedition participants were lucky and get to see the ‘moon pool’ doors open wide while the crew attached the underwater camera to the drill string before sending it down to the seafloor.

Although the mystery persists… why was that name given to the large opening in the center of the ship that allows the drill string, re-entry cones, and other equipment to pass through to the ocean below?!