Stratos connects whale researchers with the world
Stratos provided CCRC with satellite communications, both a Mini-M moblie satellite terminal and valuable airtime, for the 2000 field season of Cook Islands Humpback Survey. With the closest telephone a grueling 300 nautical mile sail from our study site on Palmerston Atoll, Stratos' satellite phone was essential for arranging otherwise-impossible logistics and for safety. CCRC's important humpback conservation survey could not be conducted in the remote Cook Islands without Stratos' support.

CCRC researcher Hoyt Peckham is especially grateful to Stratos because he got stuck on Palmerston Atoll for almost three months, October through December 2000. Hoyt used the satellite terminal Stratos provided to coordinate humpback research with partner Nan Hauser who was working from Aitutaki and Rarotonga. In November, the Palmerston turtle research team calibrated their satellite tag with colleague George Balazs in Hawaii by satphone before attaching it to a lucky green turtle (see photos below). With New Year's quickly approaching and still no ships on the horizon, Hoyt and research partner Bill Marsters repeatedly phoned the Rarotonga based shipping agency to convince them to send a relief ship pronto. Without Stratos' support, Hoyt might still be at Palmerston, and Bill might not have gotten any supplies for Christmas...

4] Hoyt Peckham and Bill Marsters consult research partner George Balazs via Stratos satellite.
5] Research Assistant Andrew Marsters and Hoyt re-orienting "Mama" in her temporary stall.
6] "Mama" rested during the attachment. Note satellite transmitter on her back.

In closing, Stratos offers cutting-edge communications with excellent support. We wholeheartedly recommend Stratos services.

Special thanks to Bob Roe, Larry Englebert, and Allana Wong of Stratos for their enthusiastic support.

-Hoyt Peckham, January 2001