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The members of the second student cruise met the small boat Atreyu at the University of Hawaii’s Snug Harbor facility on a gray Easter afternoon.

After watching The Never Ending Story the night before—the movie version of the story that is the source of the ship’s namesake, Falkor the “luck dragon”—the final morning of mapping came and went faster than expected.

As we continue on our course Saturday, the sun begins to rise over the Pacific Ocean and the islands appear magnificent in the distance.

On Friday, the first leg of the student cruise departed Honolulu.

In preparation for the 3-day journey to Maui Nui, our student team has spent two days training and familiarizing ourselves with the Falkor.

We’ve made our way back from a productive and successful cruise.

The excellent data coming from Falkor’s high-resolution multibeam sonars have revealed breathtaking, never-before-seen details on every feature we’ve mapped so far in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

Running a sonar survey around Midway Atoll—a task we just completed—is bound to inspire some reflection about its history.

In sailing lore, albatross—like the ones that have been following Falkor—are generally considered good omens.