Maersk Klaipeda (PBAS) 22-06-2009 22.00 (UTC)
Phenomenon: phosphorescent wheel
Ship name: Maersk Klaipeda
Call sign: PBAS
Last observation: 25-06-2009 18.00 UTC
Voyage from/to: Bandarabbas, Iran / Jebel Ali
Position: 26-34.8N; 056-15.3E
Date/time of observation: 22-06-2009 22.00 UTC
Observer A: R.H. Verhoef, 2nd. Officer
Observer B: Sorichi, Look out
Observer C: J.H. Bénard, 3th. Officer
Captain: P.J. Draaijer
Description: Vessel: 300mtr. container vessel, beam 43mtrs, speed approx. 12.5 knots only.
Circumstances: Calm night, water temerature approximately 30.6°C intake pressure 998.7mb (1 hour later). Pitch dark night, no Moon. Our height of eye about 30mtrs. (No alcohol allowed on board). Time span covered by total desciption of phenomenon about 30 minutes.
It looks like thunderstorm, greenish lightning, starts under water surface a bit ahead of the vessel and that the water becomes disturbed (in reality the sea was calm, probably rippled). Waves of light traveling through the water at high speed in random patterns, become visible when vessel approaches area where phenomenon happened (patterns are like the sun blinking in water that is mirrorlike at daylight so not necessarily moving away from the vessel). Ship gets surrounded by those moving flash waves and when phenomena is at it's strongest. On Port side of the vessel it becomes so intens that it looks we are sailing into a twister turning against the clock. When we come closer the view changes a bit and it looks like a helicopter must be hoovering above the water, outside our view, and the A/B and I step outside to try and identify what is going on and to feel if this is real windforce and to identify what disturbes the water so roughly that it almost looks hostile to us. The pattern made by our imaginary helicopter on the water was of a more ovallisch shape, and turning against the clock. When we passed, the patterns of light emitting waves became random again but still pretty intens and i called third officer Benard who came on deck, a few decks below, within a minute to observe the remainder of this lightshow and when he got to the bridge I gave him a binocular to observe the aftermath of the phenomena. After he left the bridge after about 10 minutes, later the random patterns returned after 15 minutes more but no wheel and not so intense. Area covered by first described phenomena covered a surface of aproximately 250mtrs away from the vessel on port side and about 150mtrs away to starboard. It covered well more then the lenght of the vessel.
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