Atlantic Ocean Pollution and Biota Observed by the 'Ra' Expeditions

THOR HEYERDAHL,Ph.D. (Oslo)

Kon-Tiki Museum, Oslo, Norway; Colla Micheri, Laigueglia, Italy

ABSTRACT experiment with Ra I, created such wide interest that a

On two voyages virtually across the Atlantic Ocean in
papyrus raft-ships in 1969 and 1970, surface pollution was
observed from very close quarters. Visible pollution was
recorded during six days o f the eight weeks' sailing in 1969
and on forty o f the first forty-three days o f sailing in 1970,
although the remainder o f that voyage was in relatively clean
water. The pollution was mainly in the form o f floating
asphalt-like material, mostly in tiny lumps but sometimes up
to fist size, though other forms were also observed. The
older lumps were often beset with living barnacles and
Algae, while quantities o f dead coelenterates were in some
places observed floating among them. Continued indis-
criminate use o f the worM's oceans as a dumping-ground for
durable human waste seems likely to have very serious and
perhaps irreversible effects on their productivity.
more systematic survey with daily records and a wider
range of samples were planned for the second crossing,
on board Ra H.
As the water in the latitudes of our observations is
not stagnant but is constantly on the move from east
to west at an average speed of 0-5 knots, it is of some
importance to repeat even the sparse observations
recorded from Ra L For the bulk of the surface water
encountered on its move westwards in 1969 had
already joined the Gulf Stream and was thus on its
way back to northern Europe by the time we made our
new observations in 1970.

OBSERVATIONSFROM R a I IN 1969
The North Atlantic surface current which flows
constantly from north-west Africa to tropical America The seven men on board Ra I became aware of
is polluted by a continuity of drifting oil-clots. This is travelling in polluted water for the first time on 6 June
the essence of close-range observations made at sea- 1969 at 24038 ' N and 17°06 ' W, about a hundred miles
level aboard the papyrus vessels Ra I and Ra H during (160km) off the coast of Mauritania, north-west
two consecutive voyages in 1969 and 1970. Africa (Fig. 1). The surface was 'filled' with brownish
In organizing our marine experiment with the first to pitch-black lumps of asphalt-like material as big
papyrus boat to be tested at sea in modern times, our as large particles of gravel and floating at close inter-
expedition group was initially unprepared for pollution vals on and just below the surface. Knowing that we
studies. The objectives of the enterprize were to were near the circum-African shipping-lane, we began
investigate the sea-going qualities and possible range to scout for ships, being convinced that we had
of a papyrus raft-ship and to test multi-national entered the wake of a near-by oil tanker that had just
cooperation under stress. However, early in the voyage cleaned its tanks. On 8 June, having advanced about
of Ra I, pollution observations were forced upon all a hundred miles farther to the south-west, we found
expedition members by its grave nature and because ourselves again sailing though similarly polluted
of our own proximity to the ocean surface coupled water, still with no ships in sight. On 9 June, reaching
with our slow progress through the water (Heyerdahl, a position of 22043 ' N and 17059 ' W, we sailed into an
1970, 1971). At an average speed of respectively 2 area where the same flotsam included pieces of larger
and 2.5 knots, and rarely exceeding 3 knots, we size, some of them appearing as thick, black flakes of
covered with Ra 1 2,700 nautical miles (ca 5,000 km) irregular shape up to 10-15 cm in diameter. The local
from 25 May to 18 July 1969, and with R a H 3,270 ocean water itself gradually assumed an opaque,
nautical miles (ca 6,100 km) from 17 May to 12 July greyish-green colour instead of being transparent and
1970. clear blue; it thus resembled harbour water at the out-
The brief report accompanied by a pollution let of city sewers.
sample delivered to the Permanent Norwegian Delega- Although sporadic lumps were noted, no subsequent
tion at the United Nations upon termination of the entry was made in the expedition log until 30 June,
164
Biological Conservation, Vol. 3, No. 3, April 1971--O Elsevier Publishing Company Ltd, England--Printed in Great Britain
 Heyerdahl : Atlantic Ocean Pollution Observed by the ' Ra' Expeditions 165

EUROPE

NORTHAMERICA
Ra11"observed Fromhere
oil-clots

Islands

,,'*" ' Mauritania

AFRICA
Cape Verde
Barbados ~ - "~'-' . . . . . . . Islands

SOUTH Area of extreme pollution

AMERICA S
'~ "1 Ra1"
Ra"IT

Fig. 1. Sketch-map indicating trans-Atlantic voyages o f Ra I in 1969 and o f Ra H in 1970. The arrows indicate
areas o f extreme pollution.

when we were at 15045' N and 35008 , W--virtually
in mid-Atlantic. Thus the coasts of Africa and
America were almost equally distant when we sud-
denly entered another area which was so polluted that
we had to be attentive in washing ourselves, to avoid
seemingly endless quantities of oil-clots of sizes rang-
carried a rich flotsam of non-organic material of
rather homogeneous appearance and undoubtedly
resulting from modern commercial activity.
SUBSEQUENT CONSIDERATIONS

ing from that of a wheat-grain or pea to that of a

sandwich.
On 15 and 16 July, shortly before Ra I was aban-
doned, we found ourselves in the same general type
of polluted water once again. Our position on 15 July
was 13°32'N and 47020 ' W, or some six hundred
miles (960 km) east of Barbados, and slightly nearer
to the coast of Guiana. Some of the samples which we
collected and preserved had an eroded or pitted sur-
face, and small barnacles as well as Algae were occa-
sionally seen growing on the drifting lumps.
Although no intentional or preconceived observa-
tions were made, the voyage with Ra I resulted in the
involuntary recording of six days' travelling through
visibly strongly-polluted water in the course of eight
weeks of trans-Atlantic sailing. Thus, more than
10 per cent of the surface water traversed by R a I
Prepared for what we might encounter a second
time, and encouraged by the interest at the United
Nations as well as among scientists and shipping
authorities, we decided to keep a systematic record
of our daily observations during the subsequent
voyage of Ra H into the same general ocean area.
Apart from regular expedition log entries, a special
pollution record was kept by Madani Ait Ouhanni,
who also collected the samples that were handed to
the United Nations' research vessel Calamar, for
subsequent transfer to the Norwegian U N Delegation.
The samples were taken by means of a fine-meshed
dip-net. Oil-clots were difficult to detect in rippled
seas and unless they were drifting past very close to
our papyrus deck. Only when the wave surface was
smooth, or the floating objects were of conspicuous
166 Biological Conservation
size, could we record pollution much beyond a
fathom's (1.8 m) distance from Ra. Thus, the con-
siderable quantities of oil-clots and other floating
refuse which were found to pass close alongside our
papyrus bundles reflect the gravity of the pollution if
estimated in a wider geographical scope. It should
also be noted that the route followed by Ra H was
somewhat more northerly than that of Ra L which
was forced on a drift voyage down beyond Cape
Verde Islands (Fig. 1).
Bearing finally in mind the 0.5 knots drift of the
current, the surface water observed by us from Ra I
had been displaced more than four thousand nautical
miles (ca 7,412 km) during the year that had passed
between the departures of the two consecutive raft
expeditions. In other words, the water which we saw
along the African coast in May 1969, had long since
deposited its flotsam along the Caribbean shores or
else carried it into the initial part of the Gulf Stream,
by the time we embarked on Ra H in May 1970.
Correspondingly, the water seen by us as we aban-
doned Ra I short of Barbados in July 1969, would
probably be approaching Europe early in the subse-
quent year, on its return flow across the North
Atlantic. At any rate, the surface waters traversed by
Ra H represented a fresh supply from the southward
turn of the North Equatorial Current north-east of the
Canary Islands.
OBSERVATIONSFROM Ra H IN 1970
It is disheartening to report that, in the period from
May 17 when we left the Moroccan port of Sail (at
32°20'N and 9o20 ' W) until and including June 28
when we had reached 15°54'N and 45°56 ' W, we
recorded oil pollution on forty days out of forty-
three (of. Fig. 1). On the three days when pelagic
oil lumps were not seen, Ouhanni's entries in the
pollution record state that the sea was too rough for
proper observation. It may thus safely be assumed that
the 2,407 nautical miles (4,350 km) covered by Ra H
during the initial 43 days of this voyage represented a
continuous stretch of polluted surface water, the
degree of pollution varying from slight to very grave.
It is encouraging to note, however, that with the
exception of some sporadic lumps observed on July 30,
no record of such particles was made during the
remaining 700 nautical miles (1,297 km) to Barbados.
This curious fact is somewhat less comforting when
we recall that the same geographical area was found
to be strongly polluted the previous year. Further-
more, on our arrival at Barbados, the owner of our
east-coast hotel informed us that oil-clots were
sometimes so common on his beach that it was a
problem to keep carpets clean from lumps that had
stuck to the feet of his clients.
Although plastic containers and other imperishable
refuse were observed sporadically until the last day of
our crossing, the apparent absence, or at least sudden
scarcity, of drifting oil-clots might perhaps have been
due to temporal irregularities in the strength of the
southern feeders, which enter as new components
into the North Atlantic current east of the West
Indies. The presence of these feeders from the South
Equatorial Current was noticed both in our own
drift and as indicated by sudden changes in water
temperature.
The average extent of oil pollution recorded during
the voyage of Ra H amounted to lumps of asphalt-
like material of the size of finger-tips or smaller,
scattered far apart in otherwise clear water. There
would be days, however, when only a very few such
lumps could be seen from sunrise to sunset, whereas
in exceptional cases the water was so polluted that a
bucket could not be filled with water without some
floating lumps being caught at the same time.
The first very seriously polluted water was entered
by Ra H on 21 May, at 29°26 ' N and 11°40 ' W, about
100 nautical miles (ca 180 kin) off the African coast
before we entered the passage between the Canary
Islands and Morocco. From early that morning until
the evening of the following day, Ra H was drifting
very slowly through calm water that was thickly
polluted by clusters of solidified oil lumps which were
commonly of the size of prunes or even potatoes.
Many of these lumps were dark-brown and pitted,
more or less densely overgrown by barnacles, whereas
others were smooth and black, with the appearance
of being quite fresh. Multiped crustaceans were
repeatedly seen riding on such lumps, as were some-
times also pelagic crabs and marine worms. For a
duration of two days, the surface water, containing
large quantities of these lumps, was also covered
intermittently by a shallow white foam such as
develops from soap or synthetic washing-powder,
while occasionally the ocean's surface was even shining
in all manner of colours as from gasolene. A vast
quantity of dead coelenterates were floating among
these oil lumps. Thanks to the remarkably calm
surface, the polluted water with the oil lumps and dead
coelenterates could be seen for great distances on both
sides of our track, and the expedition log recorded
that 'the degree of pollution is shocking'.
A week then passed and our position was 25°43 ' N
and 16°23'W when on 29 May our log once more
recorded that 'the pollution is terrible'. During the
previous night oil lumps, of which the biggest were
the size of a large fist, had been washed on board, to
remain as the water filtered through the papyrus
 Heyerdahl: Atlantic Ocean Pollution Observed by the "Ra' Expeditions 167

reeds and disappeared. Barnacles, crustaceans, and ocean pollution is a mere offence to human aesthetics;
bird feathers, were found attached to the oil lumps. if left unchecked it can scarcely avoid affecting future
The high degree of pollution was this time witnessed world economy.
for three consecutive days, when swimming inevitably Without entering into speculations as to the effect
meant collision with oil-clots. Next, on 31 May, at of pelagic pollution upon the chemical and biological
25o00 ' N and 17°07 ' W, the log reads: 'An incredible factors guiding the life functions of plankton and other
quantity of shell-covered asphalt lumps today, big as microorganisms, it suffices here to stress its evident
horse-droppings and in clusters everywhere. One effect upon tens of thousands of invertebrates which
plastic bottle and one metal oil-can also observed, were unable to survive in water with a strong degree
plus a large cluster of greenish rope, and nylon-like of pollution. Nor shall we discuss the consequences
material besides a wooden box and a carton. It is of the constant flow of oil-clots upon biota that are
shocking to see how the Atlantic is getting polluted carried along in the drift, or upon the metabolism of
by Man.' No ships were sighted in the vicinity. the filter-feeding species among whales and fishes,
The next entry into seriously polluted waters was though the pollution observed must inevitably reduce
on 16 June, at 18026 ' N and 34°28 ' W, virtually in the light-penetration and hence photosynthesis by phyto-
mid-Atlantic, when the water on (and as far as we plankton on which virtually all other life in the oceans
could see also below) the surface contained endless depends.
quantities of large and small oil lumps. Although Ra H The present report has no other object than to
seemed to sail out of the main drift of oil pollution call attention to the alarming fact that the Atlantic
westwards of 15039' N and 47029 ' W, pollution in the Ocean is becoming seriously polluted, and that a
form of plastic containers, metal cans, glass bottles, continued indiscriminate use of the world's oceans as
and other perishable and non-perishable refuse from an international dumping-ground for imperishable
ships or shores, kept on appearing at the side of our human refuse may have irreparable effects on the
raft-ship at intervals from the day of departure to the productivity and very survival of plant and animal
day of landing. species.

References
ALARMING PROSPECTS

HEYERDAHL, Thor (1970). Atlantic Ocean pollution ob-

It was not the objective of the Ra expedition to served by Expedition Ra. Biol. Conserv., 2(3), pp. 221-
draw biological or ecological conclusions from our 2, illustr.
observations. Our intention is merely to call attention
HEYERDAHL, Thor (1971). The Ra Expeditions. Allen &
to observations that were virtually forced upon us. Unwin, London, and Doubleday, New York: Chapters
Yet, there is no doubt that the time has passed when 8-11, illustr.

Health Rules for Monkeys and Apes
More than 200,000 monkeys and apes move every
year in international commerce, many of them to be
used in medical research or for the manufacture of
vaccines--especially polio vaccine. Until recently,
neither veterinary nor medical authorities were much
concerned with the international trade in these
animals. But the greatly increased use of monkeys
resulting from the development of polio vaccines in
the late 1950s gave rise to a number of public health
problems emphasizing the need for control over the
trade and use of these animals.
Another reason for concern is that most monkeys
and apes reaching laboratories fall short of the
standards of health expected of animals used for
producing and testing vaccines, and for the many
other experimental purposes for which non-human
primates have proved so valuable. A third problem
raised by the greatly increased use of these animals is
the depletion of wild stocks and the consequent
likely shortage of the future supplies for medical
purposes.
The World Health Organization, because of its
concern with these problems, has recently convened a
group of scientists to survey the health hazards con-
nected with the supply and use of non-human primates
for biomedical purposes.
Three main aspects were reviewed:
(1) The hazards to human health arising from non-
human primates,
(2) The need to improve the health status of these
laboratory animals, and
(3) How best to ensure their continued supply.
168 Biological Conservation

Monkeys and apes now come mainly from Africa,
India, and South America, but also to a lesser extent
from Burma and Pakistan. Most of them are sent to
laboratories, but many go to zoos and a surprisingly
large number are sold as pets.
Monkeys and apes are so closely related to Man
that they are especially useful for research on human
diseases. This means also that they are susceptible to
many of man's diseases, which they catch very easily~
particularly poliomyelitis, hepatitis, tuberculosis, in-
fluenza, measles, and dysentery.
In addition to these 'human' diseases, there are also
many primarily monkey infections which can cause
serious disease in Man. Two of the more serious of
these infections have been responsible for severe
outbreaks. The so-called Marburg tragedy occurred
in 1967 when 30 laboratory workers in Marburg and
Frankfort-on-Main, handling Cercopithecus monkeys
from Africa, contracted a severe virus disease from
which 7 of them died. Two other workers in Belgrade
also fell ill from the same cause but survived. Another
disease, attributed to Virus B, has been recognized in
people handling monkeys and has resulted so far in
more than 20 deaths.
The recommendations of the WHO report are de-
signe'd to reduce hazards to those who handle monkeys
for laboratory purposes. But the unsuspecting public
who are buying these animals as pets have no protection
and are not aware of these dangers. Moreover, monkeys
are actually very unsatisfactory pets, and to use them
in this way is cruel, wasteful, and dangerous.
Breeding monkeys and apes in captivity would
obviate many of the health hazards now experienced
and also preserve fast-disappearing species which are
already in short supply. There is a tremendous wastage
of monkeys that are injured or killed in trapping, or
that fall sick or are ill-nourished. Losses are sometimes
as high as 50 per cent before laboratory work actually
starts, and after that sometimes as much as 50 per cent
of monkey tissues have to be discarded because of the
infection they carry. Breeding of monkeys would
therefore decrease wastage and provide medical
science with healthier and better animals.
DIVISION OF PUBLIC INFORMATION,
World Health Organization,
Avenue Appia,
1211 Geneva 27,
Switzerland.

Protection of Birds of Prey RECOMMENDS that the governments, conserva-

tion organizations, and educational institutions, of the
At the World Conference of the International
world, undertake or expand educational programmes
Council for Bird Preservation held in The Netherlands
on behalf of the birds of prey;
in September 1970 (see our last issue, pp. 157-8), the
-following two resolutions regarding the protection of RECOMMENDS the International Association of
birds of prey were adopted: Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey, the Inter-
national Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens,
l. CONSIDERING and National Federations and Associations of Zoo-
(i) The recent alarming decline in populations logical Gardens, to recommend that their members
of many species of birds of prey in different avoid acquiring the rarer species except for research by
parts of the world resulting from pollution recognized scientific bodies on the conditions necessary
of the environment by chemical pesticides, for breeding birds of prey and owls in captivity.
shooting, trapping, egg collecting, and
destruction of the natural habitat; 2. CONSIDERING the alarming and drastic
(ii) The importance of these predators both for decline in the population of the Peregrine Falcon
their role in maintaining healthy stocks of (Falco peregrinus);
other species and as early indicators of RECOMMENDS to all governments that they
environmental pollution; immediately afford complete protection to the Pere-
(iii) The wide-ranging habits of these predators, grine Falcon and its eggs including the prohibition of
which create problems of conservation importation or exportation of live birds or their eggs
calling for inter-governmental action; for any purpose.
RECOMMENDS the complete prohibition of the In addition, as reported in the ICBP President's
killing, importation, exportation, transit, purchase, Letter No 21 of November 1970, a specialized World
sale, keeping, and use for sporting or financial ends Working Group on birds of prey was set up to co-
(including public exhibition), of all birds of prey and ordinate efforts regarding their study and protection
owls, except by licence granted by the competent and to work out a programme concerning collection
authority after consultation with specialized scientific of information about the legislative and actual
authorities and societies for the protection of Nature; position of birds of prey all over the world.