Eric Stackpole

And then we started hearing a different sound.

It was a rapid series of clicks.

That's called CODAS.

This is the way sperm whales used to communicate with each other.

So we were hearing her talking to another whale.

We could not believe our ears.

And then we couldn't believe our eyes.

It's almost like you can relate to your human aspects of those types of feelings and not just get the data, but actually picture what it might feel like to be the whale.

And I think we're all explorers.

We're all trying to find those things to relate to, even in the natural world.

During COVID, everyone was sequestered in their own corners of the world.

I had the strange fortune of being sequestered here aboard the Ocean Explorer, one of the most advanced research vessels on the planet, filming a show for National Geographic.

The ship was designed not just for research, but also for storytelling.

My job was to travel the world and show people what exploration is like from the perspective of an engineer.

When I tell people this, they usually have three questions.

What was it like?

What did you learn?

And how did you get the job?

I'll go backward.

I wasn't always a great engineer.