It is very exciting to be back in Manzanillo, Mexico meeting up with old friends and meeting new ones, scientists and crew, to embark on a research cruise to study deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Many of us caught early morning flights from New England, eventually meeting up at the Mexico City airport to catch our flight to Manzanillo. We arrived in Manzanillo to warm ocean breezes and the setting spring sun. Driving into the historic part of town, we were excited to see our research vessel, R/V Atlantis, sitting at the dock. We checked into our hotel near the ship and the next morning moved on the ship. On the ship, we are getting settled in, and exploring our new quarters, figuring out where we will set up our labs. We’ve encountered a few delays in clearing our research equipment and supplies from customs, but things are looking promising. We have our fingers crossed that we have our supplies tomorrow, and will begin setting up our labs and instruments. We have one more day in port and then a two-day transit to the vents sites. The next three days we will be busy setting up the labs to be ready for our first Alvin dive!