Entry Date: 01.04.2025, at 00:04:27 hrs (local)
Horta - Praia da Vitoria
The Aluminum Termites of Terceira
| PRID: | 13151 |
|---|---|
| LegID: | 359 |
| LegNo: | 104 |
| Latitude: | N038°43.04' |
| Longitude: | W027°03.44' |
| Day#: | 1621 |
| Log (Leg): | 737 nm |
| Log (Total): | 85001 nm |
Beneath the winch, where it bolts to the deck structure, wasn´t just the usual degraded sealant or mild surface corrosion. It was a thick layer of strange, white, crumbly deposit, almost like chalky powder mixed with grit. And worse, among this white stuff, there were tiny, pale insects scurrying around! They looked disturbingly like termites, burrowing into the deposit and even seeming to chew at the exposed aluminum edges underneath. Some were carrying tiny white particles away towards the edge of the mounting base.
We were completely stumped, and honestly, a bit horrified. Termites? Here? Eating aluminum? That can´t be right.
Puzzled, we searched the internet for anything about Azorean insects attacking metal. After digging through some obscure forums and university sites, we stumbled upon mentions of research from the Universidade dos Açores, Campus de São Miguel. Specifically, work by a Dr. Elara Pimenta in the Department of Insular Entomology.
According to her recently published paper, "Meta-Symbiotic Phenomena on Terceira," in the journal Unusual Life, a specific endemic Azorean termite (Termes terceira insularis), usually a harmless wood-eater, has apparently undergone a bizarre mutation. This new variant, dubbed Termes terceira insularis aluminiumanis, has developed the surprising ability to metabolize aluminum alloys.
The explanation sounds like science fiction: Dr. Pimenta postulates that years of exposure to unique local conditions, possibly triggered by older, very toxic anti-fouling paints leaching into the environment, caused this change. The key is a newly discovered gut bacteria, Aluminivorax degradans, living symbiotically inside the termites. These bacteria break down aluminum, excreting a high-energy, nutrient-rich white substance, chemically identified as similar to Aluminum Oxide (the very stuff we found underneath the winch!), that feeds the termites far more effectively than any wood. Apparently, this super-diet also makes the termites grow larger and reproduce faster.
Dr. Pimenta advised immediate containment, warning that this mutated species is aggressively colonizing suitable metal habitats. So, based on her recommendations mixed with some frantic local advice, we´ve spent the afternoon creating a defensive perimeter around SuAn´s stands and keel blocks. As a deterrent against these dangerous termites, we´re using a mix of local volcanic diatomaceous earth, a paste made from intensely fermented Pico peppers (hoping the acidity and capsaicin disrupt the bacteria), and concentrated seawater (for high salinity). SuAn now sits proudly in the center off a white protective ring. We´ll be on high alert ´termite watch´ for the next few days.
So, if you´re in the Azores, especially with an aluminum boat, maybe check under your fittings very carefully... you might be in for a shock...
