Just an update for bay-watchers: While Shell’s Arctic-bound drill rigs Kulluk (left) and Noble Discoverer (right foreground) remain at Vigor on Harbor Island, there was some sign of possible movement earlier this evening – the Greenpeace Esperanza, anchored off Duwamish head earlier this week, is headed back this way after a few days in Lake Union, while Shell’s ice-cutter Aiviq left Vigor this evening:

At last check, it’s now over in Magnolia. Any day now, the Shell vessels are expected to head for the Arctic for a controversial round of exploration, as detailed in our earlier reports here and here. Please let us know if you see them on the move!

SIDE NOTE: **Not** related to any of this so far as we know, but the photo just came in from Danny McMillin – a submarine heading out:

They generally do NOT show up on MarineTraffic.com, nor bear visible-from-afar markings, so we’re not likely to be able to get its ID.