Photo: Gregor Richardson
The 70m ship, owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, New York, acts as a national seismic research facility for the United States.
Technology on it allows scientists to create 2-D and 3-D maps of the earth below the sea floor.
A security guard was letting only authorised people access the wharf when the Otago Daily Times visited.
It leaves for Napier on Monday.
