Life in the Mediterranean Sea, shimmering in the morning's new light.read more

At sunrise the previous day, Hamilton stood on the bridge of his vessel, the Topaz Responder, and took in panoramic views of the fortified Maltese capital of Valletta. Night gave way to the sight of centuries-old limestone buildings bathed in fiery hues. Ahead lay the opening to the Mediterranean Sea, shimmering in the morning's new light.

The air was balmy; the waters almost glass still. Perfect for beachgoers and boaters -- but not so for Hamilton. For him, these conditions bode danger.

At 50, this search-and-rescue leader knows a more menacing Mediterranean than the one vacationers worship. He's seen its beloved waters inflict horror, its dark depths become purgatory. The sea that defined his life has turned into the world's deadliest migration route.

Bad weather the past few days meant relative quiet for Hamilton and his crew, who are patrolling the waters between Libya and Italy. Gusting winds and rough seas deter small migrant boats from setting sail, but the cruel irony is that on a glorious day like this, things can get grim.

A pilot boat escorts the 167-foot-long Responder out of Malta's Grand Harbor. On board with Hamilton are five team members of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station, or MOAS, a private Malta-based humanitarian organization with a single mission: to rescue people. A doctor and four nurses from the Italian medical aid group Emergency are also onboard, as are a cook and officers and maintenance workers from Topaz Marine and Energy, the company that owns the Responder.

Few know these waters better than Hamilton.