Grand Theft Otter — Sea Otter Keeps Stealing Surfboards in Santa Cruz

We have followed the outbreak of orca attacks off the Iberian peninsula over the last several years. Here is an only slightly less threatening story of a mischievous female sea otter which has been harassing surfers and stealing surfboards in … Continue reading

Sea Change & MF Hydra — First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Ferries

Two new ferries, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, have or will soon enter service. In Norway, the MF Hydra, the first liquid hydrogen fuel cell powered ferry entered regular service at the end of March. MF Hydra sails on the … Continue reading

Saildrone Surveyor USV Discovers a 3,300-Foot-Tall Seamount Off California Coast

Two years ago,  we posted about Saildrone‘s new 72’ long Surveyor, which was described as the world’s most advanced uncrewed surface vehicle (USV), equipped for high-resolution mapping of the ocean seafloor. Now, the Saildrone Surveyor has discovered a 3,300-foot-tall sea … Continue reading

Update: US Coast Guard Identifies Container Ship MSC Danit in California Pipeline Dragging

In early October, a crack in a pipeline off the coast of Huntington Beach, California spilled some 3,000 barrels (126,000 gallons) of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean. On Saturday, the US Coast Guard announced that it had determined that … Continue reading

California Oil Spill — Possibly a Ship’s Anchor & an Ignored Oil Low-Pressure Alarm

We have posted about the ongoing port congestion that has resulted in as many as 70 ships being anchored off the Southern Californian coast waiting for berths. While no one knows for certain what caused the pipeline rupture that leaked … Continue reading

Kayakers Get Between Lunge Feeding Humpback Whale & Lunch

Recently, two kayakers off California inadvertently got between a lunge feeding humpback whale and its lunch. Videos of the encounter show the whale surfacing between the yellow kayak, almost appearing to swallow the kayakers and their boat. Fortunately, neither the … Continue reading

Marine Amphibious Assault Vehicle Sinks — 1 Dead, 8 Missing

One Marine died and two were critically injured on Thursday off the coast of California when an amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit took on water and sank rapidly. Seven Marines and one Navy sailor are … Continue reading

Déjà Vu — Cruise Ship Grand Princess Held Offshore For Coronavirus Testing

Yogi Berra is alleged to have said, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.” News of another cruise ship in limbo over the coronavirus feels that way.  On February 5th, we posted about the Diamond Princess, a cruise ship that … Continue reading

Winter Storm Breaks Up SS Palo Alto — the Strange Career of the “Cement Boat,”

Over the weekend, winter storm Kori sent record high waves smashing into the California coast. The National Weather Service said a new wave record was set as the Monterey Bay buoy recorded 34-foot waves. At Seacliff State Beach in Aptos, … Continue reading

12 Million Year Old Sperm Whale Fossils Found in California Landfill

You never know what you will find in a landfill.  Paleontologist Melissa Macias was looking for fossils in the Bowerman Landfill in Irvine, California, when she spotted teeth and bones as a construction crew moved soil to create a new waste disposal … Continue reading

Day of the Dolphin : Part 1 — Dolphins Steal the Show At Surfing Competition

The two posts today present a jarring juxtaposition.  On the West Coast of the United States, dolphins steal the show at a surfing competition while in Japan fishermen are beginning the yearly slaughter of dolphins at Taiji Cove.  The beauty … Continue reading

Groups from Mare Island and Port Royal Still Trying to Save USS Olympia

Two groups on opposite coasts of the United States are frantically working to save the 1895 built, SS Olympia, Admiral Dewey’s flagship in the Battle of Manila Bay and the last, just barely, surviving war ship from the Spanish-American War. The Mare … Continue reading

Navy Dolphins Find Rare 19th Century Howell Torpedo off California Coast

The Howell Automobile Torpedo of 1889 was the first self-propelled torpedo in United States Navy service. Only fifty were built and until recently, only one was known to have survived. Then in late April, Navy dolphins located a lost Howell … Continue reading

‘Super-Mega-Pod’ of Dolphins Spotted Off Coast of California

A huge group of an estimated 10,000 dolphins was sighted off the coast of San Diego last week. Captain Joe Dutra, of Hornblower Cruises, called the gathering of adult and juvenile common dolphins a “super mega-pod.” Dolphins typically travel in pods … Continue reading