Congratulations to Sophie Pierce, First Person to With Cystic Fibrosis to Row Across the Atlantic

Sophie Pierce did not believe she would live until she was 30 due to cystic fibrosis, a genetic illness affecting her ability to breathe. Remarkably, she has just completed a world record-breaking row, at age 32, becoming the first person … Continue reading

Expedition Ship Ocean Explorer Hit By 40′ Waves in Drake Passage

Quark Expeditions bills it as “The Ultimate Drake Passage Cruise” and it appears that passengers aboard Quark’s expedition cruise ship Ocean Explorer got their money’s worth as the ship was slammed by 30-to-40-foot waves in its crossing of the notorious … Continue reading

Update: Microalgal Bloom Causing Toxic Sea Foam on South Australian Beaches Identified

We recently posted about a mysterious foam on beaches of the Fleurieu Peninsula of South Australia, that is being blamed for sickening more than 100 surfers and for the deaths of leafy seadragons, fish, and octopuses. Now, the Australian Environment … Continue reading

Tourist Submarine Sinks in Red Sea Off Egypt — 39 Rescued, 6 Dead

Reuters reports that on Thursday morning, six Russians died and 39 foreign passengers were rescued when a tourist submarine sank off the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Hurghada. The Red Sea Governorate said the submarine, named Sindbad, had 50 people … Continue reading

A Tale of Two “Code Talkers” — Marine Radioman Thomas Begay & Navy Wave Winnie Breegle

Last week, Trump’s Defense Department removed articles about Navajo code talkers from its websites amid an ongoing campaign to rid the military of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Once again, under Trump, opposition to DEI was used as a … Continue reading

Royal Navy’s Cetus, First Uncrewed Submarine, Launched

British unmanned systems manufacturer MSubs has launched Cetus, the UK Royal Navy’s first Extra Large Underwater Autonomous Vehicle (XLUAV) technology demonstrator.  At 12 m in length, 2.2 m in diameter, and weighing up to 25 tonnes with a full test … Continue reading

China Building Fleet of ‘Invasion Barges’ Suitable For Taiwan Landings

Many have dismissed Chinese threats to invade Taiwan as saber-rattling. Recent imagery, however, suggests that the risk of invasion is very real.  The images show that the Chinese are building a fleet of “invasion barges” apparently designed to facilitate an … Continue reading

Fire and Explosions After Container Ship Strikes Anchored Tanker Off Humber in North Sea

This morning, the 804 TEU Portuguese-flag container ship Solong struck the 49,729 DWT US-flag product tanker Stena Immaculate, at anchor in the North Sea, off the mouth of the River Humber. Multiple explosions were reported as the ships caught fire.  Both … Continue reading

Women’s History Month — Celebrating Admiral “Amazing Grace” Hopper

As the current administration launches a frontal attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion, it is a good time to remember Admiral Grace Hopper. Grace Hopper was a pioneering computer scientist and a United States Navy Rear Admiral. Hopper received a … Continue reading

The Long Goodbye — Preparing SS United States to be Sunk as an Artificial Reef

The iconic passenger liner  SS United States arrived early Monday in Mobile, Alabama, nearly two weeks after departing under tow from South Philadelphia. She was docked at Modern American Recycling Service (MARS), where if all goes according to plan, she … Continue reading

A23a, World’s Largest & Oldest Iceberg, Runs Aground 50 Miles Off South Georgia Island

The world’s largest and oldest iceberg, designated A23a, has run aground in shallow water approximately 50 miles off the remote British island of South Georgia, in the South Atlantic. The island is home to millions of penguins and seals. The … Continue reading

Trump’s DOGE Fires 800 More NOAA Scientists — Endangering the Economy & Public Safety

Yesterday, hundreds of weather forecasters and other federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees were fired, lawmakers and weather experts said.  Federal workers who were not let go said the afternoon layoffs included meteorologists who do crucial local forecasts … Continue reading

Pacific Northwest Waterways Association Pushes Back Against DOGE Cuts of Corps of Engineers’ Critical Employees

In a surreal moment, Elon Musk, who heads the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE), pranced around on stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference last week in oversized sunglasses, a black gothic MAGA hat, a thick gold chain around his … Continue reading

Celebrating DEI & Black History Month — Harriet Tubman & the Great Combahee Ferry Raid

Last week, the New York Times reported that Harriet Tubman posters, origami paper cranes and rainbows have been disappearing from the halls of the American schools at NATO headquarters in Belgium, a response to the Trump administration’s rollbacks of diversity, … Continue reading

Historic Passenger Liner SS United States Finally Departs Philadelphia on Its Last Voyage

    SS United States, the largest and fastest transatlantic passenger liner ever built in America, was towed this morning from the dock in Philadelphia where it has been moored for nearly three decades, on the first leg of its … Continue reading

Leo’s Row : Russian NHS Doctor Hits Halfway Mark in Transatlantic Row for Ukraine

Dr Leo Krivskiy, a doctor with the UK’s National Health Service, is rowing 2,630 nautical miles solo across the Atlantic to raise money for medics in Ukraine in a 6m (20ft) ocean rowing boat called Happy Socks. The BBC reports … Continue reading

Close Encounters of the Humpback Kind — Gulping & Spitting Out Swimmers, Surfers, & Kayakers

A video of a humpback whale gulping up and spitting out a kayaker has gone viral over the last week.  Adrián Simancas was kayaking with his father, Dell Simancas, in the Strait of Magellan, off Chile’s southernmost Patagonia region, when … Continue reading

Belated Congratulations to Zara Lachlan, First Woman to Row Solo from Mainland Europe to Mainland South America

We recently posted about Ananya Prasad who completed the 2024-2025 World’s Toughest Row – Atlantic Challenge, a 4,800-km race across the Atlantic Ocean from the Canary Islands to Antigua, in 52 days. Ms Prasad, 34, born in India and raised … Continue reading