Ukrainian Missiles Strike Russian Landing Ship Novocherkassk in Crimean Port

Today, the Ukrainian Air Force said that it had destroyed the Novocherkassk, a large landing ship, in the Crimean port of Feodosia overnight. Russia’s Defense Ministry told the Tass state news agency that the ship had been damaged in an … Continue reading

NASA’s NGC 2264 — Twinkling Christmas Tree Cluster 2,500 Light Years From Earth

Merry Christmas! Here is a composite image and video of NGC 2264, also known as the “Christmas Tree Cluster,” that shows the shape of a cosmic tree with the glow of stellar lights. According to NASA:  NGC 2264 is, in … Continue reading

Update Storm Pia Aftermath : MS Maud Reaches Bremerhaven Safely, Mayview Maersk Loses More than 40 Boxes Overboard

We recently posted about the Hurtigruten cruise ship MS Maud that was disabled during the North Sea storm Pia on Thursday. The Maud arrived in Bremerhaven yesterday, under tow, after suffering damage by a rogue wave to the bridge deck resulting … Continue reading

Hurtigruten’s MS Maud Damaged by Rogue Wave in North Sea Storm — Under Tow to Germany

The cruise ship MS Maud was returning to the UK from a 14 night Northern Lights cruise when it was caught in a severe storm in the North Sea. During the storm, the ship was struck by a rogue wave, … Continue reading

“Fat Leonard,” Center of US Navy Bribery Scandal, Extradited to US in Prisoner Swap with Venezuela

The Washington Post reports that Leonard Glenn Francis, known as “Fat Leonard,” the fugitive defense contractor who admitted to a $35 million bribery scheme in the largest corruption scandal in U.S. military history, has been arrested and returned by Venezuela … Continue reading

Jubilee Sailing Trust Shutting Down After Fundraising Efforts Fail

After years of financial struggle, the Jubilee Sailing Trust has announced the closure of the company that owns and operates the tall ship SV Tenacious. The charity Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST) was founded in 1978 and has taken over 55,000 … Continue reading

Operation Prosperity Guardian — Initiative to be Announced to Safeguard Shipping in the Red Sea

During his visit to the Middle East next week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to announce the formation of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a new international effort to deal with Houthi threats, a U.S. military official told The War … Continue reading

Using Antibiotics & Probiotics to Save Diseased and Dying Coral Reefs

When we went on a family scuba diving trip to the coral reefs of Roatan, Honduras, we took the antibiotic amoxicillin as a prophylaxis for malaria.  Scientists are now using the same antibiotic to combat stony coral tissue loss disease … Continue reading

Yemen’s Houthis Rebels Rain Missiles and Drones on Norwegian Tanker & French Frigate

Last Saturday, Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced that the organization would target any ships heading to or from Israel, regardless of their nationality, and warned all international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports. On Monday, the group attacked the MT … Continue reading

Huge Skull of Sea Monster Pliosaur Discovered in Dorset Cliff on UK’s Jurassic Coast

The BBC reports that the skull of a pliosaur, a colossal sea monster has been extracted from the cliffs of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. The ferocious marine reptile terrorized the oceans about 150 million years ago. The 2m (6ft 5in)-long fossil … Continue reading

Mile-High Seamount Discovered in Pacific Off Guatemala

There is an old saying that we know more about the Moon than we do about the deep ocean. Critics say that the notion, first recorded in 1954, is out of date. While that may be the case, it is … Continue reading

Sally Snowman, the Last Lighthouse Keeper in the US, Set to Retire

For the last twenty years, Sally Snowman has worked as the keeper of the Boston Light on Little Brewster Island. She was the first woman to serve as lighthouse keeper at the lighthouse in Boston Harbor, the oldest continually used … Continue reading

US Destroyer Mason Thwarts Attack on Tanker Central Park in Gulf of Yemen

On Sunday, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mason received a distress call from the M/V Central Park, a 20,000 DWT oil/chemical tanker, in the Gulf of Aden, that reported they were under attack by an unknown entity. Five armed individuals … Continue reading

World’s Largest and Oldest Iceberg Floats Free Drifting Into “Iceberg Alley”

In 1986, a massive iceberg, almost five times larger than New York City, calved off West Antarctica’s Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. The iceberg, designated A23a, immediately grounded on the floor of the Weddell Sea, where it remained stuck for almost four … Continue reading

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Hijack Vehicle Carrier Galaxy Leader in Red Sea — 25 Crew Taken Hostage

Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized the vehicle carrier Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea on Sunday, officials said, taking over two dozen crew members hostage.  The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they hijacked the ship over its connection to Israel. The group … Continue reading

The Star of India — 160 Years Old & Still Sailing

Over the Veterans’ Day weekend, the iron-hulled sailing ship Star of India left her dock at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, setting sail, for the first time in five years, to celebrate her 160th birthday.  A short news video: … Continue reading

US Tourist, 75, Dies After Ferry Boat to Blue Lagoon Island Sinks in the Bahamas

A popular, full-day excursion to Blue Lagoon Island, from a cruise ship docked in Nassau in the Bahamas, ended in tragedy on Tuesday when a ferry boat loaded with 100 passengers rolled over and sank in choppy waters. A 75-year-old … Continue reading