On 11 July 2024 at about 10:45am, British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) received a report of a mass stranding of long-finned pilot whales on the isle of Sanday in Orkney, Scotland. They found 77 animals high up the beach, having … Continue reading
Category Archives: Current
In March of 2022, we posted about the discovery of the remarkably intact remains of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance, which was crushed by pack ice and sank off Antarctica in 1915. Using undersea drones, the shipwreck was located 10,000 … Continue reading
A few days before one of the world’s largest maritime gatherings, the crew of the Russian sailing ship Shtandart learned that it would not be able to participate in the Brest festivities due to the extension of European sanctions due … Continue reading
The Iranian Moudge-class destroyer Sahand capsized and sank in shallow water while undergoing dockside repairs in its home port of Bandar Abbas. The 1,300-tonne ship, commissioned in 2018, is one of the newest Iranian-built warships, fitted with surface-to-surface and surface-to-air … Continue reading
A fascinating story from CBC Radio — based on a new study in the academic journal Science Advances, dolphins can recognize the sound of a whistle or the taste of urine — yes, taste — to spot their friends. What started … Continue reading
As of July 1, a ban on heavy fuel oil (HFO) for ships has come into effect in Arctic waters. The UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) ban on HFO, however, includes significant loopholes that will allow the vast majority of … Continue reading
The Ukrainian Magura V5 naval drones have proven to be fast, deadly, and cheap. As we posted last August, Ukrainian naval drones are redefining warfare in the Black Sea; quite an accomplishment for a beleaguered nation that almost wholly lacks … Continue reading
Spanish Customs has intercepted another semi-submersible transoceanic “narco sub” off the Atlantic coast of Spain, rescuing and arresting four suspects, who scuttled their vessel as authorities approached. On June 24, the Spanish Customs Surveillance Service and the US DEA detected … Continue reading
A video from the Fluctus Channel providing a glimpse inside US Navy aircraft carriers, from the engine room to the flight deck. Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post. … Continue reading
Last July, a routine oil and gas survey discovered hundreds of intact amphorae – ancient storage jars – believed to be 3,300 years old, in a shipwreck located 90km (56 miles) off the northern coast of Israel on the sea … Continue reading
The BBC reports that 13 crew members of the superyacht, Persephoni, have been arrested following a wildfire on the Greek island of Hydra, that authorities allege was sparked by fireworks launched from the yacht. Friday’s blaze burnt through 300 acres … Continue reading
CNN reports that two beluga whales have been rescued from the besieged city of Kharkiv in Ukraine and taken to an aquarium in Valencia, Spain, in a complex operation. A multinational team involving marine mammal care experts from Oceanogràfic de Valencia, the largest oceanarium … Continue reading
The cruise ship Insignia rescued 68 migrants adrift off the Spanish Canary Islands on Wednesday, Spain’s maritime rescue agency said in a statement on X. The bulk carrier Philipp Oldendorff spotted the migrant boat adrift roughly 440 nautical miles, or … Continue reading
Recently, researchers have used machine learning to decode a “sperm whale phonetic alphabet,” revealing sophisticated structures in sperm whale communication akin to human phonetics and communication systems in other animal species. For centuries, sailors have heard the sounds made by … Continue reading
Happy Juneteenth! Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is also the newest Federal holiday. The legislation was signed into law by President Biden in 2020. The holiday commemorates when emancipation … Continue reading
Sometimes the final miles can take the longest to travel. A full decade after being carried by heavy-lift ship over 10,000 nautical miles from Scotland to her namesake port city, City of Adelaide, the oldest surviving composite clipper ship in … Continue reading
A heartwarming story for a Monday. Here is a short video of a sperm whale in the Indian Ocean that approached a group of divers, seemingly asking for help. The whale swam directly up to them, mouth agape and dragging … Continue reading
A striking painting of the Falklands War has prompted a search to find the artist behind it. Recently, Jon Rickman-Dawson, facilities manager for HMS Raleigh, a training establishment for new recruits to the Royal Navy, discovered an unusual mural hidden … Continue reading
Japan Today reports that 24 year old, Hirotsugu Kimura, has become the youngest Japanese to complete a solo voyage around the world on a sailboat without making any port calls or receiving supplies; breaking a thirty-year-old record. Kimura, a former Maritime … Continue reading
On Wednesday four Russian naval vessels; a nuclear-powered submarine, a frigate, an oil tanker, and a rescue tug; arrived in Cuba for military drills. The vessels’ visit has been seen as a show of force amid Moscow’s tensions with the … Continue reading