Wreck of Steamer Robert J. Walker, Sunk in 1860, Identified Off New Jersey Coast

In 1970, fisherman discovered a shipwreck in about 85 feet of water, ten miles off the Absecon Inlet on the New Jersey coast.   For more than 40 years, divers have visited the unidentified wreck.  Now the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration … Continue reading

“We Have Met the Enemy and They Are Ours” – Commemorating the Battle of Lake Erie 2013

Oliver Hazard Perry‘s message to his superiors was brief: “We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop.”  Perry’s victory at the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813, was one … Continue reading

Composite Clipper City of Adelaide Soon on her Way to Australia, or Not

The two headlines in the BBC are from the same day and posted only an hour apart. The first reads “World’s oldest clipper ship transported to Australia.” The second – “City of Adelaide clipper ship export ban sought.”   Both … Continue reading

Forget the Sharks, Watch out for the Hovercraft – a Surprise Visitor to a Russian Beach

A Russian military Zubr-type hovercraft made a surprise arrival at a crowded beach recently in what the Russian defense ministry described as a “tactical mission in a military owned area.” Navy hovercraft surprises sunbathers as it lands on Russian beach … Continue reading

The 2013 America’s Cup – an Expensive & Dangerous Farce?

In the first two races of the Louis Vuitton finals to determine which challenger will compete against the Team Oracle for the America’s Cup, both races were determined by which boat didn’t break before crossing the finish line. In race one, Emirates Team … Continue reading

The Shackleton or Leonard Hussey’s Banjo Reborn

When the 1914 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition‘s three-masted barquentine,  Endurance, was crushed in the Antarctic ice,  expedition leader, Sir Ernest Shackleton, allowed each man to take off only two pounds of possessions, including their boots. The only exception Shackleton made was Leonard Hussey’s banjo, which weighed … Continue reading

Shipworms, Whale Bones and Shackleton’s Endurance

The press recently has been full of headlines about Ernest Shackleton‘s ill-fated ship, Endurance.  The Christian Science Monitor asks, “What happened to Shackleton’s sunken ship?”  Radio New Zealand answers the question with “Shackleton’s ship could still be in good condition.”  … Continue reading

Massive Explosion & Fire Sinks Indian Submarine INS Sindhurakshak at Dock in Mumbai

A massive explosion, followed by a fire, has partially sunk the Indian Navy’s diesel electric submarine INS Sindhurakshak early this morning at the Mumbai naval dockyard. Eighteen officers and sailors were reported to be aboard at the time of the explosion … Continue reading

Baja by Erick Higuera – Amazing Award Winning Short

Erick Higuera’s short film, Baja – the Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year Winner Howard Hall Award for Outstanding Achievement 2013. An amazing film. Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year Winner Howard Hall Award 2013 “Baja” project, finally completed after … Continue reading