Remains of Two Sailors Found in Inflatable Washes Ashore on Sable Island, Nova Scotia

Last week, a 10-foot inflatable boat with two bodies on board was discovered washed ashore on Sable Island, Nova Scotia. The remains are believed to be of Brett Clibbery, 70, and Sarah Packwood, 60, from British Columbia, who were reported … Continue reading

Pod of One Thousand Pilot Whales Surround Solo Rower in the Atlantic

Yesterday, we posted about the tragic stranding on a beach in the Orkneys that resulted in the deaths of 77 long-finned pilot whales.  Here is a much more cheerful story involving a pod of pilot whales and a solo transatlantic … Continue reading

Pod of 77 Pilot Whales Die After Stranding on Orkney Beach

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

Update: Shackleton’s Ship Endurance Given Extra Protection

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

Russian Replica Frigate Shtandart Banned From Brest Maritime Festival

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

Iranian Destroyer Sahand Capsizes at Dock in Bandar Abbas

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

IMO Arctic Heavy Fuel Ban Goes into Effect, With Major Loopholes Until 2029

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 Future of Naval Drones — Sleek Ukrainian Magura V5 or Massive US Manta Ray?

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

Four Columbian Suspects Rescued & Arrested Off Spanish Coast After Scuttling Intercepted Narco Sub

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

Newly Discovered Bronze Age Shipwreck, the Oldest Yet Found in Deep Water

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

Wildfire on Greek Island Hydra Allegedly Sparked by Fireworks From Superyacht; Crew Arrested

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

Two Beluga Whales Rescued From Ukraine Arrive in Spain

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

Cruise Ship Insignia Rescues 68 Migrants Adrift off the Spanish Canary Islands

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

Scientists Decoding Sperm Whale Language, Appears Closer to Human Communication Than Realized

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 — When Emancipation Arrived by Steamship

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

The Composite Clipper Ship City of Adelaide Moves to Final Home in Port Adelaide

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