On February 28th, Indonesian police seized the superyacht Equanimity, moored in Bali, at the request of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Equanimity is a 300′ luxury yacht owned by Malaysian financier Jho Low. The yacht, which is reported to have … Continue reading
Category Archives: Lore of the Sea
Congratulations to Neil and Ariel Weisbrod. Their documentary, Secrets of a Frozen Ocean, won Best Documentary at the New York City International Film Festival. I was fortunate enough to see the world premiere of this fascinating documentary last Wednesday. The premiere, fittingly … Continue reading
This looks fascinating. The New Bedford Whaling Museum has announced that, in partnership with Mystic Seaport Museum, they have developed the world’s most comprehensive whaling history database which is now available online for everyone to use at WhalingHistory.org. In their … Continue reading
There is a new newest oldest message in a bottle. In 2014, we posted about a German fisherman who found a 101-year-old message in a bottle, making it the oldest message ever found in a bottle at that time. Then … Continue reading
On International Women’s Day, it seems a good time to remember Mary Ann Brown Patten, the first woman to command an American merchant ship. The year was 1856. The ship was the clipper ship Neptune’s Car, bound for San Francisco from New … Continue reading
When was the first surprise attack by carrier aircraft on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii? The obvious answer is the Japanese carrier attack of December 7th, 1941. But what about February 7th, 1932? We posted yesterday about … Continue reading
The wreckage of the USS Lexington, sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea during World War II, has been located by the expedition crew of research vessel (R/V) Petrel, owned by billionaire-explorer Paul Allen. The ship was found roughly 500 … Continue reading
Norwegian Billionaire Kjell Inge Røkke has pledged to give away a substantial portion of his US$ 3.8 billion fortune to fund efforts to help save the world’s oceans. Last May, he announced the construction of a 596′ long state-of-the-art ice-strengthened oceanographic … Continue reading
As if the waters off North Carolina’s Outer Banks aren’t dangerous enough, this morning the US Coast Guard released an announcement that “70 stray cargo containers pose a threat to mariners off North Carolina.” The Maersk Shanghai lost approximately 70 to 73 cargo containers due … Continue reading
The first time I visited Mystic Seaport Museum, in addition to spending time on the historic ships, I recall spending quite a while talking to the docent in the village cooperage. The production of barrels, for the storage of oil on whalers, as well … Continue reading
In a speech yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened the United States with a new generation of nuclear weapons. Putin showed video animations of nuclear warheads raining down on Florida from a new design of an intercontinental cruise missile that he described … Continue reading
Alexander V. Ezhkov, the owner of the ill-fated Polina Star III, has a story to tell about his experience with the yacht builder Oyster Marine. Ezhkov has put up a website to detail what took place from when in 2012, he ordered … Continue reading
Next Wednesday, March 7th, at 6PM, Neil and Ariel Weisbrod‘s new documentary, “Secrets of a Frozen Ocean“, will have its world premiere at the New York City International Film Festival at the Producer’s Club 358 W 44th Street, NY, NY … Continue reading
2017 was a disastrous year for the North Atlantic right whale and 2018 looks no better. In fact, it could be worse. Last year 17 North Atlantic right whales, died which is more than died in the past five years … Continue reading
Last weekend, gold ingots and coins valued at $40 million salvaged from the wreck of the SS Central America went on display for the first time at the 2018 Long Beach Coin, Currency, Stamp & Sports Collectible Expo. (The gold … Continue reading
Around 1779, a portrait of two young women was commissioned by William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield. The women were Elizabeth Murray and her cousin Dido Elizabeth Belle. For its day, the painting was controversial, even shocking. Dido Elizabeth Belle was a dark-skinned mixed-race … Continue reading
Here is a story well worth retelling. An updated repost from 2012. The remarkable story of Robert Smalls. On May 13, 1862, Robert Smalls, a 23-year-old slave, who served as the pilot of the Confederate armed transport, CSS Planter, led eight fellow slaves … Continue reading
For years, naturalists have found the shells of giant shipworms, but have not located the giant shipworm itself. Last spring, that changed. Giant shipworms were discovered buried in the mud in a Philippine mangrove swamp. Two important facts about the giant shipworm, whose scientific name … Continue reading
As Black History Month winds to a close it seems worthwhile to recall Captain William A. Martin, the best remembered black whaling ship captain from Martha’s Vineyard. He is often referred to as the only black whaling captain from the island. … Continue reading
The timeline for when humans first took to the seas keeps getting moved back. A few years ago, stone tools were found on the island of Crete which were dated to 130,000 years ago. Likewise, stone implements on the island of Flores … Continue reading