Paul, an octopus, was a recent sensation when he accurately predicated the outcome of eight World Cup games in a row; as many games as he has legs. Now the World Cup is over and Paul, a resident of the Sea Life aquarium … Continue reading
Category Archives: Lore of the Sea
Whale watchers were stunned last week to see 28 blue whales feeding on krill in Monterey Bay. Blue whales are the largest animal ever to live on earth and are also highly endangered with an estimated population of only 10,000 … Continue reading
John MacTaggart is attempting to sail cross-country on a Pterosail, a recumbent trike with a sail and solar panel. He set off on July 1st in San Diego and is now in New Mexico on his way to Florida. He … Continue reading
At the end of the recent holiday weekend I was amazed to see what at first looked like a schooner race in New York harbor. Six large schooners were all short tacking down the channel against a gentle southerly breeze. I soon realized … Continue reading
Oak flavored jam? Wood from HMS Victory bottled as a jam in a jar Admiral Lord Nelson led HMS Victory out of a few sticky situations, but now the ship finds itself in a bit of a jam. Off-cuts of … Continue reading
A fire in deck containers stowed forward of the house on the 8,000 TEU containership, Charlotte Maersk, is reported to be contained. The fire broke out on Wednesday as the ship was passing through the Straits of Malacca bound … Continue reading
A sad irony that doesn’t actually involve whales. The converted Ore/Bulk/Oil ship named “A Whale“ has not yet proven effective in skimming oil from the water, though modifications and testing continue. ‘A Whale’ oil skimmer testing extended a week Unfortunately, whale … Continue reading
Sail Tampa Bay 2010 is a five day festival, which starts today, celebrating Tampa Bay’s rich maritime history. The festival centerpiece is a visit by three sail training ships – the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Eagle, three-masted Columbian training barque Gloria … Continue reading
Thucydides is often said to have first written, “A collision at sea can ruin your entire day, ” in his epic history, The Peloponnesian War. While the statement is unquestionably true, Thucydides never wrote it. Today the New York Times’ Fred Shapiro … Continue reading
Until recent the narco subs used to smuggle cocaine into the United States were submarines in name only, as they were not designed to dive underwater and resurface. Last week, however, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Ecuadorian authorities seized a 108 … Continue reading
Thanks to Alaric Bond for pointing out this wonderful auction on EBay. No bids yet but there are still five days left. I would love to own these beauties but can’t figure out where I would put them or what I would … Continue reading
A tourist amphibious duck boat overturned after colliding with a barge in the Delaware River this after noon. Of the 37 aboard the duck boat, two are still reported missing. Philadelphia Duck Boat Overturns; Dozens Rescued … Continue reading
We had previously posted about the fleet of sailing ships visiting Toronto as part of the Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE, coordinated by the American Sail Training Association (ASTA) across all five Great Lakes. The fleet has now moved on to Cleveland, Ohio. … Continue reading
John Diebold, 1944-2010 John Diebold, a marine scientist who sailed the world’s oceans for more than four decades using sound waves to study earthquake faults, underwater volcanoes and other normally hidden features of the seabed, died on July 1 at … Continue reading
Forty years ago, on July 5th, 100,000 people lined the banks of the River Avon to witness the return of the SS Great Britain, or what was left of her. After spending 37 years on the seabed in the Falklands, she was a rusting … Continue reading
Whale of a skimmer not ready to attack Gulf oil after weekend of testing The behemoth Taiwanese oil skimmer, A Whale, is not yet ready attack the Gulf of Mexico oil spill after a weekend of testing proved inconclusive, said … Continue reading
No, not Moby Dick. Scientists have recently discovered the fossilized remains of an ancient whale with huge, fearsome teeth, which they have dubbed Leviathan melvillei, in honor of Herman Melville. The 12 million old whale was slightly smaller than a modern sperm whale but … Continue reading
We own a Roomba, which is a robot vacuum cleaner made by iRobot. It looks like a cross between an overgrown hockey puck and a squashed R2D2 from Star Wars. It softly whirs and occasionally beeps as it crisscrosses the floor vacuuming, until … Continue reading
We recently reviewed Max Hardberger’s new book, Seized, A Sea Captains Adventures – Battling Scoundrels and Pirates while Recovering Stolen Ships in the World’s Most Troubled Waters. This week , he was interviewed in Time Magazine: High Seas Repo- Man Max … Continue reading
NASA has recently published an analysis of the arctic operations of the icebreaker USCGC Healy. The Healy has been serving as a research vessel in Arctic water with more than 4,200 square feet of scientific laboratory space, numerous electronic sensor systems, … Continue reading