Ships

A bell previously recovered from the wreck of the Whydah pirate ship

Cool Finds

Six Skeletons Found in Wreck of 18th-Century Pirate Ship Sunk Off Cape Cod

The "Whydah" sank off the coast of Massachusetts in 1717, killing all but two people on board

Archaeologists discovered ancient amphorae from Spain and what is now Tunisia.

Cool Finds

Trove of 'Ancient Treasures' Found in Shipwreck Off the Coast of Greece

Researchers surveying the seabed surrounding the island of Kasos discovered pottery that holds clues to trade in the Mediterranean

(Top row) Jing Liu and Florian Idenburg, Barron Ryan, Arturo Elizondo, (middle row) Samantha Pratt, Gitanjali Rao, Anitra Belle Henderson, (bottom row) Kennyjie, Andrea Ponti and Brett Phaneuf

Innovation for Good

Ten Innovators to Watch in 2021

These visionaries are imagining an exciting future with chicken-less eggs, self-piloting ships and more

The Aranui 5 is a passenger-freighter vessel that makes 14-day voyages between Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands.

This Polynesian Cruise Ship Has a Resident Tattoo Artist

Sailing between Tahiti and the Marquesas, Eddy Tata provides passengers with Polynesian-style tattoos based on their life stories

The team's findings reflect the toll of the ivory trade and habitat destruction.

Ivory From 16th-Century Shipwreck Yields Clues to African Elephants' Decline

Researchers extracted DNA from tusks found in the wreckage of the "Bom Jesus," a treasure-laden vessel that sank in 1533

The Schmidt Ocean Institute’s submersible SuBastian, which was responsible for several discoveries in 2020, is retrieved from the water.

The Top Ten Ocean Stories of 2020

From the discovery of a giant coral reef pinnacle to a shocking estimate of plastics on the seafloor, these were the biggest marine moments of the year

Researchers will continue studying the timbers in an effort to determine their age and origin.

Cool Finds

Shipwreck Exposed by Erosion on Florida Coast Could Be 200 Years Old

Archaeologists think the vessel was likely a 19th-century merchant ship

The Norwegian Joy is one of several cruise ships equipped with air lubrication technology.

Tiny Bubbles Under a Ship May Be the Secret to Reducing Fuel Consumption

A technology called air lubrication offers a way to make large ships more efficient

In 2018, researchers used ground-penetrating radar to locate the remains of the Gjellestad Viking ship.

Researchers Excavating Norwegian Viking Ship Burial Find Remnants of Elite Society

Archaeologists discovered traces of a feast hall, farmhouse, temple and 13 additional burial mounds

More ships are cruising through Arctic waters but when disaster strikes, there is little information on how it might affect the environment, and little preparation for quick action.

The Race to Study Arctic Waters

In the far north, researchers are scrambling to record baseline environmental data as communities brace for future shipping disasters

Researchers say the sunken ship may hold panels from Russia's famed Amber Room, which went missing during World War II.

Cool Finds

Shipwrecked Nazi Steamer May Hold Clues to the Amber Room's Fate

Divers have found sealed chests and military vehicles in the "Karlsruhe," which was sunk by Soviet planes in 1945

The R.M.S. Titanic, seen departing Belfast on April 2, 1912

New Research

Did the Northern Lights Play a Role in the Titanic's Demise?

New study suggests the solar storm that sparked the aurora borealis interfered with the ship's navigational and radio equipment

A diver off the coast of Sisal, Mexico, investigates the wreck of La Unión in 2017.

Researchers Identify Mexican Wreck as 19th-Century Maya Slave Ship

Spanish traders used the steamboat to transport enslaved Indigenous individuals to Cuba

The Delmenhorst sank in an October 1644 maritime battle.

Cool Finds

Wreck of 17th-Century Danish Warship Found in the Baltic Sea

The "Delmenhorst" sank during a 1644 naval battle between Denmark and a joint Swedish-Dutch fleet

A man in California found the logbook in his closet and reached out to a student at Georgetown University to facilitate the donation.

A Newly Digitized Logbook Documents Life and Death on a Slave Trading Ship

The "Mary" departed Africa in mid-June 1796 with 142 enslaved men, women and children on board

The Mayflower Autonomous Ship's debut in Plymouth, England, is one of many events marking the 400th anniversary of the original Mayflower's 1620 journey.

An A.I.-Driven 'Mayflower' Will Cross the Atlantic Next Year

The autonomous vessel's launch, originally scheduled to mark the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims' landing at Plymouth, was delayed by the pandemic

This painting depicts the night the Phoenix steamboat caught fire on Lake Champlain.

Cool Finds

Lost Pieces of 19th-Century Steamboat Wreck Found in Vermont

Divers discovered the Phoenix's hull in 1978, but the vessel's wheels remained lost—until now

A sonar scan of the German warship Karlsruhe, which was recently discovered off the southern coast of Norway

Cool Finds

Wreck of German Warship Sunk in 1940 Found Off Norwegian Coast

A British torpedo struck the "Karlsruhe" during the Nazis' invasion of the Scandinavian country

This month's selections include A Traitor to His Species, The Tsarina's Lost Treasure and The Daughters of Yalta.

Books of the Month

Catherine the Great's Lost Treasure, the Rise of Animal Rights and Other New Books to Read

These five September releases may have been lost in the news cycle

A bottle of whiskey, a diving helmet and bricks recovered from the wreck of the SS Politician, which sank off the coast of Scotland in 1941.

Cool Finds

Whiskey Salvaged From 79-Year-Old Scottish Shipwreck Is Up for Sale

A commercial diver recovered the intact bottle of spirits—which is no longer safe for consumption—in 1987