Underwater Archaeologists Were Looking for a Lost Shipwreck in Wisconsin. They Stumbled Upon a Different Vessel Instead
Researchers think they have located the final resting place of the “L.W. Crane,” a wooden side-wheel steam ship that caught fire and sank in the Fox River in 1880
This Dugout Canoe Made From a 12-Foot-Long Log Was Found Bobbing in a North Carolina River
The newly discovered vessel is one of 79 known dugout canoes that have been unearthed throughout the state
Orcas Appear to Be Sharing Their Prey With Humans—but What Does It Mean?
Researchers documented 34 instances of purported prey-sharing behavior, which suggests orcas may be altruistic and capable of recognizing sentience in another species
Long-Lost Treasures Emerge From Lake During Hurricane Helene Recovery Efforts in North Carolina
Officials are draining the water from Lake Lure to remove sediment and debris, revealing historic objects embedded in the dry lakebed
Rare 16th-Century Shipwreck Discovered at Record Depth in French Waters
The 98-foot-long vessel was transporting ceramic jugs, ceramic plates and metal bars when it sank off southeastern France nearly 500 years ago
Why Has This North Carolina Town Embraced a Strange Salamander?
The city of Boone has put a giant mural of the eastern hellbender downtown and its residents often imbibe a local Hazy IPA named after the amphibian
Scientists Had Never Seen This Mysterious Squid Alive in the Wild—Until Now. See the First Footage of the Elusive Creature
A three-foot-long Antarctic gonate squid was spotted swimming 7,000 feet below the surface of the Southern Ocean
Historians Set the Record Straight on This Misidentified 155-Year-Old Shipwreck in Lake Michigan
For years, experts thought a wreck near Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin, was the “Christina Nilsson.” Recently, they realized it’s actually the “Joseph Cochrane,” which sank in 1870
Pocket Watch Recovered From Lake Michigan’s Deadliest Shipwreck Returns to Owner’s Hometown After 165 Years
The timepiece belonged to Herbert Ingram, a British journalist and politician who died when the “Lady Elgin” sank in 1860. His watch was recovered from the bottom of the lake in 1992
Did Water Form in the Earliest Years of the Universe?
A recent study suggests huge volumes of the molecule emerged during the cosmic dawn
Once in Dire Straits, Atlantic Sturgeon Are Staging a Comeback on the East Coast
From Maine to Florida, the endangered, prehistoric fish is rebounding, but a recent study shows just how vulnerable the U.S. population remains
He Went Out to Catch Fish in Lake Michigan—and Discovered a 102-Year-Old Shipwreck Instead
Angler Christopher Thuss stumbled upon the scuttled tugboat “J.C. Ames,” which was located just nine feet below the surface off the coast of Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
Set Sail With These 15 Scenes of Sensational Ships
These seafaring shots are harbored in the archives of the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest
How Researchers Discovered a 168-Year-Old Dutch Shipwreck Off the Coast of Australia in Underwater ‘Blizzard’ Conditions
The Dutch merchant ship ‘Koning Willem de Tweede’ sank off the coast of South Australia in a violent storm in June 1857
The Land Beneath the Biggest U.S. Cities Is Sinking, Finds New Analysis of Satellite Data
Largely due to groundwater pumping and shifting of land after the last ice age, major urban areas are subsiding, which could destabilize buildings or worsen flooding
Discover the Dreamy Beauty of Jamaica’s Beaches, Mountains and Plant Life in These Captivating Pictures
A photographer’s trip to the island yields images that showcase its stunning terrain and vibrant culture
Ancient Roman Wooden Water Pipe Made From Hollow Tree Trunks Unearthed Beneath a Street in Belgium
Archaeologists say the muddy soil in the area preserved the artifact, which likely dates to between the second and third centuries C.E.
Invasive Crab With Furry, Mitten-Like Claws Detected for the First Time in the Pacific Northwest
A commercial fisherman nabbed a large male Chinese mitten crab in the lower Columbia River late last month, putting biologists on high alert
These Large, Snake-Like Fish Are Invading the United States—and Authorities Want You to Kill Them
Invasive northern snakeheads can “walk” on land, breathe air and survive out of water for several days, and they also compete with native species in waterways
The Moon’s Far Side Is Strangely Dry—Lunar Samples Suggest It’s Much More Parched Than the Side That Faces Earth
Chinese researchers analyzed the first-ever soil samples returned from the far side of the moon, but further samples will be needed to verify their findings
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