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Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
Fish spears and fish weirs—fish traps placed in rivers—are traditional ways of catching salmon on rivers. More about raven spirit can be found in our Raven Spirit featured story.
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Feb 17 2011 - 1:20pm
This over 2,000-year-old shipwreck in Mazotas, Cyprus, was discovered in 2007. The ship was loaded with wine from Chios, one of the most expensive and sought-after Greek wines in antiquity. The University of Cyprus, in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus and the THETIS...
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May 22 2010 - 11:30am
Two divers, one in an atmospheric dive suit (left) and the other in standard dive gear (right), prepare to explore the Lusitania shipwreck in 1935. Over the decades, diving gear has evolved and changed, and its role in marine research has expanded. Scuba and other forms of diving have allowed...
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Jul 27 2010 - 12:51pm
Terror on the High Seas
Flaunting flags emblazoned with skulls and crossbones, pirate ships roamed the seas in pursuit of likely prey. The ships carried fearsome men (and sometimes women) brandishing pistols and swinging swords. They did everything they could to strike terror into the hearts of...
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Jul 6 2010 - 5:06pm
This is the cover of the book William Dampier -- pirate and naturalist -- wrote about his first trip around the world, one of four that he eventually made and described in a series of bestselling books. Read more about this out-of-the-ordinary pirate!
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Sep 9 2011 - 4:26pm
Research at Hare Harbor in Quebec, Canada has revealed important clues about the connections between the Inuit peoples of Northern Canada and the Basque whalers of Spain and France.
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Jul 29 2010 - 3:45pm
Eventually, however, Bartholomew Roberts’ luck came to end. He was killed off the coast of Africa. Following his wishes, his crew threw his body into the sea—finery and all. Then, in the largest pirate trial ever held, 52 members of Roberts’ crew were tried and hung—helping to bring the Golden Age...
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Sep 20 2011 - 5:08pm
Boats Connect Us to the Ocean
More than any other objects, boats symbolize human connection to the ocean. As you look through the center of the Ocean Hall, past the model right whale, you can see a magnificent carved canoe.
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Jun 6 2012 - 1:01pm
Today Ray Bradbury died. It might seem strange that I'm writing about Bradbury here on the Ocean Portal, as he's best known for his short stories about space exploration and strange aliens. But he also considered the unexplored realms of our own planet: the ocean.
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Sep 9 2011 - 3:11pm
Excavations between 2002 through 2011 at Hare Harbor have shown that this site was a whaling and fishing station occupied by Basque and Inuit assistants ca. 1680-1730. Archaeologists have uncovered a cookhouse, a blacksmith shop, and the remains of several Inuit winter houses like the one seen here...
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Jul 7 2010 - 12:57pm
Yes, there were women pirates! And Bonny (left) and Read were among the most famous. Dressed in men’s clothes, they fought side-by-side with other pirates—many of whom believed the two women were men. In the Caribbean, Ann Bonny and Mary Read served with Captain “Calico” Jack Rackham. In 1720...
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Jan 26 2010 - 11:46am
Published in 1882 by Yale Professor A.E. Verrill, this is the first scientific illustration of a giant squid. More about the giant squid can be found in the Giant Squid section.
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Sep 12 2011 - 1:10pm
CREDIT: Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center
Basque Whalers Background
Having already learned to hunt large whales in the Bay of Biscay in the 13th through 15th centuries, Basques began arriving in the rich whaling grounds of southern Labrador, Newfoundland, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence...
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Jul 7 2010 - 11:03am
The next time you use any of the following words, think of William Dampier. They are just a few of the more than 1,000 words Dampier contributed to the English language: Avocado, Barbeque, Breadfruit, Cashew, Chopsticks, Posse, Tortilla.
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Dec 4 2009 - 1:28pm
Humans have long been captivated by what we now call the giant squid (Architeuthis). This image gallery gives a glimpe into our fascination with the animal. For a long time, people saw mysterious movements in the water or found dead giant squid and didn't know what they were—and even confused a...
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Jul 7 2010 - 12:26pm
Blackbeard may have been the most notorious pirate of all. Fierce and ferocious-looking, he stood 6’4” tall and had wild eyes and an explosive temper. To add to the effect, he tucked slow-burning cannon fuses under his hat. See some Blackbeard relics.
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Sep 9 2011 - 4:46pm
An underwater archaeological stratigraphy reveals the different levels of soil in Hare Harbor, Quebec. The stratigraphy – a process archeologists use to help date materials by identifying soil layers – showed the deepest level of soil (labeled G) contained wood chips, possibly the residue of site...
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Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
Made from spruce wood and caribou teeth, this mask was worn in ceremonies of thanksgiving. It sits atop a decorative breastplate with images of whaling crews in skin boats called umiaks.
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Jul 27 2010 - 5:59pm
Dampier is credited with helping to rescue Alexander Selkirk, the privateer who inspired the Robinson Crusoe story.
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Jul 2 2010 - 6:01pm
Happy (early) Independence Day! For many of us in the United States, the 4th of July is a time to celebrate and reflect on our national heritage. In many ways, the U.S. grew up on the water and remains a maritime nation to this day.
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Jul 6 2010 - 5:49pm
Morgan’s most daring exploit was the capture and destruction of Panama City after a grueling march through the Central American jungle with 2,000 buccaneers. To survive, some of the buccaneers ate their leather satchels. Read about more pirates in the Pirates of the Golden Age slideshow.
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Jul 2 2010 - 11:58am
Pirates capture the imagination of dreamers of all ages. Learn more about a very unusual pirate, William Dampier, in our featured story.
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Sep 9 2011 - 3:20pm
A 2011 excavation led by the Arctic Studies Center uncovered this fragment of decorated European stoneware called a bellarmine jug. Uncovering this fragment, that was likely manufactured in the 15th and 16th centuries, reveals information about European trade and influence in the Hare Harbor...
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Jul 23 2010 - 4:55pm
This painting of swarthy buccaneers in the midst of a fierce battle was painted by the prolific American marine painter Frederick J. Waugh, and won an award in 1910. The New York Times wrote: “The Thomas B. Clarke prize for the best American figure composition painted in the United States by an...
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