Nothing Goes Wrong on Palmerston Island

This New Zealand protectorate is one of the most isolated communities in the world. Palmerston Island is the westernmost islet of a coral atoll...
Mallows Bay ships

The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay

On the Maryland side of the Potomac River just west of Chesapeake Bay, the largest shipwreck fleet in the Western Hemisphere sits half-sunk and...

The Story of the S.S. America

Plans for the S.S. America were laid down under the first Maritime Commission contract on August 22, 1938. The builder was to be the...

The Ellen Austin Encounter

One of the more fascinating oceanic tales is that of the strange encounter between the Ellen AustinĀ and an abandoned vessel found adrift near the...

The Disappearing Aral Sea

Over one hundred ships are mysteriously abandoned in this desert in central Asia. You rub your eyes, but it's not an optical illusion; no...

Texas City Disaster: Deadliest Industrial Accident in U.S. History

Across the bay from Galveston in Texas is Texas City, a busy port with convenient access to Houston and the Gulf of Mexico. In...