Blue Explorer Magazine

25/11/2024

The Azores lead the way in protecting the North Atlantic Ocean with bold marine conservation efforts

In a groundbreaking move, the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago of nine volcanic islands, has introduced ambitious new legislation to establish the largest network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the North Atlantic Ocean. This initiative is a critical step toward preserving the region’s extraordinary marine biodiversity and setting an example for global ocean conservation efforts.

A haven for marine life
The waters surrounding the Azores are a vibrant hotspot of marine biodiversity. From majestic whales and sharks to deep-sea corals and rare hydrothermal vent ecosystems, this region teems with life. These islands, scattered across an area of about 1,000,000 square kilometers—representing 55% of Portugal’s waters and 15% of all European seas—serve as a crucial habitat for countless marine species.
“The Azores are home to a third of the world’s whale and dolphin species, 600 types of fish, and five kinds of sea turtles,” says Bernardo Brito E Abreu, an ocean conservation leader and Advisor to the President of the Azores on Sea Affairs and Fisheries. “This includes one of the North Atlantic’s largest populations of s***m whales, threatened long-finned pilot whales, and species like blue whales and loggerhead turtles that use these waters as key migratory corridors.”

Beneath the waves, the underwater mountains, or seamounts, are vital ecosystems. These cold-water coral and sponge fields are breeding and feeding grounds for deep-sea sharks and commercially important fish species. Protecting this marine life means not just preserving biodiversity but also securing the future of the ocean as a resource for generations to come...
Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/news/the-azores-lead-the-way-in-protecting-the-north-atlantic-ocean-with-bold-marine-conservation-efforts/

16/11/2024

A Submarine Revolution: The Kronos and the Future of Naval Warfare

In a vast desert near Dubai, a Ukrainian startup has developed a stealth submarine that promises to transform naval warfare. Suspended from an industrial crane in a warehouse, the black, organic silhouette of the Kronos feels alive, exuding a sense of menace and innovation. According to its chief designer, Alexander Kuznetsov, the Kronos could redefine how submarines operate, trading massive size for agility, stealth, and devastating efficiency.
The Fighter Jet of Submarines
Unlike traditional submarines—often compared to slow-moving bombers—the Kronos is a fighter jet of the seas. It is designed for high-speed hit-and-run tactics, capable of sneaking up on enemy vessels, deploying torpedoes, and even attaching magnetic mines. Its streamlined shape allows it to blend with the seabed, lying in wait like a predator.
Kronos defies the norms of submarine design, which have changed little since the late 19th century. Traditional submarines are hulking, cigar-shaped vessels that operate in deep waters, moving slowly and requiring large crews. Modern nuclear submarines, for example, can take up to five minutes to dive fully and need significant maneuvering space. In contrast, the Kronos is small, fast, and built to perform in shallow waters, making it ideal for tactical missions.
A Radical Shift in Submarine Design
The Kronos reimagines submarines for a new era of warfare. Traditional designs rely on size and firepower, but this innovation prioritizes stealth and speed. With its manta ray-inspired shape, the Kronos can patrol waters as shallow as 50 feet or dive to 820 feet, navigating tight spaces with ease.
Unlike conventional submarines that require crews of 100 or more, the Kronos can be operated by a single pilot and transport up to eight special forces commandos. Its advanced design includes external cameras and thermal sensors providing a 360-degree digital display, replacing traditional windows...

Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/2024/11/16/a-submarine-revolution-the-kronos-and-the-future-of-naval-warfare/

06/07/2024

Wrangel Island, the most pristine nature reserve on the planet

“Wrangel Island is a place where nature reveals its power and grandeur. There is no room for the hustle of the modern world here, only the silence and magnificence of the wild nature.”
John Muir

The word ‘remote’ might have been created for Wrangel Island. Sitting on the top of the world within the Arctic Sea off the northern coast of Chukotka, it was once domestic to woolly mammoths. It is believed that Wrangel Island is the last place on earth where woolly mammoths roamed. Evidence has been found of human occupation as early as 1700 BC, with some stone and ivory tools discovered in 1975. The Chukchi people of Siberia tell of a chief who led his people across the ice to settle the island. Whether this legend is true or not, there is evidence that hunters followed the reindeer herds north on their annual migration and mammoth tusks can still be found, protruding from the ground. Nowadays, polar bears, walruses, musk ox and heap feathered creatures live, feed and breed on its shorelines, cliffs and tundra. The island has claimed the lives of numerous pioneers, but gutsy 21st century travelers can get here securely on an expedition journey, accompanied by expert guides...

Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/2024/07/05/wrangel-island-the-most-pristine-nature-reserve-on-the-planet/

20/06/2024

Explorer Ernest Shackleton’s last ship found off Labrador’s south coast, says expedition.

he Quest, which sank after striking ice in 1962, has been found intact, say explorers
On Wednesday morning, June 12, 2024, a low hum filled the light-filled lecture hall at Memorial University’s Naval Institute as anticipation for the historic announcement grew among the crowd of naval enthusiasts.
Then it came: the last vessel helmed by famed Anglo-Irish explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton — lost for more than 60 years — has been discovered on the ocean floor, less than half a kilometre off Labrador’s south coast, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society told the crowd.
Expedition leader John Geiger, the society’s CEO, said the wreck was found in the Labrador Sea, lying at a depth of 390 metres. He added it was in the vicinity of where the ship had been reported to have sunk, but took about 17 hours to pinpoint.
”This is a very important vessel. Historically it was the final expedition ship of Sir Ernest Shackleton,” he said. “As many of you know, he died on this ship on his final expedition of the Shackleton–Rowett expedition, which set out to initially explore Canada.”
The discovery was six years in the making for the RCGS crew. Using sonar operated by Marine Institute staff, the international team say they found the Quest off the coast near Battle Harbour on Sunday, five days into an expedition that left June 5 and was plagued by technological issues.
Shackleton died of a heart attack aboard the Quest in 1922, at the age of 47, near the island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic during a voyage to Antarctica.
The Quest, a schooner-rigged steamship, remained in service for decades afterward, including as a minesweeper in World War Two and as a sealing vessel. In 1962 it struck ice and sank off Labrador’s coast....
Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/news/explorer-ernest-shackletons-last-ship-found-off-labradors-south-coast-says-expedition/

08/06/2024

Oahu Island: from Sunsets in Lanikai to Climbing

Known as “The Gathering Place,” Oahu, surely lives up to its name as it offers so much to draw the attention of a large number of visitors each year. Home for one million people (over two-thirds population of United State of Hawaii), it is the third largest Hawaiian island rich in diversity, culture, and fusion. Located within the state capital Honolulu County, this magical island of beauty comprises two divided shield volcanoes: the Wai’anae and Ko’olau Ranges, separated by broad valley. This volcanic doublet formed asymmetrical butterfly shape and caused volcanic eruptions forming the Diamond Head, Koko Head, and Punchbowl. Oahu is the perfect representation of paradise, and it is so much more than Honolulu and Waikiki.

Oahu, A Waho Makou o Awawamalu is the famous chant in Hawaii that composed by Kumu Hula Manu Boyd and performed by Kumu Hula Snowbird Bento. The purposed of this sacred chant is to ask for entry into a protected realm of hula, traditional knowledge, noble practices, creativity, mutual respect, and aloha. Although, Oahu does not have any confirmed symbol or meaning in Hawaii, ancient Hawaiian defines it otherwise. The name was originated in the legend of Hawai’iloa, the Polynesian navigator who found Hawaiian Islands, and named his daughter as Oahu. The Gathering Place nickname was suggested by Thomas Thrum, Hawaiian Almanac in 1922. Oahu is the first of the Hawaiian Islands that was sighted by the crew of HMS Resolution back in 1778, during Captain James Cook’s third Pacific expedition. The state’s capital city, Honolulu shows the appearance of what it called urban islands.

The best time to visit Oahu is starting from mid-April to early June or you may go between September and mid-December. During these recommended months, people are less crowded with few festivals going on. However, if you plan to surf or watch surfers ride on the waves, go to Oahu between late December and early April and head to the North Shore...

Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/2024/06/07/oahu-from-sunsets-in-lanikai-to-climbing/

08/05/2024

Portuguese sea explorers

They were an intrepid bunch!
Portugal sits between the sea on one side and the mountains of the Iberian Peninsula on the other, and as it was hinted that there were ‘Castilians with knives’ on the other side of the mountains, Portuguese pathfinders chose to explore by sea. Fishing had always been a leading industry for Portugal, and had seafarers with both coastal experience and deep-water sailing skills, as fishing sometimes required them to cover vast distances. Motivated by curiosity and a desire to expand into new places, explorers realised there were big financial gains – and treasures to be found – through the discovery of new trade routes.

Prince Henry, Duke of Viseu earned himself the well-deserved title of Prince Henry ‘The Navigator’. He was the fourth child of King John I of Portugal and was devoted to maritime exploration. Being both smart and wealthy, he enlisted the help of skilled mathematicians and astronomers to establish an observatory and a navigation school at Sagres near Cape St. Vincent, where work was dedicated to making charts and improving the workings of the compass. He sent the best captains and seamen he could find on numerous voyages of discovery along the western coast of Africa. He didn’t actually go on many of these expeditions himself but was nevertheless acknowledged to be the genius in charge. He was convinced that it was possible to sail around Africa to India to enable trading directly with the East, but he died after more than forty years of endeavour without having fulfilled his dreams.

At that time, merchandise from the East had to be transported by land or through the Red Sea and across Egypt to get to Europe. Either way, the expenses and risks were enormous, so a direct route for ships was deemed essential. The term ‘ship’ shouldn’t be taken lightly either, despite those at the beginning of Henry’s career being small half-decked sailboats scarcely able to hold three dozen men– his latest ‘ships’ were sturdy vessels capable of carrying sixty men.

Explorer Bartolomeu Dias....

Pedro Alvares Cabral...

Vasco da Gama...

Ferdinand Magellan...

Duarte Pacheco Pereira...
Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/2024/05/08/portuguese-sea-explorers/

20/04/2024

Enormous ancient sea reptile identified from amateur fossil find

(By Georgina Rannard, Science reporter)

Scientists have identified what was probably the largest marine reptile ever to swim in the seas – a creature longer than two, nose-to-nose buses. The creature lived around 202 million years ago alongside the dinosaurs. Its fossilised jawbone was found in 2016 by a fossil hunter on a beach in Somerset, UK. In 2020 a father and daughter found another similar jawbone. Experts now say the fossils are from two giant ichthyosaur reptiles, which could have been 25m long. That is bigger than a huge pliosaur whose skull was found embedded in Dorset cliffs and was in the David Attenborough documentary the Giant Sea Monster.

“Based on the size of the jawbones – one of them over a meter long and the other two metres long – we can work out that the entire animal would have been about 25m long, about as long as a blue whale,” according to Dr Dean Lomax, a palaeontologist at the University of Bristol, who wrote the scientific paper published on Wednesday. But he says more evidence, like a complete skull and skeleton, is needed to confirm the exact size of the creature because just a few fragments have been found so far. The giant ichthyosaur died out in a mass extinction and the ichthyosaurs that lived after that never reached the enormous size again, he said. The first glimpse of the creature came in 2016 when fossil hunter Paul de la Salle was scouring Somerset beaches. He has collected fossils for 25 years after being inspired by famous fossilist Steve Etches.
Trawling the beach with his wife Carol, he saw what turned out to be the find of a lifetime – the first known jawbone of this giant, marine reptile. When he talked to Dean Lomax, they suspected they might be on to a major discovery. They published their findings in 2018. But they wanted more evidence to understand just how big the creature had been.

“We kept our fingers crossed for more discoveries,” says Dean. In 2020, father and daughter Justin and Ruby Reynolds found what Dean was looking for, 10km down the coast at Blue Anchor.

“I was massively impressed – really, really excited. I knew that right at that point we had a second giant jawbone from one of these massive ichthyosaurs just like Paul’s,” Dean says...
Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/news/enormous-ancient-sea-reptile-identified-from-amateur-fossil-find/

03/02/2024

The horrific crocodile massacre of Ramree Island

Located right off the coast of the Rakhine State, Myanmar, Ramree Island and its white beaches and swaying palms are the perfect slice of heaven that every island should be. However, its infamous place in the history books comes from eyewitness reports of an animals-gone-wild style massacre during World War II. Also known as Rakhine State, Myanmar, strategically placed at the tip of the Bay of Bengal, Ramree Island was famously thought over during WW2 by the British and the Japanese. More recently it is the location for a Deep-Sea Port, pipeline and train line linking the Indian Ocean to China. The area of the island is about 1,350 square kilometres and the main populated centre is Ramree. The island is also known by Yangbye or Yanbye Island (Burmese).

The island is separated from the mainland by a narrow canal-like strait, which is only 150 metres wide in average. There is a bridge over the strait connecting the island with the continental shore...

Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/2024/02/03/the-horrific-crocodile-massacre-of-ramree-island/

31/01/2024

Gateway to Langkawi

Have you heard about Langkawi? It is one of the top tourist spots in Malaysia. Feeling lost and needed a good vitamin sea, pack your things and head to Langkawi. Situated with high mountains and long beaches, Langkawi is the perfect destination to release stress and have a bunch of fun. This will intrigue you on what you need to do when you arrive in Langkawi. First and foremost, explore this amazing paradise on Earth on a private resort island, the perfect destination for awaiting an unwinding trip. It is the latest attraction that caught everyone’s eyes to the point this should be on a bucket list to stay in Langkawi at least once in a lifetime. From a spectacular view and wild outdoor activities, this place surely holds un-ending excitement. Situated strategically at Pantai Kok close to Telaga Harbour, Paradise 101 can be reached easily by boat shuttle in less than 30 minutes. Do not forget to play sports in the daytime and have a blast party at night to the fullest....

Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/2024/01/31/gateway-to-langkawi/

28/01/2024

Multi-partner mapping effort reveals largest known deep-sea coral reef habitat

Covering 6.4 million acres, an area larger than Vermont, an underwater seascape of cold-water coral mounds offshore the southeast United States coast has been deemed the largest deep-sea coral reef habitat discovered to date, according to a paper recently published in the scientific journal GEOMATICS.

Large cold-water coral mounds were first documented offshore of the southeastern U.S. in the 1960s. Since that time, extensive research has been conducted by regional experts to discover new mounds throughout the Blake Plateau and to document the ecological importance of these habitats. Fisheries managers have used this information to protect known coral areas from physical damage. The recently completed mapping effort in the region builds on this foundational work by revealing the full extent and characteristics of these important deep-sea coral mound features...

Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/news/multi-partner-mapping-effort-reveals-largest-known-deep-sea-coral-reef-habitat/

28/01/2024

The Lost Sea, the world’s underground wonder

Deep in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, about 80 kilometers south of Knoxville, Tennessee, sits a wonder 140 feet below ground: the Lost Sea, the largest non-subglacial underground lake in the United States and the second largest in the world. The lake was discovered by a teenager, Ben Sands in 1905. The 13-year-old boy wiggled through the tiny, muddy opening 300 feet underground and found himself in a huge room half filled with water. The room was so large that his light was swallowed up by the darkness long before reaching the far wall or the ceiling. For the rest of his life, Sands delighted in describing how he threw mudballs as far as he could into the blackness and heard nothing but splashes in every direction....

Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/2024/01/27/the-lost-sea-the-worlds-underground-wonder/

25/01/2024

A slice of paradise in Banda islands

The prestige of the Banda Islands as the only producer of nutmeg in the world has indeed faded along with the bringing of nutmeg seeds out of Banda. 400 – 500 years ago, this commodity was equivalent in value to a handful of gold, inevitably Banda became a contested area until one of its islands became a vital object in the Treaty of Breda between England and the Netherlands. For history buffs, the Banda islands are closely related to the exchange of Run Island with Nieuw Amsterdam (Manhattan, an island that is now part of New York). Rhun Island, which is located at the tip of the Banda Islands, was initially controlled by the British until the British lost the war against the Dutch in the Anglo Dutch War II. At first, the British offered Suriname which was then famous for its sugar plantations in exchange for Nieuw Amsterdam, but the Dutch insisted on getting Rhun Island to monopolize the nutmeg...

https://blueexplorermag.com/2024/01/20/a-slice-of-paradise-in-banda-islands/

18/01/2024

16/01/2024

White Continent Chronicles: Sweden's Daring Expedition (1901-1904)

The 25-year period from 1897 to 1922 was an era in the history of Antarctica marked by numerous exploratory expeditions. During this Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, as this period is called, there was an international focus on the scientific and geographical exploration of the South Polar regions. Each expedition took place before advances in transport and communication had revolutionised the work of exploration. As a result, they were all feats of endurance with limited resources. The “heroic” label acknowledged the adversities faced by these pioneers. In total, 16 major expeditions were launched from 8 different countries during this era. One of which is the first Swedish endeavour to Antarctica...

Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/2024/01/16/white-continent-chronicles-swedens-daring-expedition-1901-1904/

13/01/2024

Madeira, green spot in the ocean

The majority of people may have never heard of Madeira Island. However, Cristiano Ronaldo fans, must be familiar with it. The island, which is located off the mainland of Portugal, is the home of the soccer superstar. Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Funchal, the largest city on the island of Madeira. Madeira is a lush, green island, also known as “Portugal's flower garden. Ronaldo often posts the beauty of his homeland through his personal social media accounts.

The World Travel Awards named the Madeira Islands as the best island destination in Europe for the seventh time in the last 9 years. The islands have also been named the best island destination in the world five times. Judging from the official website of the World Travel Awards, this stunning archipelago has managed to sit back at number one in the 'World's Leading Island Destination' category or also commonly called 'Best Island in The World'. The World Travel Awards is the most prestigious event in the world of tourism. Started in 1993, the World Travel Awards provide many prizes in the tourism sector. Madeira has been award-winning since 2015....

Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/2024/01/13/madeira-green-spot-in-the-ocean/

07/01/2024

Sea Otter, a highly specialized marine mammal

Physically similar to a bear, only smaller, sea otter spends its whole life in the water. Swimming, feeding, and hanging out freely with families and friends. This animal inhabits coastal environments, where it dives to the seabed to forage. Sea Otter or the scientific name Enhydra lutris, typically have a lifespan between 15 and 20 years. Having adorable features, this animal can spend its entire life without leaving the water, forming a single-sex raft with its shady round eyes looking at the sky and hind feet resurface half from the water. The group of sea otters floating in the ocean is called rafts. The largest raft ever seen contained over 2000 sea otters floating on the water. They often hold their paws when sleeping to avoid drifting. Other than that, they also wrap themselves with kelp to avoid drifting. Sea otter is a member of the family Mustelidae comprises 13 other otter species like weasels, badgers, and minks. This North Pacific Ocean native animal can weigh between 14 kg to 45 kg, a typical children’s weight that makes them the heaviest members of the weasel family. Though, they are still known as one of the smallest marine mammals around the world. This mammal feeds on marine invertebrates like sea urchins, mollusks, crustaceans, and fish. The act of sea otter needing a tool (a rock for example) to eat and dislodge prey also to open shells is considered unique and intelligent. Despite their small size, one interesting fact about sea otters is that they are heavy eaters. They need to eat between 25 to 40 percent of their body weight every day. With this, sea otters feed on more than 100 varied species daily...

Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/2024/01/07/sea-otter-a-highly-specialized-marine-mammal/

06/01/2024

Incredible world: Marble Caves of Patagonia

Labelled as the most stunning cave network in the world, Marble Caves (Cuevas de Marmol) is a 6,000-year-old sculpture hewn by the crashing waves washing up against calcium carbonate of Lake General Carrera of Patagonia in Southern Chile, a remote glacial lake that spans the Chile-Argentina border. Also called the Marble Cathedral, the intricate caverns are part of a peninsula made of solid marble surrounded by the glacial Lake General Carrera that spans the Chile-Argentina border. Over thousands of years, this mineral-rich glacier water also changed the color and shape of the Marble Cave formations to beautiful hues of blues, greens, blacks, and yellows. Instead of mining these unique marble rocks, the surrounding area protects them while permitting visitors to come and tour the Marble Caves.
The swirling outline on the cave interiors reflects the lake’s azure waters, which change in intensity and hue, depending on water levels and time of year...

Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/2024/01/06/incredible-world-marble-caves-of-patagonia/

27/12/2023

The legend of Kópakonan (the Seal Woman)

The ocean has always given man not only a means of subsistence, but has also been a source of creative inspiration, contributing to the birth of works of art and literature. We also want to touch the world of sea stories and legends written by the waves and wind…

On the Danish island of Kalsoy, also known as the “men’s island,” a unique legend is associated with the seal creature called Kópakonan.

In ancient times on this island, there was a belief that those who experienced a violent death or committed su***de would be transformed into seals. Once a year, these transformed beings could return to a human-like state to celebrate joyfully until sunrise, at which point they would revert to being seals.

Once curious young farmer observed the seals transforming into humans and dancing on the beach. During the dance, the man seized the cloak of one of the young “seal girls,” preventing her from returning to the sea. He compelled her to marry him, and they had children...
Read more: https://blueexplorermag.com/2023/12/27/the-legend-of-kopakonan-the-seal-woman/