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Ocean Portal by The Smithsonian Institution

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IMAGE GALLERY Pirates of the Golden Age Meet seven of the most fearsome pirates from the Golden Age of Piracy. Like pirates? Read more about William Dampier, a most fearsome pirate -- and naturalist.MORE GALLERIES


	VIDEO MORE VIDEOS Protecting Titanic: 100 Years Later One hundred years after it sank on April 15, the RMS Titanic still rests on the...
	PHOTO MORE PHOTOS Giant Squid Myth A giant squid attacks a boat - something that has not been known to happen in re...
	BLOG POST MORE STORIES Still Blue After a Century of Ocean Science and Exploration This year marks 100 years since the National Museum of Natural History opened it...

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					Fish Swim Around Shipwreck Mar 11, 2013 - 7:27AMFish swim around the wreck of the HMT Bedfordshire, an Arctic fishing trawler that was converted into an anti-submarine warship during World War II. Originally part of Great Britain's Royal Navy, it was sent to assist the...

First Giant Squid Photo

Mar 6, 2013 - 8:27AM

This 1874 photo of a squid draped over a bathtub was the first ever taken of...

Whale Products in Fashion

Jan 23, 2013 - 12:35PM

In the 19th century, "whalebone" was an important fashion tool—however, it...

SPOTLIGHT


The Sant Ocean Hall: Salmon Shape a Way of Life Boats Connect Us to the Ocean More than any other objects, boats symbolize human connection to the ocean. As you look...

Carving the Canoe Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Douglas Chilton uses traditional carving tools to shape the Raven Spirit canoe. Chilton—a master carver and member of the Tlingit Nation—transformed the log into a 26-foot-long, traditional oceangoing canoe that was named Raven Spirit.	Underwater WWII Wrecks – Pollution or Cultural Heritage? Jan 15 2013 - 1:26pm 2012 marked the 70th anniversary of a series of World War II battles in the Pacific Ocean and on its islands, which are collectively known as the “Pacific theatre.” While the battles are long over, thousands of wrecked boats and planes from many nations still rest on the seafloor. These wreck sites...
Excavation of an Inuit House 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...	Bowhead Whale: One Species at a Time Oct 25 2010 - 6:18pm In the episode of One Species at a Time, writer Karen Romano Young takes an icebreaker to Barrow, Alaska, to join in the festival of Naluqatak and learn about the intimate relationship between the Inupiat Eskimos and the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus). Listen as she tells Ari Daniel Shapiro how...
Henry Morgan Jul 6 2010 - 5:46pm Captain Henry Morgan (1635-1688). On behalf of Jamaica, the ruthless privateer Henry Morgan attacked Spanish cities and ships, killing and torturing prisoners. Morgan became very wealthy and was generously rewarded for his deeds. He was eventually knighted and appointed Lieutenant Governor of...	Stede Bonnett’s Fate Jul 7 2010 - 12:48pm Like many pirates, Stede Bonnett was eventually caught and executed. He was hung along with 30 of his crew in Charleston, South Carolina. See more pictures of pirates of the golden age.
Feasting Bowl Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am With an abundance of salmon, early hunting and foraging societies were transformed into settled villages with expanding social networks and elaborate festivities. The festivities often included ceremonial objects like this bowl.	Underwater Archaeology Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Geo-archaeologist Jean-Daniel Stanley studies ancient settlements submerged near Egypt’s Nile Delta. Analyzing how natural and human-induced processes caused their sinking may help us protect vulnerable coastal cities such as Dhaka, New Orleans, and Venice. Read the Smithsonian magazine article...
Famous People Dampier Influenced Jul 27 2010 - 6:04pm Charles Darwin: Almost 150 years after Dampier visited the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin brought Dampier’s books with him on his famous voyage to South America on The Beagle—the journey that led to his formulation of the theory of	Archaeological Site Map of Hare Harbor Sep 9 2011 - 3:33pm The Arctic Studies Center's excavation site map of Hare Harbor maps some of the community's excavated structures that archeologists have unearthed. An Inuit house, blacksmith shop, and cookhouse are among some of the excavated buildings on site. Learn more about what has been uncovered at Hare...
Pirate Flag of Stede Bonnett Jul 6 2010 - 4:50pm Pirate Stede Bonnett flew this flag. Watch a slideshow about legendary pirates of the Golden Age.	Morgan in Panama City 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.
Canoe Placed in Potomac River Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Tlingit paddlers carefully lift the Raven Spirit canoe into Washington’s Potomac River for its ceremonial launch. More about raven spirit can be found in our Raven Spirit featured story.	Fish Swim Around Shipwreck Mar 11 2013 - 7:27am Fish swim around the wreck of the HMT Bedfordshire, an Arctic fishing trawler that was converted into an anti-submarine warship during World War II. Originally part of Great Britain's Royal Navy, it was sent to assist the United States Navy in 1941. In Spring 1942, the HMT Bedfordshire ...
Pyle's "The Sacking of Panama" Jul 26 2010 - 3:23pm Pirates divide up the riches they plundered. Most pirates abided by their own codes of conduct, and life aboard pirate ships was more democratic than that on naval ships of the time. Watch a slide show about legendary pirates from the Golden Age of Pirates.	Pacific Ocean Currents Jul 9 2010 - 1:41pm The arrows show the direction of ocean currents recorded by William Dampier while crossing “La Grande Mer du Sud”—the Pacific Ocean. The map appeared in Dampier’s second book, Voyages and Descriptions, published in early 1699.