Saturday, August 06, 2011

Captain Morgan's Pirate Ship Discovered

Back in March we reported on the discovery of Captain Morgan's lost cannon in Panama's waters.

Now archeologists one of Captain Morgan's five ships has been discovered in the same waters.

The lost wreckage of a ship belonging to 17th century pirate Captain Henry Morgan has been discovered in Panama, said a team of U.S. archaeologists -- and the maker of Captain Morgan rum.

Near the Lajas Reef, where Morgan lost five ships in 1671 including his flagship "Satisfaction," the team uncovered a portion of the starboard side of a wooden ship's hull and a series of unopened cargo boxes and chests encrusted in coral.

The cargo has yet to be opened, but Captain Morgan USA -- which sells the spiced rum named for the eponymous pirate -- is clearly hoping there's liquor in there.

...

The underwater research team included archaeologists and divers from Texas State University, volunteers from the National Park Service's Submerged Resources Center and NOAA/UNC-Wilmington's Aquarius Reef Base. And pirate booty or no, they said the story of Captain Henry Morgan was the real treasure.

"To us, the ship is the treasure -- the story is the treasure," Hanselman told MSNBC's Alan Boyle. "And you don't have a much better story than Captain Henry Morgan's sack of Panama City and the loss of his five ships."

Artifacts excavated by the dive team in 2010, including the six cannons, as well as any future relics will remain the property of the Panamanian government and will be preserved and displayed by the Patronato Panama Viejo.


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Friday, August 05, 2011

Meet Norman Lancefield, the UK's Oldest Scuba Diver

Let's pray we're all so blessed to still be scuba diving at 91.

HITTING 91 has not deterred Norman Lancefield from taking on adventures in life.

Because the great-grandfather of two from the Vale of Glamorgan is being hailed as the UK’s oldest scuba diver.

Despite taking up the hobby relatively late – aged 58 in 1978 – Norman has racked up hundreds of dives and completed his latest one at Babbacombe Beach in Torquay, Devon.

Norman is an active member of the Barry branch of the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC).

He said: “It’s another world down there and I feel privileged to be able to see it.

“I don’t go much on wrecks and things but I do love to see the seaweed and when I did my most recent dive there was such a variety of seaweed, some small, some big and it is a beautiful part of nature.”

Continue reading...

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Wednesday, August 03, 2011

World's Scariest Shave

We're not exactly impressed with this portrayal of sharks, to say the least. But the commercial contains scuba diving, and this is a... well... scuba diving blog.


(Feed readers click through for video)

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