Week 1
Lesson 1
Oceanic Grave: The RMS Titanic.
On April 10, 1912 the Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage, traveling from Southampton, England to New York City. The crew and passengers had no idea they were about to embark on what would become the world’s most famous shipwreck. On the evening of April 14, 1912, the ocean liner hit an iceberg which triggered its demise. It’s estimated that 1517 lives were lost that night  For decades, the Titanic sat at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean until technology...
Lesson 2
Seafaring Tragedy: The RMS Lusitania.
On May 7, 1915, three short years after the Titanic’s demise, the RMS Lusitania sank when a World War I German U-boat strategically fired a torpedo at the ship’s boiler room, sinking the vessel in 20 minutes. The luxury liner set sail from New York City to England across the Atlantic Ocean. Germany, embattled in war with England and its allies, believed the Lusitania was carrying war ammunition and soldiers to England. Germany declared the ocean liner a war...
Lesson 3
Vessel Wreck: Endurance
In January 1915, polar explorer, Ernest Shackleton set sail with 27 crew aboard the wooden steamship Endurance. They aimed to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic but abandoned their quest when the Endurance became trapped in sea ice. Survival mode set in and miraculously Shackleton led his men to safety by first taking a small lifeboat across fierce seas to get help. In March 2022, a Saab Sabertooth underwater robot located the shipwreck beneath West Antarctica...
Lesson 4
The Edmund Fitzgerald Sinking. 
The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald was one of the most famous ships to ever sail on the Great Lakes; and made its maiden voyage on September 24th, 1958. During it many voyages, the ship sustained internal and external damage from running aground, collisions and hitting a lock wall, which may have contributed to its demise. On the morning of November 9, 1975, the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin, headed to Detroit, Michigan. The ship encountered gale force winds...
Lesson 5
Maritime Disaster: Costa Concordia
Fast-forward to January 13, 2012 when behemoth luxury liner, Costa Concordia ran aground near Rome on the island of Giglio. Captain Francesco Schettino ignored course plans and sailed the ship dangerously close to the shore, struck the Scole Rocks reef; and killed 33 of the 4, 229 passengers on board and injured many others. Unexpected weather and ship malfunction did not cause the wreck, but instead a series of human errors, including navigating a poorly lit...