Ocean History

During the three-year voyage, the Odyssey will be passing through areas with a rich oceanic and nautical history. At various times, we will focus on historical events and relate their passage of time to the modern age as we come across them.

During the current Kiribati Leg, the Odyssey visited Howland Island, revisiting one of the ocean's greatest mysteries, the disappearance of Amelia Earhart during the first attempted 'round the world' flight. Howland Island was the place she and her navigator Fred Noonan were supposed to land. Click here to read more.

Recently during the 'pacific crossing' leg of the Voyage, the R.V. Odyssey surveyed the 'whaling grounds' of the 1800's. This was where the sinking of the Whaleship Essex occured. This story, in turn, inspired Herman Melville to write the novel, Moby Dick.