344 - Boats and Ships

1. Treasure Hunt It should be a happy time for investors in the publicly traded treasure seeking company, Odyssey Marine Exploration. Recently granted exclusive rights and permission to salvage payed off big when these adventures started pulling in what is expected to be the largest recovered shipwreck treasury in history, estimated to be worth somewhere around $500 million.

2. Dinner is Served A container ship load of provisions destined for Southern Chinese restaurants was found drifting off the coast of China. Where was the crew? Well, it is suspected thatthey abandoned ship to avoid being caught smuggling in their cargo of over 5000 rare and "critically endangered" animals that wealthy Chinese diners love noshing on despite the legal and environmental ramifications.

3. Ghost Ship Another drifting ship story. This one was a three man yacht found mysteriously with its passengers missing despite the fact that its engines were running, computers were active, and dinner was set on the table ready for eating.

4. Avast If I had to make a guess, I'd say those yachters were probably taken by real life, modern pirates. I suspect, they were killed and probably dumped overboard near whichever one of these pirate activity areas is closest to Australia.

5. You're the One I imagine you've heard this story before since the article is nearly 3 years old, but it is still pretty interesting. It's the story of how oceanographers have used rubber bath toys, which were washed off a cargo ship, to track and study wind patterns and ocean currents. See. I told you you heard it before.