Chinstrap Penguin
By Richard J. King One day in 2002, a swimmer was making her way across Neko Bay in Antarctica when she was surrounded by chinstrap penguins. Taking a swim in…
Read MoreBeware the Kraken!
Thousands of sailors went to sea in the Age of Sail; many never returned. Lost without a trace, their loved ones ashore were left wondering what happened to them. We…
Read MoreMarine Weather Forecasting
Listening to the weather report to plan your weekend or to decide what clothes you might wear is something most Americans do every day. Today, people can use apps on…
Read MoreI Speak Whale
I Speak Whale There is one thing about stories written for adults that is almost always different from stories that younger people enjoy: the animals NEVER talk. It’s a shame…
Read MoreAtlantic Gray Whale
A gray whale sticks its head out of the water to take a look around, a behavior called “spy-hopping.” by Richard J. King “Rare Gray Whale Spotted in Atlantic—First…
Read MoreSenior Program Manager
Visiting the Philly Shipyard in 2023 to check on the progress of the first NSMV, the Empire State before it headed to its new home at SUNY Maritime College in…
Read MoreNorthern Elephant Seal
By Richard J. King Charles Scammon, a rare combination of naturalist, artist, ship captain, and commercial hunter, was born in Maine in 1825. As a young man, he sailed to…
Read MoreNavigating the Gulf Stream
A River in the Ocean Last summer, beachcombers in Rhode Island came across coconuts washed up on the beach, still in their husks after having floated more than 1,000 miles…
Read MorePilot Whale
By Richard J. King By late afternoon on his first day out of Boston Harbor, Bill Pinkney was already out of sight of land. Aboard his 47-foot sailboat, Commitment, Pinkney…
Read MoreBorn to Sail
In the Age of Sail, ships that traveled the world’s oceans kept their captains and crews away from their families for long periods of time. Whaling ships, in particular, might…
Read MoreFreelance Photographer
Daniel Forster is a freelance photographer who specializes in marine and sailing photography. As a freelancer, he is self-employed and often supplements his marine photography with work as an architecture,…
Read MoreMarine Traffic Controller
Susan McDonald is a Marine Traffic Controller with the Army Corps of Engineers, stationed along the Cape Cod Canal in Massachusetts. She works to ensure the safety of ships and…
Read More50th Anniversary National History Day
Welcome to the 2023–24 school year! This year, the National History Day competition is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and now is your chance to get involved. Vikings in Arkansas? In…
Read MoreBooby
By Richard J. King Last June, the sailing school vessel Robert C. Seamans got underway from Honolulu, bound for Fiji in the South Pacific. The ship’s crew comprised college students,…
Read MoreAuthor – Illustrator (and part-time college professor)
When Rich King was growing up outside Philadelphia, he thought he might become a political cartoonist. He always loved to draw cartoons and write, and he has both artists and…
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