Mystery Whaler at French Frigate Shoals Planning field work can be challenging, especially whe n operations involve SCUBA di ving and are b ased from a ship at sea. Th e prudent principal inves tigator wou ld be wise to allow rime for equipment fa ilures , bad weather, and earaches. Dr. Kell y Gleaso n, rhe chi ef scientist for the 2008 Maritime Heritage Expedition, did an admirable job hand-picking her ream , assembling equipment, and planning rhe dives and schedules, hoping to achieve rhe goals of rh e missio n . In addition to rhe whaling shipwrecks the ream documented, rhe ream also mapped, surveyed, and monitored a half dozen ocher sires, including wrecks of commercial and military ships and a WW2 Corsa ir. An efficienr and competent crew aboard the NOAA ship H i'ialakai allowed rh e reams of scientists to focus on their specific tasks without having to worry about vessel operations, navigation, or even meal planning. This yea r, rhe weather could nor have been mo re agreeable, divers were well trained and prepped, and no phys ical ailments caused any setbacks. Aside from the occasional Hooded camera, rhe equipment provided no obstacles to rhe work at hand. As a result, rhe ream had finished its main objectives and srill had two days of diving left at French Frigate Shoals, where th e apex predator scientists (a.k.a. shark taggers) had wo rk to do. Dr. G leason planned a day of rowboardin g, where snorkelers get dragged through rhe water behind the ship's boar, holding onto a board attached to a row-rope. Ir allows the archaeologists to cover a great deal of ground while surveying for new wrecks. The first rowboarding ream started in an area near a marked anchorage ground. In a short rime, archaeologist Jason Raupp located a large anchor, one surprisingly reminiscent of the st raight-armed anchors of the 1822 Hermes sire. Soo n rh e ream discovered three intact rrypots, hundreds of bricks, another anchor, and sa iling rig components scattered about across a rurbulent and shallow section of rhe reef. Another whaler. Only three whalers are known to have been lost at French Frigate Shoals: the 1823 Two Brothers of Nantucket (lost under the command of Captain George Pollard o n his next whaling voyage after having lost the
SEA HISTORY 125, WTNTER 2008-09
Essex in 1822) , the South Seaman in 1859, and the Daniel Wood, o ur of New Bedford, lost in 1867. This unexpected discovery occurred in the fin al days of the ex pedition, so rhe ream did what they could in two days of diving to photograph, measure, and sketch in rhe main features of the sire. Further research back in H awaii and New England will hopefully shed so me light o n the identity of th e vessel. Ana lysis of the material culrure of the sire may enable researchers
New Bedford Whaler Daniel Wood, lost at French Frigate Shoals in 1867 The shipwreck invenrory within rhe Monument's waters is extensive and represents rhe variety of maritime activity transiting rh e northern Pacific since at least as early as the 1822 wrecking of rhe Pearl and rhe H ermes. 1ne sires remain undisturbed by divers, as they are in remote locations, which happen to be in the largest protected area in the U nited States. Co-managed by rhe Stare of Hawaii , NOAA, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, rhe Monument preserves one of the most pristine areas of coral reef in the world. In additio n to environmental conservation , rhe Monument protects and srudies the cultural and maritime heritage sires within its boundaries. Whaling played an important ro le in rhe history and development of the United States. Along the way, the whalem en influenced the histo ry of the places they visited, and the hunters decimated the population of whales across rhe world's oceans. With only one wooden sailing whaleship left in rhe wo rld, rhe shipwrecks of her sisters can provide valuab le information to furrh er our understanding of this industry. .1
Trypot at French Frigate Shoals The 2008 Maritime Heritage Expedition to weed our one or more of the choices if team consisted of NOAA archaeologists Dr. documentation can be fo und about the in- Kelly Gleason, Dr. Hans Vrm Tilburg, Cathy ventory taken ro sea in these specifi c vessels Green, and Tane Casserley. Visiting archaeor if rh e des ign of the anchors, for exam- ologists Jason Raupp ofFlinders University in ple, pinpoints the wreck to a certain time South Australia and Deirdre O'Regan, editor period. of Sea Hi story, rounded out the dive team. The Papaha naumokuakea Marine Visit the web site, http://hawaiireefnoaa.gov, Natio nal Monum ent, NOAA's Maritime for information about the Mo nument. Click Heritage Program and Office of National on "Maritime Heritage Expedition, "for deMarine Sanctuari es are working rogerher to tails on all the shipwrecks, biogs, photos, and continue field work collecting data about video of this year's expedition. For informathese maritime and cultural resources, to tion on NOAA's Office of National Marine pursue historical research to best analyze Sanctuaries, visit http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov. and interpret what they discover, and to H istorical research for this article was condisseminate their findin gs to the public ducted and analyzed by Dr. Hans \hin Ti/through media broadcasts, the expedition burg, the maritime heritage coordinator for web sire, curriculum development, creation NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuof museum exhibi ts, and live presentations. aries' Pacific Islands Region.
19