Headliners: Adventure in 60 Seconds

Text by Tetsuhiko Endo

Norwegian Navy Joins Hunt for Amundsen’s Plane

Quick: Who was the first explorer to reach the South Pole and navigate the Northwest passage?  Roald Amundsen, of course. This whimsically facial haired Norwegian led the first successful expedition to the South Pole from 1910 to 1912 and also reached the North Pole during a lifetime spent tramping around cold places. Like many great explorers, Amundsen’s demise is something of a mystery. While flying toward the North Pole on a mission to rescue shipwrecked aeronoauts, his plane disappeared and was never recovered. Now, a group of researchers, who have teamed up with the Norwegian Navy, think they know where the plane is. The search begins later this year (read the story on CNN.com).  

NASA’s “CO2 Hunter” Crashes off Antarctica

NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO), which was supposed to measure carbon dioxide from space, failed to launch properly and crashed into the ocean near Antarctica. Scientists had hoped that the OCO would allow them to better understand greenhouse emissions and how they are affecting the world’s climate, reports the BBC.com. Professor John Burrows, from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, was quoted as saying: “The U.K. and European science community is a major partner in OCO and the loss of this instrument is a serious setback.”

Whale Wars: Who Are The Good Guys, Again?

After the open ocean collision of a Japanese whaling vessel and the flagship boat of the radical anti-whaling activist group Sea Shepherd, competing videos of the incident have emerged on the Internet. The Japanese video posted by the Institute of Cetacean Research shows the Steve Irwin (as the Sea Shepherds have christened their boat) ramming the apparently benign Yushin Maru No. 3. On the other hand, the video shot from the cabin of the Steve Irwin shows Japanese whalers hurling unidentified projectiles at them before the collision takes place.  

Since Sea Shepherd began its missions to disrupt the Japanese whalers, both sides have alleged foul play including intentional ramming, propeller fouling, acid filled projectiles and what Sea Shepherd vaguely refers to as a “long range acoustic weapon.” Given that neither of these groups has a reputation for being especially trustworthy, ADVENTURE is offering you both videos so that you can decide whose ramming whom and whether or not it is warranted.  Also, be sure to check out this New York Times article to get a better perspective on the ins and outs of the international whaling controversy.

#1 – Japanese Perspective

#2 Sea Shepherd Perspective