š“āā ļø Maybe Those Old Sailors Were Right About Sea Monsters
Ahoy, me heartiesFor centuries, sailors returned home with tales of monsters lurking beneath the waves. Surely they were exaggerating... right? Well, scientists just filmed something two miles beneath the California coastĀ that might make you reconsider. Plus, Thomas Tew sails into his final battle, Henry Every chases one of the richest prizes in pirate history, and we've got a Pirate Day in Wisconsin. Keep a sharp lookout, mates. There are strange things in these waters.Ā š“āā ļøšĀ Welcome to Episode 72 of The Pirate Republic.  šĀ THIS WEEK IN PIRATE HISTORYš“āā ļøĀ September 7, 1695 ā One Pirate Dies. Another Becomes a Legend. A fleet of pirates waited near the mouth of the Red Sea for one of the richest targets imaginable: a 25-ship Mughal convoy returning from the pilgrimage to Mecca. Among the pirate captains were two of the most famous men ever to sail the Pirate Round: Thomas Tew and Henry Every. The convoy slipped past them during the night. The pirates gave chase. Tew's AmityĀ caught and attacked one of the stragglers, believed to be the heavily armed Fateh Muhammed. The gamble ended catastrophically. According to later accounts, Tew was struck by a cannon shot and disemboweled. His stunned crew surrendered. Every kept going. His FancyĀ eventually captured the Fateh MuhammedĀ and then chased down the real prizeāthe enormous Ā Ganj-i-SawaiĀ , carrying pilgrims and extraordinary wealth back toward India. On September 7, Every attacked and captured her. The aftermath was horrificāEvery's crew committed murder, torture and sexual violence against captivesābut the treasure they seized made the raid one of the richest in pirate history. It also created an international crisis between England and the Mughal Empire and helped trigger the enormous manhunt for Every. āĀ Pirate Republic TakeThomas Tew and Henry Every sailed after the same treasure fleet. One died beneath its guns. The other captured one of the richest prizes in pirate history and became the most wanted pirate on Earth. That's a hell of a week in pirate history.  šĀ CREATURES OF THE DEEP Ā Something Strange Just Appeared Two Miles Beneath CaliforniaFor hundreds of years, sailors returned from long voyages with stories about strange creatures lurking beneath the sea. Giant squid. Sea serpents. The Kraken. Most sensible people sitting safely on land dismissed those stories as sailors' tales. Then we invented submarines with cameras. And it turns out the ocean is considerably stranger than the pirates told us. During a recent expedition off Central California, scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)Ā and NOAA were exploring the seafloor near Davidson Seamount when something extraordinary drifted into the lights of their remotely operated vehicle Doc Ricketts. A bigfin squid ā Magnapinna. And it was hovering 10,751 feet beneath the surface. The bizarre squid has enormous fins and extraordinarily long arms and tentacles that bend at distinctive 90-degree āelbows,āĀ with thin, sucker-covered filaments trailing beneath it. The creature filmed off California measured about 4.1 feet longābut bigfin squid have been observed reaching 21 feet in total length, with filaments that may stretch up to 20 times the length of their bodies. šĀ Just How Rare Is It?Very. Only about 70 bigfin squid have ever been observed or collected, and this was the first confirmed live sighting in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean. In fact, in four decades of deep-sea exploration, MBARI has encountered a bigfin squid only twice. Scientists have never collected an adult specimen. They don't even know what it eats. And MagnapinnaĀ holds another remarkable record: one was observed nearly four miles beneath the ocean's surface, making it the deepest-dwelling squid ever recorded. NOAA scientist Andrew DeVogelaere was watching the seafloor when the creature suddenly appeared, its enormous fins moving like what he described as āangel-like āwings.āāĀ He called the encounter a reminder of how much remains undiscovered in the depths. Imagine being aboard a wooden sailing ship 300 years ago. No sonar. No submarines. No underwater cameras. Then something with impossibly long arms rises from the darkness beneath your ship. You return to port and tell everyone what you saw. They call it a sea monster. Three centuries later, scientists send a robot two miles down and discover creatures like this. Maybe we owe those old sailors an apology. Watch the remarkable bigfin squid footage at MBARI  š“āā ļøĀ PIRATE EVENT OF THE WEEK Old Falls Renaissance Faire ā Pirate DaySunday, September 13, 202610 AMā4 PM Old Falls Village Park ā Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin Break out the tricorns! The Old Falls Renaissance Faire turns pirate on Sunday with its āArrr Mateeās Day of Adventure!ā Pirates can hunt for treasure, hear sea shanties and catch live entertainment throughout the historic village. The lineup includes Paddygrass performing Celtic music and sea shanties, the Shanty Shipwreck Show, jousting, sword fighting, archery, combat demonstrations, vendors, food and the Old Falls Biergarten. Pirate costumes are encouragedāand any weapons must be peace-tied. The full Renaissance Faire runs September 12ā13, but Sunday the 13th is the official Pirate Day. Old Falls Renaissance Faire ā Pirate Day details & tickets  š°š“āā ļøĀ PIRATE BOOTY OF THE WEEKWant Your Own Squid?After seeing that incredible Bigfin Squid lurking two miles beneath the Pacific, naturally I decided I wanted me own. Unfortunately, the research crew wouldn't sell me theirs. Something about āscience,ā ārare species,ā and āwe didn't actually capture it.āĀ Details. So I went searching and found the next best thing: a real preserved taxidermy squid specimenĀ you can display among your own collection of nautical curiosities. It may not have 20-foot tentacles or emerge mysteriously from the abyss... but it's considerably less likely to drag me ship to the bottom.   Ā   ā ļøĀ Captainās LogOne pirate found fortune. Another found a cannonball. And two miles beneath California, something with impossibly long arms is still drifting through the darkness. Maybe the sea stories weren't so crazy after all. Until next week, keep your powder dry, your treasure close, and if something with 20-foot tentacles appears beside the ship... let someone else lean over the rail for a closer look. Until next tide, me heartiesā Captain BlackquillĀ āš“āā ļø "For the sea keeps no legends... only those bold enough to become them." Ā Ā š£ļøĀ SHARE THE SPOILS, MATEYKnow a landlubber whoād savor tales of treasure, ghost ships, and true pirate history? Donāt hoard the gold ā recruit āem to the crew. šĀ Join The Pirate Republic hereĀ āhttps://www.thepiraterepublic.com/weeklynewsletter-thepiraterepublic New voyages, bold stories, and rich plunder await those who sail with us. Ā Ā āĀ SAIL WITH US ACROSS THE DIGITAL SEASšĀ TikTok: @thepiraterepublicā¶ļøĀ YouTube:Ā The Pirate Republic Ā Ā šļøĀ THANKS FOR SAILING WITH THE CREWWe set sail every Friday, storm or shine ā delivering pirate history, legends, and lore from across the seas. Keep yer spyglass trained on the horizon, rest when the winds allow, and may your course be steady, your hold full, and your tales worth telling. If ye stumble upon treasure, tall tales, or pirate lore worth sharing, send word to:š§Ā captainblackquill@gmail.com Ā Ā Disclosure:Ā Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links, which means we may earn a few extra doubloons if you make a purchase ā at no extra cost to you. Thanks for keeping The Pirate RepublicĀ afloat, ya savvy sea dog. š“āā ļø |
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