In 1931, Australia-born adventurer Sir Hubert Wilkins leased and extensively modified a WW I-era U.S. Navy submarine for his ill-fated attempt to be the first to cross the Arctic Ocean by way of the North Pole. In honor of Jules Verne, Sir Hubert christened his submarine the Nautilus. At the Pole, he planned to drill up and rendezvous with the German airship Graf Zeppelin. His sponsors included American millionaire Lincoln Ellsworth and newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. The Wilkins – Ellsworth Trans Arctic Submarine Expedition was marked by controversy from its inception. Indeed, many considered the enterprise as foolhardy. Suspected sabotage by some of the civilian crew forced the project to be aborted after the Nautilus had reached the Arctic icepack. The submarine was later scuttled in a Norwegian fjord in 347 meters of water. In 2005, Dr. Stewart B. Nelson led The Explorers Club Flag Expedition that used a manned submersible to re-discover and document the historic submarine. He will provide an illustrated lecture that recounts the life of Sir Hubert, the 1931 attempt to cross the Arctic, and the 2005 expedition that found the largely forgotten Nautilus, the world’s first Arctic submarine. Dr. Stewart B. Nelson is an oceanographer, ocean explorer, and former president of the American Oceanic Organization. He holds a doctorate degree from the University of Southern California, as well as numerous awards and honors, including Congressional Fellow, Marine Technology Society Fellow, and National Fellow of The Explorers Club. He is also listed in American Men and Women in Science and Who's Who in Frontier Science and Technology. May 29 - 2:00 pm

Facilities / Services

• No smoking
• Public washroom
• Wheelchair accessible
• Bus tours welcome

Admission

Details: Included with general admission.