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"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all"
--HELEN KELLER
The next New England Chapter of The Explorers Club meeting/presentation will be held on Thursday, January 13th , when we are pleased to welcome underwater explorer and new chapter member, David W. Jourdan, founder of Nauticos, a Cape Porpoise, Maine-based firm providing ocean technology services to government, science and industry.
Jourdan's career has been devoted to the exploration of the deep oceans, concentrating in the areas of remote sensing and underwater navigation. As a U.S. Navy submarine officer and a physicist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, he became an expert in underwater data collection and analysis, which he has applied to numerous scientific, archaeological, and military programs. His activities have encompassed development of oceanographic database systems, development and use of navigation analysis software, and support of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) test programs. Jourdan founded Nauticos in 1986, which has received international recognition for its participation in a number of key discoveries such as the I-52, a World War II Japanese submarine found at a depth of 17,000 feet, and the Dakar, an Israeli submarine lost in the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of 10,000 feet. During the Dakar operation, an ancient shipwreck was discovered dating back to the third century BC, claimed by The Institute of Nautical Archeology at Texas A&M University to be the oldest, deepest shipwreck yet discovered. Nauticos has continued its expansion into ocean exploration and discovery ever since.
In March, Jourdan and his team will return to the site they believe holds Amelia Earhart's downed aircraft. You can read more about David Jourdan, Nauticos, and the Amelia Earhart expeditions at his website http://www.nauticos.com/index.htm.
Joining us for this presentation will be Explorers Club Director Jonathan Conrad, MED 87 of New York, who serves as Vice President of Operations & Programs for the Club. Jonathan will give a brief update on current Club activities and the Lowell Thomas Capital Campaign, established to preserve the New York clubhouse, preceding the presentation. We hope that you will take advantage of this outstanding opportunity to meet Jonathan, share your views on the Club, and lend your support.