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| “ | Ancient Mariner, Ancient Mariner! | ” |
The Ancient Mariner was a large boat owned by Nigel Marven. It served as Nigel and his crew's headquarters and a way of navigating the seven deadliest seas.
It was the main setting in Sea Monsters.
Facilities[]
The deck of The Ancient Mariner was home to most of the crew's equipment and the apparatus used to power the boat, including the mast. According to Nigel, the boat is 80 feet long, which makes it longer than a Basilosaurus. On the side of the boat was a large metal platform which was used by Nigel to dive and to help him attach a camera to a Megalodon's dorsal fin.
Also on the deck was a large crane. This mainly served the purpose of holding bait above the water's surface as well as to hold the shark cage which was also stored within the deck.
Inside the cabin was a long sofa with a wooden table, used by Nigel to help him read the time map. Behind the sofa were all of the crew's methods of communication as well as a Sony television. This television was used to watch recorded footage of sea creatures. There was also a selection of maps within the cabin, including one of the Siberian land bridge and those of the seven periods Nigel was visiting.
History[]
Major events in Sea Monsters[]
Dangerous Seas[]
The Ancient Mariner first appears in the introduction as Nigel prepares to take his long journey to the prehistoric times. Nigel looks back at the sea and clouds from the deck of the boat and then looks at the time map in the cabin.
The Ancient Mariner does not appear during the trip to the Ordovician, where Nigel uses only a speedboat. Since the Sixth Most Deadly Sea, Nigel and his crew have been using The Ancient Mariner and its equipment. Before diving in the Triassic sea, Nigel took only an electric prod, but in the Devonian sea he needed a cage, which was lowered into the water from a boat.
Into the Jaws of Death[]
While diving to see the Basilosaurus in the Eocene, Nigel stayed close to the bottom of the boat. The observation of the predator ended with the whale grabbing and tearing off the speaker lowered into the water, from where the sounds of its relatives were heard.
During his visit to the Pliocene, Nigel and the crew managed to attract an adult Megalodon to The Ancient Mariner via a large bag of chum. Whilst Nigel was trying to pin a camera to the shark's dorsal fin, the creature attacked the boat whilst trying to get to the chum.
When Nigel resorted to trying to accomplish his goal on the metal platform, he was subsequently knocked into the water by the Megalodon.
To Hell... and Back?[]
In the Cretaceous, the corpse of an Archelon floating on the surface of the sea collided with the boat, waking up the entire crew.
When a pod of Tylosaurus swam near Nigel, one of them hit the bottom of the boat with its head. Later, whilst Nigel and the crew were sleeping, even larger group of Tylosaurus attacked The Ancient Mariner, leaving the fate of the crew unknown.
Stored technology[]
- Time map
- Motorboat
- Shark cage
- Scuba gear
- Electric prod
- Binoculars
- Fishing rod
- Speaker
- Shark camera
- Spotlight
- Periscope
- Acoustic tracking device
- SeaROV
Creatures[]
While on The Ancient Mariner, Nigel was fishing in the Devonian sea and brought aboard a Bothriolepis, which he intended to use as bait for a Dunkleosteus.
During his visit to the Cretaceous, Nigel adopted a Pteranodon who lived on the deck of The Ancient Mariner with him. It is unknown if the pterosaur was kept or if it flew off after the Tylosaurus attack.