At the forefront of scientific breakthroughs​.

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The current Blue Monkey represents only the latest member of a long and storied family tree. The first ship commissioned under the name HMS Blue Monkey sailed with the fleet of scientific vessels that bore Charles Darwin and his comrades to the Galapagos Islands in the 1830's.  Darwin split time between HMS Blue Monkey and HMS Beagle during the famous trip, once remarking that "... while The Beagle offered more comfort and luxury, there is no ocean-going vessel that can compare to HMS Blue Monkey when one is in need of a proper research ship."

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The Proud History of The Blue Monkey

From sails to steam - the quest for knowledge continues.​

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In 1938, the first steam-powered HMS Blue Monkey was christened at the legendary shipyards of Liverpool. Originally designed for shallow water exploration, the ship was comandeered by the British Navy in 1940 and temporarily converted into a WWII minesweeper. At the end of the war, HMS Blue Monkey was re-outfitted with the latest scientific equipment and presented to the United States as a gift for their support of England during the war. The HMS Blue Monkey was renamed the USS Blue Monkey and began an elustrious career as a research vessel for the American Aquatic Association.

A long history of exploration and service.

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The second version of HMS Blue Monkey was an arctic-going sail-powered vessel launched in 1911. She was used by Ernest Shackleton as a scout ship two years before his famous charge for the South Pole. Many historians believe that Shackleton would have indeed succeeded in his bid to claim the pole for England had he not traded-in HMS Blue Monkey for the larger (but ill-designed) HMS Endurance.

New frontiers and new challenges.

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The Blue Monkey that we know today was built in a New York shipyard and designed to be a completely self-contained, mobile research facility. She is able to support a crew of roughly 20 and can handle any body of water - from the smallest jungle rivers to the world's roughest oceans. The Blue Monkey is now under the private command of Captain Connor. The Blue Monkey and her crew undertake commissions for various institutes of higher learning and museums and are always on the lookout for interesting adventures. Whether scouring the seven seas for creatures of legend or navigating inland waterways in search of lost civilizations, The Blue Monkey stands ready for her next challenge.