The World’s Most Intriguing Shipwrecks

Popularly described as “a day that will live in infamy”, the infamous attack on a U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 resulted in the deaths of 2,402 people and marked the United States entry into World War Two. Over 300 Japanese planes bombed the area, damaging or destroying eight Navy ships, three cruisers, an anti-aircraft training ship, minelayer, 188 US aircrafts alongside various power stations as well as fuel and torpedo storage facilities. Aside from the thousands who died, 1,282 people were wounded. Today, a memorial stands at the site of the most famous shipwreck – the US Arizona – where visitors can view the wreckage from a glass floor building.

Perhaps the most famous shipwreck of all time, the tragedy of the Titanic reached its centenary last month. Once dubbed the “unsinkable ship”, the Titanic set off on her maiden voyage in April 10, 1912 with 2,227 passengers and crew, only to strike an iceberg and sink into the depths of frigid Atlantic water five days later. Tragically, over 1,500 people died. The actual Titanic wreck was discovered in 1985, 12,500 feet below the surface of the ocean. Fascinated divers have visited the site and photographed the wreckage, and as a result various artifacts including clothes, dolls, jewllery, wallets have been recovered and preserved.

It’s safe to say that upon recovering 500,000 gold and silver coins worth approximately $254 million, the Florida-based company called Odyssey Marine Exploration discovered the most valuable shipwreck in the Atlantic Ocean. After conferring with the Spanish Government, many believe this lost ship is the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, a vessel that British war ships sank in 1804. According to historical accounts, the ship carried with it nearly 4.5 million gold and silver pesos.

The S.S Yongala was a passenger ship that sank off the coast of Queensland, Australia on March 23, 1911. The ocean liner was hit by a cyclone on its voyage, and was soon listed as missing. However, the wreckage wasn’t discovered until years later when it washed ashore and a serial number indicated its formerly unknown identity to authorities. Unfortunately, apart from the body of a racehorse named Moonshine, no other bodies were ever found. Despite it being underwater for 100 years now, Yongala is still very well preserved and many marine-minded tourists use the shipwreck as a diving site.

In 2009, Archeologists discovered shipwrecks of Roman vessels near the coast of Italy. The ships were submerged in the water at depths of around 150 meters. Interestingly enough, most of the cargo that the ships carried—including pottery—remains intact.