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According to analysis by UNESCO, over three million shipwrecks are resting on the Earth's ocean floors. Some shipwrecks were lost in the annals of time, while others are miraculously well-preserved, like the HMS Hawke that sank in 1914 and was recently discovered off the Aberdeenshire coast on August 12, 2024. Intact wreckages are like windows into history, providing valuable insights about life during the ship's heyday.
If you'd like to uncover some of the world's most well-preserved shipwrecks, click through now.
Before we uncover the best preserved shipwrecks in history, let's explore some of the most famous wreckages of all time, starting with HMS Titanic.
The HMS Titanic sank on April 14, 1912, after striking an iceberg a few days into her maiden voyage. The wreck was discovered on September 1, 1985. In 2000, 800 artifacts were recovered, including the ship's engine telegraphs, perfume vials, and watertight door gears.
The Spanish Armada was a fleet of about 130 to 150 ships sent by Spain in 1588 with the objective of overthrowing Queen Elizabeth I of England and restoring Catholicism in the country.
The fleet was disrupted by storms, and a large number of the ships were wrecked on the coasts of Scotland and Ireland. In 1985, local divers discovered the wreckage of three fleet vessels. In 2015, several cannons from La Juliana were found in the sands off Streedagh in Co. Sligo.
The RMS Empress of Ireland was a Canadian ocean liner that sank in 1914. While sailing down the Saint Lawrence River, the Empress of Ireland collided with the Norwegian coal freighter SS Storstad in thick fog. The wreck was located in 1964.
The MS Estonia was a cruise ferry that sank on September 28, 1994, during a storm. There were 852 people on board who lost their lives. The vessel has never been fully recovered, though the bow ramp was found in 2023.
The RMS Carpathia is best known for rescuing survivors from the Titanic. However, the ship Carpathia met the same destiny when it was destroyed by a German submarine in 1917, during World War I. The wreck of the vessel was found relatively intact in 1999.
The MV Wilhelm Gustloff was a German military transport ship that was sunk by a Soviet submarine on January 30, 1945. An estimated 9,000 passengers died in the sinking, making it the deadliest maritime disaster in history.
The wreck of the MV Wilhelm Gustloff was discovered relatively intact but badly damaged shortly after its sinking. The site has been designated as a war grave, and diving to the wreck is restricted by international agreements.
The HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were two British Royal Navy ships that set sail in 1845 to find the North-West Passage. The ships became icebound in the Victoria Strait and were unable to break free. The wrecks were discovered in 2014 and 2016, respectively, with the HMS Terror in remarkably well-preserved condition.
The Mary Rose was commissioned by Henry VIII after he ascended to the throne in 1510. She sank in 1545 after sailing from Portsmouth to attack a French fleet under Admiral Claude d’Annebault.
Mary Rose contained over 26,000 artifacts, providing archaeologists with an insight into the life of regular seamen in the 16th century.
Endurance was a three-masted sailing vessel in which Sir Ernest Shackleton and a crew of 27 men sailed for the Antarctic on the 1914–1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
The ship became ice-bound and eventually sank due to the crushing pressure of the ice.
Endurance was rediscovered on March 5, 2022, 3,000 meters (9,842 feet) below sea. The wreck is in an incredible state of preservation due to the environmental conditions. The rediscovery team only 3D scans and films the wreck for research purposes, rather than attempt recovery.
The Burgas was a Greek trading vessel dating from 400 BCE. The original name is lost to history, but this merchant ship is almost identical to that depicted on the Siren Vase in the British Museum and lies intact 1.2 miles (1,931 meters) below the Black Sea.
The Black Sea has an unoxygenated layer that preserves artifacts better than any other marine environment. The vessel was rediscovered in 2018, and it's said that the contents of the hull are still firmly secured within.
The SS Thistlegorm was a British armed Merchant Navy ship built during World War II. On October 5, 1941, while anchored near the Sinai Peninsula in the Red Sea, the SS Thistlegorm was attacked by German bombers.
The wreck of the SS Thistlegorm was found in the early 1950s. It became a popular diving site in the 1990s due to the relatively intact condition and the array of cargo still visible on the ship.
The RMS Lusitania was launched in 1906 and undertook over 200 transatlantic crossings before being torpedoed by a German submarine on May 17, 1915. The incident contributed to the growing tensions between the United States and Germany, which eventually led the U.S. to enter World War I in 1917.
While the RMS Lusitania operated as a civilian passenger liner, it was also carrying military supplies and munitions to Britain. The vessel was discovered in 1980, but the presence of explosives makes any detailed exploration extremely hazardous.
Sutton Hoo is not technically a wreck but a ship burial. In 1939, archaeologists unearthed the 27-meter-long (89-foot) ship, which is thought to date back to the 7th century. The vessel was believed to be a ceremonial burial for a high-status individual, possibly a king or noble.
Although the wood had rotted away, the impression of the ship’s structure was left in the soil, along with the metal rivets, allowing the Sutton Hoo Ship's Company to build a fully sea-tested replica.
The Vasa was built between 1626 and 1628 as the flagship of the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus. Unfortunately, the ship sank to the bottom of Stockholm harbor less than 1,300 meters (about 4,300 feet) from where she had set sail on her maiden voyage.
The Vasa lay at the bottom of Stockholm harbor for over 300 years until it was discovered in the late 1950s. In 1961, the ship was raised from the seabed and was remarkably well-preserved due to the brackish waters of the Baltic Sea, which slowed the decay of the wood.
The HMS Hawke, a 387-foot (118-meter) long and 60-foot (18-meter) wide British warship, was first launched in 1891. In 1911, it was badly damaged in a collision in the Solent with the Titanic's sister ship, RMS Olympic, and in 1914, was struck by a torpedo from a German submarine.
The HMS Hawke was rediscovered on August 12, 2024, and was in remarkable condition despite spending a century on the seabed. Lots of the decking is still in place, and teacups, bowls, and plates are visible through the portholes.
Sources: (Practical Boat Owner) (Marine Insight) (BBC)
Famous shipwrecks preserved on the ocean floor
Intact wreckages from the Spanish Armada to the Titanic
LIFESTYLE History
According to analysis by UNESCO, over three million shipwrecks are resting on the Earth's ocean floors. Some shipwrecks were lost in the annals of time, while others are miraculously well-preserved, like the HMS Hawke that sank in 1914 and was recently discovered off the Aberdeenshire coast on August 12, 2024. Intact wreckages are like windows into history, providing valuable insights about life during the ship's heyday.
If you'd like to uncover some of the world's most well-preserved shipwrecks, click through now.