Shipwrecks have always seemed to captivate the human imagination, bringing forth a sense of mystery and adventure. They have been the subject of stories, poems, songs and paintings and still we want more, captivated by the tales of heroism, survival and, ultimately, tragedy. Here are 10 of the, sadly, many, many shipwrecks that have been discovered.
1 – The MS Estonia
The cruise ferry MS Estonia was travelling from Tallinn to Stockholm on 28th September 1994 when she sank, tragically killing over 800 people, most of whom were never recovered. It’s believed that the rough weather was the reason for its sinking, although there were rumours of bombs being planted due to the ship’s military involvement. The wreck is now considered a sea grave and exploration is prohibited.
2 – The RMS Carpathia
The British passenger line, the RMS Carpathia, is known for helping to rescue survivors from the world’s most famous ship, The Titanic. Sadly, the Carpathia was to meet the same fate as The Titanic in 1918 when she was attacked by a German U-boat; she sank along with 5 crew members. The wreck was discovered in 1999.
3 – The HMHS Britannic.
The HMHS Britannic was the younger sister of the RMS Olympic and the RMS Titanic. The ship was built to be a passenger liner but was used as a hospital ship from 1915. On 21st November 1916, she was shaken by a naval mine belonging to the German Navy. Unable to withstand the damage caused within an hour she sank, killing 30 people. The shipwreck was discovered in 1975 and it is the world’s biggest, and most well preserved, passenger liner.
4 – The RMS Empress of Ireland
On 29th May 1914, the ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland collided with the SS Storstad due to a terrible fog. She had been travelling from Quebec to Liverpool, carrying 1057 passengers and 420 crew members; 1012 died.
5 – The RMS Rhone
The RMS Rhone was a UK Royal Mail Ship and was lost in a hurricane in 1867, killing 123 people. She sank off the coast of the British Virgin Islands and is now considered one of the best diving destinations in the Caribbean.
6 – The HMS Victory
The HMS Victory was launched in 1737 as a gunship but sank in the English Channel in 1744, killing over 1000 people. It took until 2008 before she was rediscovered.
7 – The Queen Anne’s Revenge
The Queen Anne’s Revenge was previously a French slave carrier but had been taken over by the pirate, Blackbeard. She had been used to taking the dubious crew around the seas, attacking other ships and stealing anything of worth. In 1718 she ran aground, and they left her to sink. She was rediscovered in 1996.
8 – The Spanish Armada
The Spanish Armada was a fleet of 130 ships. In 1588, on their way to invade England, storms hit and many of the ships were sunk, taking 5000 lives with them. In 1985 3 the fleet, including La Lavia, La Santa Maria de Vision and La Juliana, was discovered.
9 – The Mary Rose
The Mary Rose belonged to King Henry VIII’s navy and was sunk in 1545, killing 100s of people. The shipwreck was salvaged in 1982 by the Mary Rose Trust and you can see the artefacts in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
10 – The Antikythera
Discovered in 1900, the Antikythera wreck was a Roman ship that had sunk between 70 and 60 BCE. Since being discovered she has given up some excellent treasures, including something called the Antikythera Mechanism believed to be the world’s first analogue computer. Many items are now on show at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.
Shipwrecks have provided us with invaluable information, history preserved, allowing us an insight into the period and its practices. And it also reminds us of the fragility of human life, especially in the face of Mother Nature. As always, thanks for reading, please take care of yourselves and I will see you next time.
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