Eerie images of the world's stunning shipwrecks
Deborah Cicurel
16 March 2020
Skeletons of the sea
There are few things more fascinating, tragic and eerie than a shipwreck, whether purposefully sunk for scuba-diving exploits or the devastating result of freak weather conditions. Here we take a look at some of the world’s most spectacular shipwrecks, as well as how you can visit them.
SS Maheno, Queensland, Australia
One of the first turbine-driven steamers, the SS Maheno was built in 1905, and took a regular route between Sydney and Auckland. When the First World War broke out, she was converted into a hospital ship in Europe. Years later, in 1935, SS Maheno was heading for a Japanese wrecking yard when a cyclone caused her to meet her untimely end.
SS Maheno, Queensland, Australia
The hull is now the most famous of all the wrecks on Queensland’s Fraser Island and is favored by the many backpackers that travel up and down Australia’s East Coast. Although the wreck is slowly deteriorating due to the island’s salty environment, its mainly intact skeleton is fascinating to visit. Fraser Island can be easily reached on a 50-minute ferry from the Fraser Coast.
Corpach Wreck, Fort Williams, Scotland, United Kingdom
Built in 1975, the fishing vessel trawler MV Dayspring once brought mackerel and herring to the shores of the Scottish Highlands. Last launched in the early 2000s, she had been safely moored for over a decade when she ran aground during a storm on 8 December 2011.
Corpach Wreck, Fort Williams, Scotland, United Kingdom
Today photographers come from around the world to capture what has become known as the Corpach Wreck – it can be pictured with the highest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis, in the background. Now discover 9 more places you must see in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
Sweepstakes, Ontario, Canada
If you’re fascinated by shipwrecks, head to Ontario’s Tobermory. It's home to more than 25 shipwrecks that can be explored on diving or snorkeling tours, or aboard a local glass-bottom boat. The best known is Sweepstakes, a 119-foot (36m) schooner that sank in shallow water in 1885 after hitting a rock.
Sweepstakes, Ontario, Canada
Sweepstakes remained there for a couple of weeks before being towed into the harbor. After the schooner was examined and found to have sustained irreparable damage, she was stripped of all her useful rigging and equipment. Her hull, windlass and part of the original bow rail are all still intact: you can view this piece of history for yourself by driving some four hours from Toronto to Sweepstakes’ final resting place.
Kodiak Queen, British Virgin Islands
The Kodiak Queen is an example of how exciting ships can be when they combine history with the future. One of a small group of ships to survive the attack on Pearl Harbor, the vessel was purposefully sunk in the spring of 2017 in the British Virgin Islands to become a man-made scuba-dive site, marine ecosystem and underwater art installation.
Kodiak Queen, British Virgin Islands
The historic naval ship, along with its art-sculpture dive site, is one of Richard Branson’s latest ventures. The sunken structure not only inspires divers with its eye-catching artworks, but the site is also an artificial reef and marine habitat.
Bessie White, New York, USA
It’s often a storm that causes a ship to meet its end, but, in this case, a hurricane gave an old shipwreck another lease of life. When Hurricane Sandy hit the US in 2012, the storm also unearthed the skeleton of Canadian coal schooner Bessie White, which went aground on Fire Island in the early 20th century.
Bessie White, New York, USA
You can easily visit Bessie White on Fire Island by taking a ferry from Long Island, but how much of the wreck you’ll see will depend on the weather. The whims of the wind, waves and sand determine the extent to which the hull is visible.
Salem Express, Red Sea
One of the most tragic maritime tales of modern times, the Salem Express sank in 1991 in the Red Sea, when strong winds blew the ship into a coral reef, tearing a hole in the hull. The official death toll was given as 470 people.
Salem Express, Red Sea
Exploring the ship is a particularly emotive experience – personal possessions still remain underwater, from suitcases to bicycles. You can dive around this wreck, but you'll need to have the proper level of dive certification due to the depth and the possibility of getting tangled in the wreckage. It's also deemed a controversial dive due to the recent nature of the crash and how well the passengers’ possessions have been preserved.
MV Panagiotis, Zakynthos, Greece
The MV Panagiotis, on the coast of Zakynthos in Greece, is a major tourist attraction, not just for its well-preserved condition, but also for its idyllic location on Navagio Beach, or “Shipwreck Beach”.
MV Panagiotis, Zakynthos, Greece
The ship, which was suspected of being a smuggling vessel, was built in the 1930s and ran aground in the 1980s due to stormy weather. You can easily explore the ship for yourself by taking a boat to the beach, but be warned: the popularity of the site means there will probably be an abundance of other tourists angling to get photos of the rusting hull too. Find out about the world's most historic ships you can still visit.
Hilma Hooker, Bonaire, Caribbean
Just one of over 60 spectacular dive sites in Bonaire, the Hilma Hooker makes for a memorable underwater adventure. The 236-foot (72m) Dutch freighter originally sank in 1975, but was rescued and sold on. There are many tales about what happened to the ship in the end. One is that it was suspected of drug smuggling and found to be carrying a sizeable stash of marijuana behind a false bulkhead.
Hilma Hooker, Bonaire, Caribbean
Eventually, the ship was left unattended. It was reportedly used as evidence in the drug-smuggling case, but since no one was claiming or maintaining the ship at this point, no one was implicated. In 1984, the ship was moved next to a dive site and five days later, began to sink. It’s now part of the Bonaire National Marine Park and is a fantastic wreck to explore.
Mary Rose, Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom
The Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s favorite warship, sank in 1545 during the Battle of the Solent. She served 34 years at sea, seeing several historical moments in her lifetime from transporting troops to northern England for the Battle of Flodden to attacking the French fleet at Brest.
Mary Rose, Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom
The Mary Rose was raised from the seabed in 1982 after years of archaeological work and now lives in the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth. More than 19,000 items were recovered from the wreck site including human remains, guns and clothes. The ship can be viewed close up at the museum, which was redesigned in 2016 to offer visitors an even more immersive experience.
Eduard Bohlen, Namibia
Namibia is one of the most spectacular places in the world to view eerie shipwrecks for yourself. Its Skeleton Coast is home to thousands of shipwrecked vessels scattered along the coastline, having failed to navigate the tempestuous seas and angry winds. One of these is the Eduard Bohlen which is stranded in the middle of the desert, about a quarter of a mile from the shoreline.
Eduard Bohlen, Namibia
A former German cargo ship, the vessel ran aground, probably due to thick fog, while it was on its way to Table Bay. Years later, as the desert encroached on the ocean, the ship found its unusual position in the middle of the sand. You can see it for yourself on a flying safari or a guided 4x4 tour from Lüderitz or Walvis Bay.
Peter Iredale, Oregon, USA
There are plenty of shipwrecks along the Oregon coastline and the morbidly named Graveyard of the Pacific – but perhaps the best known is the Peter Iredale, which can be found in the historic Fort Stevens State Park.
Peter Iredale, Oregon, USA
The ship ran aground more than 100 years ago in 1906 due to heavy winds. Its rusted bow and masts are still intact and visible, poking out of the sand. When the tide is low, you can walk right up to the ship and examine it for yourself.
Pesuta, British Columbia, Canada
The Pesuta began life as a steam ship before it was converted to a log barge in the early 20th century. After a brutal storm in 1928, it was shipwrecked, ending its life on the picturesque Haida Gwaii archipelago in British Columbia, Canada.
Pesuta, British Columbia, Canada
The remains of the Pesuta are a popular tourist attraction, with many people taking a four-hour hike through forests and beaches until they reach the wrecked ship.
MV Captayannis, Helensburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Known in Scotland as the “sugar boat”, the MV Captayannis was a Greek sugar-carrying ship that sank in the River Clyde in 1974 after a wild storm.
MV Captayannis, Helensburgh, Scotland
The brutal storm forced the ship to roll onto her port side and she’s still that way decades later. Plans to blow up the wreckage were discarded due to worries about the site's proximity to a nearby bird sanctuary. The wreck has never been removed and is now a popular spot with tourists, divers and birdlife alike.
SS Francisco Morazan, Michigan, USA
The SS Francisco Morazan was built in the 1920s for German owners but was sold to various governments over the years. She was to take her last journey in November 1960 from Chicago to the Netherlands.
SS Francisco Morazan, Michigan, USA
Strong winds, fog and heavy snow caused the ship to run ashore some 300 feet (91m) off the southwest shore of South Manitou Island, Michigan. The crew abandoned ship soon after and the vessel has been there ever since, now home to various species of bird. You can hike to view the ship for yourself from the shore or take out a kayak to see it close up.
Garðar BA 64, Westfjords, Iceland
Once a fishing vessel, the steel ship Garðar BA 64 was built in the same year that the Titanic tragically sank – in 1912. Originally called Globe IV, the former whaling boat is now more than a century old and is rusting away in the stunning surroundings of the west coast of Iceland.
Garðar BA 64, Westfjords, Iceland
The ship has been out of service since 1981 and instead of being scrapped it was run aground in Skápadalur Valley – here it has remained ever since, drawing photographers keen to capture its beauty.
RMS Titanic, Canada
It’s probably the most famous shipwreck of all time: the RMS Titanic sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg, killing more than 1,500 people. The wreckage of the ship was only found in 1985, when it was also discovered that the Titanic had split apart before sinking to the seabed.
RMS Titanic, Canada
If you have nearly $100,000 (£76k) spare, and you’re keen to see the wreck for yourself, it has been reported that London-based tour operator Blue Marble Private will eventually be running dive trips to the shipwreck – though nothing has come to pass just yet. Sadly, though, the most recent expedition found that the ship's condition is seriously deteriorating, with the famous bathtub of Captain Edward Smith having completely disappeared. Now check out the secrets you never knew about life onboard the Titanic.
SS Point Reyes, California, USA
From elephant seals to a magnificent lighthouse, there's a lot to see at the 70,000-acre Point Reyes National Seashore in northern California. In addition to the 1,500 species of plants and animals, there is also the SS Point Reyes, a fabulously photogenic shipwreck, and one of many along this coast of treacherous rocks.
SS Point Reyes, California, USA
Located in Tomales Bay this is another shipwreck that's beloved by photographers, with the best shots taken during low tide. But its popularity also means it's under threat – in 2016 a fire damaged the rear of the ship and the exterior and interior have been graffitied too.
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