Hey, here’s a fun fact to tell your family around the dinner table: there are about 3
million shipwrecks in oceans all over the world!
Ok, don’t lead with that one…
But hey, not only that, certain airlines show their location on the in-flight map!
Now that seems a little odd, so why would they do it?
Well, for starters…
- It keeps boredom at bay.
If you’ve ever flown trans-Atlantic (or -Pacific!), you know that feeling.
You’re 5 hours in, you’ve already watched as many movies as you can stand, can’t sleep,
and bored out of your mind.
You try to fight the urge (because you know it only makes the time go that much slower),
but you cave in and decide to check the flight map.
Nothing but endless ocean on the screen…
If you can look at some famous shipwrecks, then at least it’s something!
And while you’re entertaining yourself, remember that…
- It’s also educational.
In other words, this stuff is part of history.
I mean, look at the Titanic.
It’s probably the most well-known shipwreck of all time.
People are STILL finding new evidence and theories about what sank the Titan of the
Sea over a century ago.
As it turns out, the Titanic isn’t alone out there since nearly a quarter of all sunken
shipwrecks are in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Besides the locations and names of these ships, the year they sank is also included.
The Titanic went down in 1912, a fact that will easily be ingrained in your mind if you
look at it on a screen long enough!
- Simply because we have the tech to do it!
While some passengers reportedly felt uneasy seeing the location of different wrecked vessels,
rather than focus on the bad, it might be helpful to give thanks for modern technology.
We no longer have to sail the high seas for months at a time to cross the ocean.
We can quickly check the progress of our flights using a touchscreen and get a history lesson
all at once!
- It’s important.
First of all, we should always remember these events because they affected so many lives
and likely changed the course of history!
Did you know that US steel tycoon J.P. Morgan was supposed to be on the Titanic?
Him, along with famous chocolatier Milton Hershey, radio communication inventor Guglielmo
Marconi – they’re just some of the big game changers we could’ve lost!
Plus, some ships not only have historical value but ecological importance too!
If a vessel is under the water long enough to turn into a reef, the area can become rich
with biodiversity, thus warranting protection.
- It’s just the start.
If you’re a frequent international flyer, then you might be thinking, “I’ve stared
at plenty of in-flight maps, and I’ve never seen any shipwrecks on there!”
Yes, this practice is becoming less and less common, probably because, despite the reasons
I’ve given, passengers just don’t want to be reminded of travel disasters – even
centuries-old maritime ones! – because, well, obviously.
Well, for what it’s worth, they are moving away from shipwrecks and planning to include
more natural sights to check out!
Underwater volcanos, trenches, tectonic plates – I only see endless educational possibilities!
On that note, let’s take a look at some famous (and valuable!) shipwrecks you might
have a chance to peek at from 35,000 feet up!
- The Belitung Shipwreck Belitung Island lies in Indonesia, and a fisherman
happened to stumble upon this gold mine!
Crystals, sapphires, and rubies – the typical treasures that would make anyone’s eyeballs
turn into dollar signs.
Not only that, this ship went down in history for carrying the most massive gold cup ever
discovered.
The total value: $80 million!
- SS Central America This vessel was also known as the “Ship
of Gold” and rightfully so – it carried 15 tons of the stuff!
It sank near the coast of the Carolinas because of a hurricane in 1857, but it wasn’t found
until 1988.
All the recovered gold was valued between $100-150 million.
And get this: 92% was given to the team that discovered it!
Congrats to Ohio’s Columbus-America Discovery Group, and you think you guys can spot me
a few bucks?
- The Antikythera Treasures The first-ever sunken ship expedition on record
was found by Greek divers in 1900.
It was filled with glass, pottery, and statues.
But the most significant discovery was made in 1976 when they realized the ship also carried
the world’s first analog computer!
Scientists are still scratching their heads over the Antikythera machine!
Its value rounds out to somewhere between $120-160 million.
- The Titanic Many of the passengers on board the Titanic
were incredibly wealthy people.
The collection of gold, silver, diamonds, and pricey artifacts it carried surpass the
$300-million mark.
So, what happens with these items when they’re found?
Many of them are on display in museums all over the world, but others have been auctioned
to private buyers.
The most recent auctions took place in 2012 and 2015, bringing in $189 million.
But it's still not at the top of this list!
- The Whydah Gally With a value coming in at a whopping $400
million, this ship was actually captured by a pirate!
Does the name Black Sam Bellamy ring a bell?
(Refresher: he was one of the richest pirates that ever lived!)
It sank in 1717 but wasn’t discovered until 1984.
Precious artifacts are still being recovered, and they include jewelry, cannons, and coins.
- Nuestra Señora de Atocha The Atocha went down off the coast of the
Florida Keys in 1622.
When she was discovered in 1985, she had tons of Muzo emeralds (the best in the world),
jewels, silver, and gold.
Her weight didn’t help her sailing cause.
It reportedly took a couple of months to load everything onto the ship before departure.
75% of the documented $450 million value was awarded to the person who found it!
- The Salcombe Shipwreck One of the most recent discoveries happened
in 2010, and the total value is still being assessed.
Believed to have sunk between 890-1120 CE, the ship’s historical importance far outweighs
its jewels.
The Salcombe is proof that trade occurred between Britain and Europe during this time.
- The Uluburun Shipwreck And now one of the oldest shipwrecks, this
one occurred off the southwestern coast of Turkey around the 14th century BCE, but it
was discovered in 1982.
Divers found a variety of riches, including jewels, silver, gold, and other trade items.
These were all extracted over 10 years, and the goods equaled 17 tons in weight!
The value?
Well, again, what it means for the preservation and better understanding of history is priceless!
Ok, I could go on forever, so I’ll let you finish the list down in the comments: do you
know of any other famous shipwrecks?
Tell me all about them!
We still wouldn’t be able to touch all the shipwrecks out there because only 1% of them
have been explored!
Why is that?
Well, for one, there’s a lack of time and resources to explore most of them.
And that’s a real problem since the longer ships remain underwater, the more likely they
are to deteriorate.
NOAA (or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has checked out only 10% of
the shipwrecks within the perimeter of their 14 National Marine Sanctuaries.
They’re located all along the coasts of the continental United States, Hawaii, and
American Samoa.
These particular spots are preserved, and when they find ships, the group assesses how
they can affect the surrounding area’s ecology.
And here’s an interesting tidbit: most shipwrecks are located near coasts at the openings of
ports and harbors.
It’s kind of like the statistic that “most accidents happen within a mile of your home.”
Perhaps people act more carelessly when they’re approaching a safe harbor.
Well, that and the weather can get nasty near the coast!
There’s roughly $60 billion worth of sunken treasure all over the world.
Excavating these sites brings in a ton of historical value too.
Still, about 90% of the seafloor is mostly unexplored.
That’s why the Ocean Discovery XPrize, formerly a space exploration organization, is offering
$7 million to groups that will build autonomous underwater vehicles and make maps of the ocean
floor.
Hmm, looks like you and me have some deep-sea treasure hunting to do, Bright Sider!
What do you say, you in?
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