Ships

A lithograph of the 1870 Great Mississippi Steamboat Race

When Deadly Steamboat Races Enthralled America

In July 1852, the "Henry Clay" caught fire during a contest on the Hudson River, killing an estimated 80 people

An American submarine sank the Montevideo Maru in 1942, causing Australia's largest loss of life at sea.

Searchers Find WWII Ship That Sank With More Than 1,000 Allied POWs Aboard

Unaware that the "Montevideo Maru" was transporting prisoners, an American submarine torpedoed the Japanese ship in 1942

The C.F. Curtis was one of three ships, all owned by Hines Lumber Company, that sank in 1914.

Two 100-Year-Old Shipwrecks Found in Lake Superior

Both vessels sank during a storm in November 1914—but a third is still missing

The bow of the Vasa displayed at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm

Who Was the Woman Aboard This Famed 17th-Century Swedish Warship?

DNA analysis has revealed that a woman was among the 30 who died when the 'Vasa' sank on its maiden voyage

The analysis focused on 67 manillas from five shipwrecks off the coasts of Spain, Ghana, the United States and England. The largest study of manillas to date, the project aimed to use lead isotope analysis to pinpoint where the bracelets were produced. 

New Research

What Shipwrecks Reveal About the Origins of the Benin Bronzes

A new study traces the metal used to craft the brass sculptures to manilla bracelets produced in Germany and used as currency in the slave trade

Workers removed a statue of enslaver Robert Milligan in 2020. Eventually, the new monument will be located nearby.

New Monument in London Will Honor Victims of Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

After removing a statue of an enslaver in 2020, the city aims to tell a new story

An anchor is still attached on the bow of the sunken schooner barge Ironton, lost in a collision in 1894. 

129-Year-Old Vessel Still Tethered to Lifeboat Found on Floor of Lake Huron

The 'Ironton' has been perfectly preserved since the day it sank in 'Shipwreck Alley'

Members of the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition raise the Australian flag over Heard Island on December 26, 1947.

See Rare Images of Early 20th-Century Antarctic Expeditions

For the first time, hundreds of photos, lantern slides and glass plate negatives are available to the public

Portholes on the wreck of the Titanic

Watch Rare New Footage of the Titanic Wreck

A team of oceanographers filmed the video in 1986 during the first detailed study of the sunken ship

Pottery from the wreck of the Josephine Willis, which has been granted historical protection by the British government

Shipwreck Carrying Rare 19th-Century Ceramics Gets Government Protection

The British emigrant vessel sank with a cargo of Victorian pottery on board

Archaeologists found saffron, as well as peppercorns, almonds, raspberries and other foods.

Cool Finds

Medieval Pantry Stocked With Spices Found in 500-Year-Old Shipwreck

The vessel, called "Gribshunden," sank off the coast of Sweden in 1495

On the morning of August 14, 1932, the Keuka sank under suspicious circumstances, prompting speculation both at the time and in the decades since.

Once a Floating Speakeasy, This Shipwreck Tells a Tale of Bullets and Booze

The "Keuka" sank in 1932, just three years after its grand opening as a dance hall, roller rink and illicit party boat

Archaeologists studied the tree ring growth patterns of 100 timbers.

Cool Finds

Rare 16th-Century Ship Unearthed in England

Quarry workers discovered the vessel 1,000 feet from the nearest coastline

Archaeologists used a remotely operated vehicle called Deep Trekker to explore the H.M.S. Erebus site.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists Recover 275 Artifacts From Mysterious Arctic Shipwreck

Explorer John Franklin and his 128 crew members disappeared while searching for the Northwest Passage in the 1840s

For 25 years, skeptics have been insisting that Jack and Rose could have both survived on their makeshift raft.

Did Jack Really Need to Sacrifice Himself for Rose?

James Cameron commissioned a study to prove that his characters' tragic ending was inevitable

A scuba diver encounters fish swimming around a reef in the Maldives.

The Top Eight Ocean Stories of 2022

The biggest saltwater moments of the year included major discoveries that inspired awe

The five-button work pants recovered from the S.S. Central America

Cool Finds

These Pants Were Pulled From an 1857 Shipwreck. Are They the World's Oldest Jeans?

After more than a century at the bottom of the ocean, the garment fetched $114,000 at auction

Volunteers and archaeologists dug a trench to reveal more about the mysterious wooden structure emerging from the sand.

Cool Finds

Hurricanes Reveal 19th-Century Shipwreck Hidden Beneath Florida Beach

After two recent storms, a mysterious structure began to emerge

An autonomous underwater vehicle surveying Lake Mjøsa has discovered shipwrecks, dumped ammunition and other historic artifacts.

Cool Finds

Archaeologists in Norway May Have Found a 700-Year-Old Shipwreck

The vessel is located 1,350 feet below the surface of Lake Mjøsa

The emerald was on the Atocha, a Spanish vessel that sunk in 1622.

Cool Finds

Rare Emerald Discovered in 300-Year-Old Shipwreck Could Sell for $70,000

Proceeds from the sale will go toward humanitarian efforts in Ukraine

loading icon