- After Robert Ballard’s discovery of the Titanic in 1985, the quest for maritime wrecks exploded.
- All shipwrecks have some historical significance, and the finds in 2022 were no exception.
- Among the discoveries were the British warship Gloucester that was carrying James Stuart, the future king of England.
As long as there have been ships there have been shipwrecks, and people have endeavored to find them, seeking treasure, artifacts, and historical insight into long-gone worlds.
Shipwrecks discovered
Since oceanography and maritime archeologist Robert Ballard discovered the most famous shipwreck of all – the Titanic – in 1985, the quest for maritime wrecks has exploded. (Here are 29 shipwrecks found since the discovery of the Titanic.)
24/7 Tempo put together a list of notable shipwrecks that were found in 2022, drawing on sources including Live Science, Guinness World Records, Science X, Science Daily, CNN, ABC News, and the New York Post.
Some of the discoveries on the list build on previous finds of a wreck, such as the recovery of a mast. Others are rediscoveries of wrecks that were lost and have reappeared.
Digitized records
Maritime archeologists and explorers have been making more shipwreck discoveries lately for several reasons: Records around the world have been digitized, making them more easily accessible; explorers have better tools for searches, such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and remote operated vehicles (ROVs), allowing them to probe almost any ocean depth and to cover a wider area than had previously been practical; and the effects of climate change have lowered water levels in lakes and rivers, potentially exposing more remains.
For instance, a merchant vessel from the early 19th century that ran aground on Daytona Beach was exposed by the wind and waves of hurricanes Ian and Nicole. A drop in the level of the Mississippi River revealed a ferry boat that sank in 1915.
Shipwrecks’ historical significance
All shipwrecks have some historical significance, and the finds in 2022 were no exception. Among the discoveries were the British warship Gloucester that was carrying James Stuart, the future king of England.
The sidewheel steamship the SS Pacific, which sank in 1875 and taking more than 300 people to their death, was found 23 miles off the Washington coast.
The USS Destroyer Escort Samuel B. Roberts, sunk by the Japanese navy during World War II, was found at a depth of 22,523 feet – the deepest shipwreck ever discovered. (Here, on the other hand, are 20 warships that sank and disappeared without a trace.)
A Mediterranean merchant ship
> Where found: Off Ma’agen Michael on the Israeli coast
> When found: Early 2022
> When sunk: 7th or 8th century
> Cause of sinking: Unknown
A Norwegian ship
> Where found: Lake Mjøsa, Norway
> When found: Fall 2022
> When sunk: Between the 14th and mid-19th century
> Cause of sinking: Unknown (possibly bad weather)
The Swedish warship Äpplet
> Where found: Near the island of Vaxholm
> When found: Winter 2021 and spring 2022
> When sunk: 1659
> Cause of sinking: Scuttled by Swedish officials
The English warship Gloucester
> Where found: Off the coast of Norfolk, England
> When found: June 2022
> When sunk: May 6, 1682
> Cause of sinking: Ran aground
A German cargo ship
> Where found: River Trave, near Lübeck
> When found: July 2022
> When sunk: December 1680
> Cause of sinking: Ran aground
The Spanish merchant ship Santo Cristo de Burgos
> Where found: Sea caves on the northern Oregon coast
> When found: June 2022
> When sunk: 17th century
> Cause of sinking: Possibly disabled by a storm
A merchant vessel
> Where found: Daytona Beach Shores
> When found: November 2022
> When sunk: Early 19th century
> Cause of sinking: Ran aground
An unknown ship
> Where found: Little Talbot Island, Florida
> When found: November 2022
> When sunk: 1800s
> Cause of sinking: Unknown
The steamship SS Pacific
> Where found: South of Cape Flaherty off the Washington coast
> When found: December 2022
> When sunk: November 1875
> Cause of sinking: Collision with the cargo ship Orpheus
The schooner-barge Atlanta
> Where found: Lake Superior, 35 miles off Deer Park, Michigan
> When found: March 2022
> When sunk: 1891
> Cause of sinking: Storm
A colonial boat and a schooner
> Where found: Off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia
> When found: June 2022
> When sunk: 19th century
> Cause of sinking: Unknown
Barge 129
> Where found: Lake Michigan, off Vermilion Point, Michigan
> When found: October 2022
> When sunk: 1902
> Cause of sinking: Snapped towline and collision damage in rough seas
The barquentine Endurance
> Where found: Weddell Sea, Antarctica
> When found: March 2022
> When sunk: 1915
> Cause of sinking: Crushed by ice
The ferry boat SS Brookhill
> Where found: Mississippi River near Baton Rouge
> When found: October 2022
> When sunk: Sept. 29, 1915
The German U-boat SM U-111
> Where found: 40 miles off the coast of Virginia (exact location kept secret)
> When found: July 2022
> When sunk: 1922
> Cause of sinking: Scuttled by the U.S. Navy
The Destroyer Escort USS Samuel B. Roberts
> Where found: Philippine Sea, off the coast of Samar, the Philippines
> When found: June 17-24, 2022
> When sunk: 1944
> Cause of sinking: Japanese naval attack
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Source: 247 Wallst
