Ghost ship series: The birth of the legend
The past several hundred years of marine history have been marked with countless shipwrecks and sea tragedies. Most have sunk into oblivion with an exception of several famous ones still remembered for political reasons, historical significance, or because of a large scope of a calamity. Some of the shipwreck sites have turned into spectacular diving spots. I’m including several mini stories about the world’s most known wrecks that will rest assured jog your memory and, perhaps, inspire you to looking more closely into the subject.
HMS Sussex
The British warship HMS Sussex with over 500 crewmen went under water in the Mediterranean Sea off Gibraltar in 1694. It is considered the richest shipwreck in history – the vessel carried on board an equivalent of over a billion dollars in gold coins. The 300-year-old HMS Sussex was only recently located by Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. at the depth of over 2,000 feet on the seabed near the Rock of Gibraltar. The question is whether the cargo can be raised to the surface. So close yet so far!
RMS Rhone
The 310' British steamer RMS Rhone perished in the Caribbean off British Virgin Islands in an 1867 hurricane. The boiler explosion caused the ship to fall into two pieces with her stern resting now in shallow waters on a sloping edge and her bow at 80’’. The Rhone, still in good condition, is located in a famous resort area which makes her an excellent diving attraction.
Whydah
The British flagship Whydah, originally built as a slave ship, was taken aboard by the pirates captained by Black Sam Bellamy in the Caribbean in 1717. Bellamy's small fleet was northbound toward New England, plundering ships along its way. On April 26, 1717, the Whydah was caught up in a fierce gale off Cape Cod, hit a shoal, and was ripped apart. Rumour has it, the Whydah’s holds were full to bursting point with loot of gold and silver.
Central America
The side-wheel steamer Central America submerged off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina in 1857. She had over 500 passengers and an enormous cargo of gold coins and gold bullions on board. In 1987, a group of American treasure hunters were lucky to locate the wreck in pursuit of salvaging the treasures.
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Software media: Adobe Photoshop ®, Adobe Illustrator ®, Autodesk 3ds Max ®, Planetside Terragen ®, Photo Stock, Paint Shop Pro Photo ®,
George Grie, January 2008
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Ghost ship series: The birth of the legend