United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

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Lost at Sea

UNESCO estimates that over 3 million undiscovered shipwrecks are spread around the world's oceans. From the small fraction of shipwrecks we have found, under 10% have been explored. While an estimated $60B in treasures is supposedly awaiting us at the bottom of the sea, cost- and labor-intensive efforts stand in the way of extensive exploration.   > Exploring shipwrecks is difficult because diving and conducting surveys are expensive and labor-intensive. (More) > Explore a database of more than 220,000 shipwrecks, the largest compilation to date. (More)   Colder, darker, low-oxygen waters can preserve materials for centuries, allowing wrecks to serve as time capsules and offer a look into the engineering, economies, and personalities of the period in which they crashed. Famous losses include the Titanic in 1912, the Mary Rose in 1545, and Endurance in 1915—with each ship's artifacts leaving behind lessons about the technology and ambition of their eras.   > One in five 16th-century Spanish ships sank while crossing the Pacific, and the reasons that happened remain a mystery. (More, w/audio) > The Dokos shipwreck, the oldest discovered to date, is more than 4,000 years old. (More, w/video) > The 1975 sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald remains in popular memory, in part thanks to a folk song written about the tragedy. (More)   Advances in technology, including sonar, satellite imaging, autonomous underwater vehicles, and more, have helped increase the frequency of new shipwreck discoveries. Once a shipwreck is discovered, debates arise about who gets to claim a wreck's contents, how to respect those who passed, and how to consider the environment surrounding the vessel.   > Since the 2010s, shipwrecks have increasingly been discovered thanks to digitized records and advances in underwater remote-sensing technology. (More) > Explore fascinating artifacts found in different shipwrecks, including centuries-old alcohol, love letters, and a Titanic musician's violin. (More, w/photos)   Discover more:  > Read an eyewitness account of the sinking of the Titanic. (More) > Explore an interactive map of WWII shipwrecks. (More) > In the 1980s, a shipping container carrying plastic Garfield telephones fell into the sea off France's coast, inspiring a tradition of locals hunting for parts. (More, w/video)