Shipwrecks
by R J Evans on 31/05/09 at 1:40 am
We normally associate shipwrecks with the bottom of the sea but many ships end up on or near beaches. Here is a selection of amazing pictures of shipwrecks from around the world.
This is what happens when you use a single anchor to ride out a storm and the chain of the anchor is too short. The ship, the New Carissa, dragged its anchor and the crew failed to notice that the ship was moving. Once they did detect movement it was too late to properly raise the anchor and move away from the shoreline. The anchor was raised but by this point it was too late for the ship to be saved. Since February 1999 it has been a permanent feature on the coastline of Oregon. Only the stern section is still on the beach, however. The bow section was towed out and sunk at sea.
Image via Wikipedia
There was an effort to burn the fuel on board to avoid a slick and the associated disaster it would cause should it hit the land. Unfortunately, there was a lot of spillage of fuel and a significant amount of ecological damage was caused to the coastline. The solitary seal on the beach is probably thinking of a word beginning in s and ending in t, with, no doubt, one or two exclamation marks at the end for good measure.
A rusting hulk lies tentatively but boldly upright on the stone beach of the Aran Islands. This place is not to be confused with the Isles of Arran, which is not the home of the famous knitwear. This is this place. Perhaps the sailors on board were looking for a few new pullovers and got stitched up instead. It is hoped that they were all OK. Many of the inhabitants of the island are dependent on fishing as their main source of income.
This looks surreal. It is the wreck of a Second World War tanker, called the Liberty Ship and its final resting place is the northeast coast of Lanai. It literally crashed in to the island and has slowly been moldering away ever since just fifteen hundred feet from the shore. Not many people get to see this because to get to the beach needs either a sturdy four wheel drive or a two mile hike. This being America, most people get there using the vehicular option.
Cape Verde has had many shipwrecks in its history and although this is a recent one it is still a poignant reminder of our mortality. If you are more interested in what is found in shipwrecks rather than the wrecks themselves then you could do worse than visit the capital of Praia. It is host to a marine archaeology museum which documents the variety of wrecks that have happened around the island since the fifteenth century.
One thing that any sailor will tell you is that coastlines that have a barrier reef are among the most dangerous in the world. Many a wary sailor has gone down to Davy Jones’ locker when his ship has strayed too close to the shoreline and on to the reef. One such barrier reef is off the coast of Belize and it is home to a staggering amount of wrecks. This one is situated near Half Moon Cave. If you look closely you can see people wading towards the bow of the ship, giving you an idea just how shallow the water is.
Cyclone Uma had many victims and this ship was one of them. It ran aground when the cyclone hit the islands of Vanuatu in the nineteen eighties. Since then it has remained on the reef – eventually becoming a popular tourist attraction. The Republic of Vanuatu is in the South Pacific Ocean consisting of eighty two islands (and counting). Sixty five of them are inhabited. It is used as a tax haven by many rich Australians, even thought the Australian government is leaning on Vanuatu to be more transparent in their financial dealings.
There are two large wrecks near Komandoo in the Maldives and this is one of them. This was not the result of any accident, however. It was what is commonly known as an insurance job. Whether or not those who wished to cash in the ship for money actually received the insurance is unsure, but the wrecking of the ship had one positive upside. Nature always gets in quickly and an ecosystem has emerged around the two ships which attracts divers and as such money to the local community. Out of every evil some good must come.
The Bettina, which arrived at this unfortunate position in 1994. The first reaction when seeing this site is an ‘ouch’ and if the ship had had receptors there is no doubt it would have felt a lot of pain. When it ran aground on the shores of Stroma in the Orkney Islands of Scotland all of the crew (six men) was saved. Tugboats – not necessarily called Willy – attempted to take her back out to sea but it was not to be. The waves and the wedge did for Bettina. In fact there are the remains of over sixty vessels on and around this single island. The Scottish hope at some stage in the future to be able to harness the awesome power of the waves to create energy for the area.
One of the most famous beach in Greece, Navagio takes it decidedly unhellenic name from the shipwreck that lies upon it. It seems in the very early nineteen eighties the ship was in a desperate rush to escape some Greek Navy ships that were dogging it. The words smuggling and cigarettes are bandied about as to the reasons for this need to flee. However, the ship ran in to some stormy weather, was abandoned by its amateur crew and landed up where it is today. It, like many other wrecks, has become a popular tourist destination but it is only accessible by boat, ironically.
Our final ship is the stuff of legend. The story goes that this ship, derelict on the shores of Roatán in the Honduras was full of contraband when it went aground. Many believe that it had involvement in the Nicaraguan Revolution of the nineteen seventies. Slightly more believable is that it was an innocent carrier of timber which was offloaded in an attempt to try and save the ship. The amount of wooden buildings from that period that dot the shoreline give us a vague hint at what may be the real truth.
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65 Comments
DA Cournean
May 31st, 2009
Great article on shipwrecks!
Mr Ghaz
May 31st, 2009
Excellent!!..very interesting article and well written piece..nice pics too..thanks for sharing this great work..I liked it
Francois Hagnere
May 31st, 2009
Impressive pictures and an interesting read. Thank you my friend.
Deep Blue
May 31st, 2009
Nice pictures. A tragic end to a technological marvel which used to carry people to cross rough seas.Thanks for sharing.
Unofre Pili
May 31st, 2009
Wow! Nice article.
Glynis Smy
May 31st, 2009
Interesting article,we have a well known one in Cyprus, I have sent it too you to read.
thestickman
May 31st, 2009
Very informative.
pardeb20
May 31st, 2009
this is a awsome article. I loved it.
Lauren Axelrod
May 31st, 2009
It’s really amazing to see these vessels up close. There’s so much history here.sd4
s hayes
May 31st, 2009
Interesting stuff x
fishfry aka Elizabeth Figueroa
May 31st, 2009
Sure found the photos and information very interesting.
The photos were clear, making it all the more awesome to look at, and read about.
chris73
May 31st, 2009
Very informative. I have a pic from the one in Greece if you want : http://www.picable.com/Transportation/Ships/Shipwreck.630891
Joe Dorish
May 31st, 2009
Shipwrecks are a fascinating subject, so much history and stories behind them.
OhSugar
May 31st, 2009
Excellent article with great pictures to support it. I really thought about your first sentence in a different way. As I looked at the shipwreck and read your words about what happens when you use a single anchor to ride out a storm. I thought about leaning on all the promises,anchors, of God as we go through storms of life. Great,great piece.
Klokan
May 31st, 2009
The most interesting one I have come across is the shipwreck Maheno which coasted and crashed into Fraser Island in Australia. The ship had its propellers removed as they were bronze and were sold off. When the ship was being towed it broke away and has been on the island ever since.
Look at http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitnovacek/3031827658/
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitnovacek/2337289680/
Klokan
Juancav
May 31st, 2009
Excellent post,ships look sad,infact.
Mnofdichotomy
Jun 1st, 2009
they’re almost more haunting OUT of the water.
richard wing
Jun 1st, 2009
The last 3 images were oddly positioned but when a vessel goes awry anything can happen….I have no sea experience but this piece was a source of interest to me….there is an A and E series here on the discovery channel called Deadliest Catch….it gave me a whole new outlook on travel at sea by water vessels….have you heard or seen these episodes…there very compelling and gives you a birds eye view of the realities that challenge these dedicated maritimers for a loss of better words….wonderfully put together R.J.
rizzei
Jun 1st, 2009
wonderful images and thoughts from yours..all i can remember is titanic when it comes to this topic:)
sandie
Jun 1st, 2009
I love your pics of shipwreaks and found your comments interesting too.I think its sad when a ship sinks or lays abandoned to the elements, knowing all the history of people working hard to keep her going and travelling the seas.
Betty Carew
Jun 1st, 2009
Excellent article RJ , very interesting
C Jordan
Jun 1st, 2009
Very interesting article RJ. That besch Navagio is a stunning beach of white sand and the clearest water, well worth a visit.
dharokowns
Jun 1st, 2009
Wow, I think this is the most interesting article I’ve ever read. Wow. Seriously, I love stuff like this!
Ruby Hawk
Jun 1st, 2009
I had no idea there were so many wrecked ships cluttering up the ocean and beaches. You would think owners would have to clean up the wreckage.
Anne McNew
Jun 1st, 2009
I haven’t heard about this.
Thanks you for the very informative share.
rodrigo
Jun 1st, 2009
só o tétano
Patrick Bernauw
Jun 2nd, 2009
Waterworld Revisited! Loved it!
Picky Gramma
Jun 2nd, 2009
http://languageandgrammar.com/2009/01/15/amount-number-grammar/
i.e., “AMOUNT of ecological damage”
but “NUMBER of wrecks”
and “NUMBER of wooden buildings”
scopkins
Jun 2nd, 2009
Shipwreck Beach, Lanai: I was just there last Tuesday. It’s kinda fun, but get the jeep because it is considerably more than a 2 mile hike. I’d say it’s at least 6 miles from Lanai City and pretty far from anything else you’d want to see on the island. There is at least one other ship nearby. The local lore get’s convoluted but they say the big liberty ship is filled with concrete so it will decay slow and they say the US government put it there on purpose. That last part may be a confusion with another boat though.
jrs
Jun 2nd, 2009
Nice. Now, go to Google Earth and go to Basra, Iraq, find the river and go southeast. There are a lot of shipwrecks on the river Shatt el Arab near Basra Iraq.
lukevaj
Jun 2nd, 2009
muy buen articulo.esto sirve para que la gente tome consiensia que un herror humano junto con la poderosa fuersa de la naturalesa pueden en cuestion de minutos llevar a estos desastres sin prevenirlos pero asi seguimos y vamos camino a la destruccion de la raza humana
Hammer
Jun 3rd, 2009
don’t forget the American Star (google is your friend)
Milton H Peebles III
Jun 3rd, 2009
These are so Cool!
Cynthia Bartlett
Jun 3rd, 2009
cool pix and great article.
hillbilly herman
Jun 4th, 2009
wow cool I think its pretty neat myself
B Nelson
Jun 4th, 2009
Awesome wrecks, and much easier to see than deep sea diving, which I would be terrified to do!
B Nelson
Jun 4th, 2009
very nice, those rusty ships are very stunning to look at, although I have not seen any in real life. Thanks for bringing them into my home
Super B
Jun 4th, 2009
Very nice article. It’s nice to learn more about shipwreck
macman
Jun 4th, 2009
Intrusting
David Irvine
Jun 5th, 2009
Great idea! awesome pics and read.
payge
Jun 8th, 2009
A very interesting article about one of my favorite things.The pictures was awesome and i didnt realize there was so many shipwrecks around the world.
richard reed
Jun 8th, 2009
this is a really great article,and the pictures are awesome,,thanks for the share..stay blessed..Rich
R.B. Parsley
Jun 8th, 2009
RJ,
A very interesting article. You have picked my curiosity. Its amazing some of the stories that go a long with some of these wrecks. The photos are excellent. They give a sense of danger and an air of mystery. I have read many articles on old ship wrecks, and of course some of the more famous ones as well. This is very well written. Keep up the great work RJ
Randy
Lostash
Jun 8th, 2009
Some great images accompanying an interseting piece.
Andrew Davies
Jun 10th, 2009
I love exploring ruins and shipwrecks. I have seen quite a few of both in my time, I would love to be able to explore some of these.
Athlyn Green
Jun 10th, 2009
What a great article. I’ve sent this to Reddit and Digged it.
Stickinthemud
Jun 10th, 2009
Hi, RJ. Awesome stuff. I have always been fascinated with shipwrecks, even those above sea-level. Thanks for this.
Michael
Jun 11th, 2009
Nice article. Its exellent!
Nelson Doyle
Jun 14th, 2009
Wow, what a great article.
John Crowder
Jun 15th, 2009
I found this article as something I enjoy reading about. The photos were too cool. Thanks for the show and article. John
Emma C S
Jun 15th, 2009
Interesting, but it’s a shame they’re all modern. As an archaeologist, ancient wrecks are more my thing.
ur guide
Jun 16th, 2009
Very informative and cool one.
Earl Schmegley
Jun 16th, 2009
Really interesting article and great photos as well. What is it about ship-wrecks that are so fascinating? I don’t know, but they are. Good idea for an article.
dakis
Jun 17th, 2009
Navagio is the best beach in the world. You have to visit it!
http://hellas-fos.blogspot.com/
steve
Jun 18th, 2009
That last picture is mine – thank you for using it!
Doug Oldfield
Jun 18th, 2009
Very interesting and informative article. Thanks for the read.
John Wilson
Jun 20th, 2009
Nice shots. There are quite a few shipwrecks at world class surf breaks…reef, surf, shipwreck…makes sense right? I have no connection to the image the following link will take you to but I thought it may interest you.
John Wilson
Jun 20th, 2009
Sorry, I guess I should post the link…
http://surfmusic.blogsome.com/images/mauritania_surf.jpg
jesse
Jun 20th, 2009
how do you not have Fresh Kills on here?
richmaine
Jun 21st, 2009
GOOD QUALITY PICS & WEEL REFERENCED PIECES RJ!
WE ALL HAVE LITTLE OF THE SEA ADVENTURE NATURE IN US;I GUESS ITS THE CURIOSITY OF WHAT MIGHT BE BEYOND THE HORIZON. I’VE SEEN QUITE A FEW WRECKS AND A CRUISE LINER ACTUALLY HEAD BACK INTO THE ROCKS AFTER CLEARING THE BREAK WATER WALL FROM THE HARBOUR IN EAST LONDON,SOUTH AFRICA
chrish
Jun 21st, 2009
very interesting with excellent pictures
Ovidiu
Jun 22nd, 2009
there is a beautiful shipwreck on a romanian beach, near Costinesti.For pictures of it, check these search results: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=epava+costinesti
Mark Gordon Brown
Jun 22nd, 2009
I remember a bad ship wreck from when I was a child.. the SS Minnow. It was so bad it was on TV every week for quite some time.
pecas
Jun 22nd, 2009
nálunk a cigányok elhordták volna már
NLD
Jul 1st, 2009
This was totaally awesome. I really enjoyed looking at the pictures.
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