Intact shipwreck emerges from the seabed after 200 years

Divers find 19th-century shipwreck at the bottom of Baltic Sea with mysterious voyage and cargo.

The wreck lies 20 metres below the surface of the Baltic Sea. Photo: Jerry Wilhelmsson - BUE.

Diver Jerry Wilhelmsson of the non-profit organization Baltic Underwater Explorers came across the wreck while searching the waters around the Åland Islands between Stockholm and Helsinski, Sweden, International Business Times reported on November 3.

The ship was lying in a relatively shallow position, just 20 meters below the surface, and was so well preserved that Wilhelmsson and his colleague Magnus Melin were surprised. "Jerry was looking for another ship, we did not expect to find this wreck. I think the ship is special because it is so well preserved at such a low depth. It is also elaborately decorated with carvings on the bow," Melin said.

The ship is preserved intact. Photo: Jerry Wilhelmsson - BUE.

The 27-meter-long ship had an anchor and was carrying hundreds of unopened bottles in crates. Its origins remain a mystery, as it has not appeared in previous shipwreck records. Initial surveys indicate it dates from the 19th century.

"There were some crates of bottles in the cargo hold. The contents of the bottles have not been analyzed so we can only assume that they were used to store alcohol," Melin said.

The explorers are still unclear what was in the bottles on board. Photo: Jerry Wilhelmsson - BUE.

Divers will need to conduct more surveys to understand where the ship came from, why it crossed the Baltic Sea and when it sank.

According to VNE