12 Famous Shipwrecks That You Can Still Visit

Even the figures for the known wrecks are impressive.

For example, the websiteWrecksite.eucontains records of more than 148,000 wrecks at the time of this writing.

A large number of shipwrecks are historically significant and protected under UNESCO as underwater cultural heritage.

Some of them have turned into tourist attractions because of the many photographic opportunities they offer.

The capsized shipdrew thousands of eager touristto the area.

Here are some spectacular wrecks that are worth visiting while they are still there.

The vessel had a double hull construction that provided protection for minor impacts.

By the time salvage companies got to it, the ship was ransacked by the locals.

The World Discoverer still sits in Roderick Bay on Nggela Island with a 46 list.

Her last voyage was in August 1996, when she sailed from Brindisi to Patras.

Due to the companies financial situation, the Mediterranean Sky was arrested in 1997, whilst in Patras.

Two years later she was towed to Eleusus Gulf in Greece, where she lay abandoned.

In late 2002, the ship began to take on water and started to tilt.

so you can stop her sinking, she was towed to shallow water and was grounded.

In January 2003, Mediterranean Sky keeled over on her side where she remains awaiting her fate.

The tanker suffered no damage but her anchor chains holed Captayannis allowing water to pour in.

The ship rolled over the next morning, and has lain there ever since.

Through time Captayannis has become home to marine life and birds.

She is known to many locals simply as the “sugar boat”.

SS America

SS America was an ocean liner built in 1940.

It was at this time she was renamed American Star, although she never sailed by her new name.

The tow lines broke and all attempts to reattach the emergency tow lines proved unsuccessful.

The crew aboard American Star was rescued by helicopter but the ship was left adrift.

On January 18, the ship ran aground off the west coast of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands.

The stern section collapsed completely to port and sank in 1996, while the bow remained intact.

By 2007 the entire ship had collapsed and fallen into the sea.

Since then, what little remained has been slowly disappearing beneath the waves.

As of March 2013, the wreck is only visible during low tide.

The stern broke off and sank in 1996, leaving only the bow section on the sandbar.

There are many rumors about the ship’s origins and how it got stranded on the beach.

Most relate that the ship was used to smuggle cigarettes between Turkey and Italy.

It was then set on fire to hide the evidence of cigarette smuggling.

The ship remains abandoned and there has been no attempts to recover it.

Nobody salvaged the ship so far and many parts fell prey to looters.

During July 1943, Protector was requisitioned for war service by the US Army.

Her rusting remains are still visible to this day.

Later she was known as “Saxon Star”, “Redbrook” and eventually “Evangelia”.

Some say that Evangelia was deliberately wrecked by the owner to collect the insurance money.

Built in 1905, the SS Maheno was one of the first turbine-driven steamers.

In 1935, she and her sister ship the Oonah were sold to Japan for scrap.

While being towed to Japan, the ship encountered a severe cyclone and the towline snapped.

The wreckage of the Santa Maria has since become a symbol of Boa Vista and Cape Verde.

Other notable shipwrecks previously covered on Amusing Planet: