Although all wrecks hold some measure of mystery, these five are some of the most haunting wrecks in the sea. We guarantee they’ll stay with you long after you’ve dried off.
MV Salem Express, Red Sea, Egypt
The MV Salem Express was a roll-on, roll-off ferry serving the Egyptian city of Safaga and the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah. On December 17th, 1991, the ferry struck a reef near the Egyptian coast as it was coming back from Jeddah, bringing a great number of passengers returning from the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. It sank within minutes, and took a considerable number of people with it. Just how many is a point of great dispute, and while the official number is 470, estimates put the death toll much higher. The haunting quality of the wreck is amplified by the great number of personal objects belonging to passengers, which can still be found in and around the wreck. Two of the ferry’s lifeboats are also on the seabed.
Shinkoku Maru, Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia
A tanker built for the Japanese Navy in 1939, the Shinkoku Maru was sunk during Operation Hailstone, when U.S. forces attacked the Japanese forward naval base at Chuuk Lagoon in Micronesia. The entire lagoon is haunting enough in itself, with its dozens of wrecks, but the Shinkoku Maru stands out as the most picturesque, and to some extent the eeriest of them all. In particular the old operating room makes for a spine-tingling sight, with human bones still to be found near the operating table.
The Russian Wreck/Khanka, Red Sea, Egypt
The Russian Wreck was discovered quite recently, in 2003, largely due to its position in the very southern Red Sea, near Zabargad Island. Originally thought to be the Khanka, a trawler that supposedly went down in the area, most now believe it’s a Russian electronic intelligence ship — essentially a spy ship — dating from the Cold War. There’s limited information as to its role in the Red Sea, or what it was doing in Zabargad Island. It is known that the Russians operated in the Red Sea, out of Eritrea, but very few details are available. Likewise, it is not known why or how it sank, although there is evidence of an explosion in its hull. This is Cold War mystery is still waiting to be solved.
MS Zenobia, Cyprus
The MS Zenobia was a Swedish-built cargo vessel, carrying an assortment of goods from Sweden to Syria, when it sank on its maiden voyage in 1980 due to a problem with its ballast tanks; port-side tanks let water in, but did not allow the crew to let water back out, which caused the ship to list considerably, up to 45 degrees before it sank. It finally sank off of Cyprus, taking its entire cargo, but no crew, with it. An air of mystery always surrounds a wreck that sank on its maiden voyage, and the plentiful artifacts that surround the Zenobia, including the bones of animals that were part of the cargo, add to this aura.
Defiance, Lake Huron, United States
The schooner Defiance was one of many ships that met its end on the Great Lakes of North America. In 1854, the Defiance collided with another ship, the Audubon, on Lake Huron, near Thunder Bay, on a foggy night as it was coming in from the north. Both ships sank rapidly, but lifeboats were rapidly deployed and both crews were rescued. Both wrecks now lie close to each other on the bottom. It sits perfectly upright, both masts still intact, and you wouldn’t be surprised to find sails still flying. There’s almost a ghost ship-like air to the site, which is by far one of the best shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.
