17 years later the ship is still sitting in the ocean, leaking toxins, chemicals and heavy metals into the ocean all around the world-famous Greek island and its beautiful caldera.
We’re approaching the 20th anniversary of the second-worst non-wartime maritime disaster in history, which claimed the lives of more than 1 800 people.
Explorers were excited to find the US vessel famed for a heroic final stand against the Japanese.
Finding Shackleton’s historic shipwreck is the highlight of Mensun Bound’s career, with successes that have earned him the nickname ‘the Indiana Jones of the Deep’.
The Santa Maria Madre de Deus was a Portuguese ship that disappeared without a trace in 1643, believed to have sunk off the Eastern Cape coast.
I’m sure there is something pretty old banging around in your cupboard, but if you want to crack the ‘world’s oldest things’ list you have some way to go.
Back in the day it was a bit of a nightmare navigating past the Cape of Storms, although we’re not alone in having a number of beautiful shipwrecks along the coast.