Amazing Discoveries Hiding Underwater

With the Earth covered by 70% water, it stands to reason that there’s a hell of a lot of stuff that’s been lost beneath the depths of the oceans and lakes. Makes you wonder what’s down there.

Whether it’s abandoned pieces of art, instruments of war, or cities, there’s some bizarrely gorgeous sighs to be found once you strap on some Scuba gear and submerge yourself.

Dive in.

 

Cancun Underwater Museum
Cancun, Mexico
Officially opened in 2010, there are 500 sculptures across three different galleries that you can either free swim down to, or use scuba gear.

The entire gallery is a non-profit organization meant to help save the nearby coral reefs, by providing an alternative destination for divers and a place for artificial reefs. Meanwhile, it looks like an entire civilization got turned to stone and frozen in time.

 

 

The Wreck of the MS Zenobia
Off the coast of Cyprus, Mediterranean Sea
In the 1980’s, a 10,000-ton ferry was loaded with 104 tractor trailers and was on her way to Athens, when she started listing. When a solution couldn’t be found, the ship was allowed to sink with all her cargo.

Today it’s one of the most popular dive sites, and the most experienced ones actually find themselves swimming inside the ship, all the way to the engine room.

 

The Underwater River
Cenote Angelita, Mexico
Doesn’t it look like there’s a river just flowing there at the bottom of the image? This “river” isn’t actually a body of water, but an optical illusion caused by a cloud of hydrogen sulphate that separates the first 100 feet of freshwater, from the deeper salt water beneath.

 

Yonaguni Monument
Ryukyu Islands, Japan
This submerged rock formation is a huge mystery. Estimated to be over 5,000 years old, the entire complex looks like a set of stairs or artificially formed monoliths.

While some consider this the Atlantis of Japan and look towards human hands or aliens, scientists believe it to be nature. In either case, it’s a gorgeous and baffling place to dive.

 

Underwater Train Graveyard
Long Branch, New Jersey
Discovered in 1985 by a diver, no one is sure where the trains came from. There are two steam locomotives from the 1850’s that are lying parallel to each other, as if they’re pulling into the station. Archeologists believe that they were lost in a storm off the coast, as they were being transported from Boston, but there are no historical records of two engines being lost.

 

Vought F4U Corsair
Somewhere in the Pacific
According to the stories behind this plane, during WWII a pilot had to ditch his craft in the ocean after he had run out of fuel. He was able to escape, but the plane was lost.

All in all, it’s a pretty intact example of one of the most capable fighter/bombers from WWII and the Korean War.

 

 

The Lost City of Heracleion
Abu Qir Bay, Egypt
Famed archeologist Franck Goddio discovered the sunken remains of this city in 2000, by accident.

It’s rumoured that this was the inspiration for the idea of Atlantis, and offers divers a unique opportunity to swim though a sunken Egyptian city.

 

 

USS Oriskany
The Gulf of Mexico
This mighty aircraft carrier saw service in the Pacific during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, with several commendations. She was decommissioned in 1976, and destined for the scrap heap until it was decided that she’d be sunk to become an artificial reef.

Now she’s listed as one of the 10 most popular diving sites in the world.

 

 

The Ghost Fleet of Chuuk Lagoon
New Guinea
There’s a small group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, that create a shallow and calm lagoon. It’s here, that the Japanese created their most secure stronghold during WWII.

The US Army launched an air attack in 1944, that destroyed over forty ships in the lagoon, and sunk them. The bottom of the ocean is littered with a graveyard of ships, making it a bizarre and surreal place to dive.

 

 

SS President Coolige
Vanuatu
This American luxury liner was completed in 1931 and ran as a passenger ship until WWII. She served as a troopship until she was sunk by landmines in 1942.

Now, she’s a popular recreational diving spot, where you can swim through a mostly intact luxury cruise liner and military ship at a shallow depth.. One of the most popular sites is this – the statue of “The Lady,” as well as intact Jeeps, chandeliers and plenty of fountains.

 

 

The Sunken City of Shi Cheng
Zhejiang Province, China
In 1959, the Chinese government flooded a valley to create a lake, and ended up submerging the city. The citizens were forced to abandon their homes, and the Lion City was left to the waters.

Today, you can dive down with a commercial diving tour company, to check out the thousand year old architecture.

 

The Sweepstakes
Big Tub Harbour, Lake Huron
This ship has been sitting at the head of the bay in Lake Huron since it sank in 1885. It’s just 20 feet under water, and at the doorstep of cottages and beaches, so you can dive down to check it out, without equipment.