Apollo 11 is a significant part of American history for landing the first two astronauts on the moon. It was a byproduct of the space challenge between the US and the Soviet Union, and these F-1 engines were lost on the Atlantic Ocean after they successfully propelled the ship past the S-1C stage.
The recovery of the rockets took a three-week expedition by punctiliously scanning the seabed with sonar technology. This project was funded by Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos, and they were able to retrieve various parts of two out of the five rockets used.
The Sweepstakes Wreck
One doesn’t have to be a diving expert to visit the Sweepstakes wreck in Big Tub Harbour. One only has to snorkel in Fathom Five National Marine Park to find it perfectly in place, its hull fully intact, just 20 feet deep. There are several wrecks in the area that tourists might want to explore, but “Sweeps” remains a favorite for being an easy dive.
This schooner was built in 1867 but was damaged off Cove Island while delivering loads of coal. It was tugged back to Big Tug Harbour so it could be repaired, however, the damages were so bad that the boat sank in 1885.
HMS Pandora
The HMS Pandora was an intimidating vessel if ever we saw one. This 24-gun Porcupine-class ship was a part of the Royal Navy and can trace its days of operation back to 1779. About a decade later, the warship was used to chase down “Bounty” mutineers.
While the operation was fairly successful, with the capture of 14 of the mutineers, it ultimately led to its shipwreck in the Great Barrier Reef. It is believed to be one of the most noteworthy shipwrecks to have ever happened in the Southern Hemisphere. Here, we can see a scuba diver discovering one of the water casks that was once part of the ship.
The Vasa Shipwreck
The Vasa was a Swedish warship that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628. It wasn't until the late 1950s that the Vasa shipwreck was discovered just outside the Stockholm harbor. Finally, in 1961, the Vasa was salvaged with an almost intact hull. The shipwreck was taken to a temporary museum until 1988 when it was transferred to the Vasa Museum, a maritime museum in Stockholm.
The Vasa shipwreck, and the artifacts discovered with it, have become one of Sweden's most visited tourist spots, having been seen by over 35 million visitors since 1961. The Vasa has not only become a symbol of the Swedish Empire, but also provided incredible insight into what naval warfare, shipbuilding, and everyday life looked like back in 17th-century Sweden.
Heracleon
There is no denying that Egypt has been a hotbed for all kinds of amazing archeological discoveries over the years. And at the turn of the millennium, one of the biggest ones in recent memory was uncovered. In 2001, archeologists were excited to discover a few things: a statue of the God Hapi, some marble walls, a statue of a king, and more on the site of Heracleon.
A stele was also recovered from an underwater site here, confirming that this was in fact, an ancient Egyptian city that once stood on the Canopic branch of the Nile. During the 30th dynasty of Ancient Egypt, Pharaoh Nectanebo I issued a decree regarding payments to the temple.