Archaeologists from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have discovered a 145-year-old wreckage of 33 whaling ships, that were stranded and sank in the year 1871, off the coast of Alaska. As per scientists, the discovery may have been possible due to climate change.
On September 12, 1871, some 33 whaling vessels carrying around 1200 whalers were stranded in the Arctic Ocean. Pack ice had trapped their ships, and in just a matter of weeks, they were destroyed. No remains were found until now. The incident is remembered as the demise of the commercial whaling in the United States.
The parts that have been recovered include battered hulls of two ships. Other discovered materials are fasteners and ballast, anchors, as well as brick-lined pots. NOAA’s team working under the Maritime Heritage Program is responsible for the discovery. In September 2015, scattered timber and wreckage were found stranded on isolated beaches.
Due to climate change, ice in the Arctic has been melting, which provides leads to archaeologists having easier access to the seabed and potential shipwreck sites. The people in the 1871 shipwreck were rescued, but the ship broke down and was swalloed by the ocean. However, there wasn’t any definite proof of the remains until now.
Image Credit: wreckwatch.org
