Modern Mysteries

NOAA team reveals Golden Gate ghost ships

By T.K. Randall
September 18, 2014 ·  2 comments

San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Image Credit: CC BY 3.0 Christian Mehlfuhrer A team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have made several discoveries in the waters off San Francisco during a two-year investigation to locate and identify the 300 wrecked ships thought to lie at the bottom of the strait.

Among the latest finds are the 1910 shipwreck of the SS Selja and an unidentified steam tugboat known as the "mystery wreck". An 1863 clipper called the Noonday was also found."The waters of the sanctuary and the park are one of the great undersea museums in the nation," said Maritime Heritage director James Delgado. "These wrecks tell the powerful story of the people who helped build California and opened America to the Pacific for nearly two centuries. Finding the remains of these ships links the past to the present."

To aid them in their task the researchers have been using sonar imaging, remote-controlled cameras and a host of other sensing equipment to enable them to peer below the waves.

"The shipwrecks off the Golden Gate are places to explore, discover and appreciate our country's maritime cultural heritage," said deputy superintendent Brian Johnson. "Through the study, protection and promotion of this diverse legacy, Americans can learn more about our shared past."

Source: NOAA | Comments (2)

Tags: San Francisco, Golden Gate, Ships