San José: More Than the “Holy Grail of Shipwrecks”
Gold, silver and emeralds made the San José legendary. But the people, evidence and contested history surrounding the wreck are far more valuable than its cargo.
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The FjordExplorers archive
Maritime history, wreck research, citizen science and underwater cultural heritage—organized for reading rather than buried in a feed.
The Porcelain Wreck: A Cargo at the Crossroads of Northern Europe
A remarkably preserved wreck in the Skagerrak may connect Chinese export porcelain, European luxury trades and the maritime networks of Denmark–Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the Baltic.
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Viking Treasure from Bergen, Norway
In the year 1148 AD, on a fateful Thursday night, a fleet of Viking ships, including the notable vessels Hjolp and Fifa, found themselves ensnared in a ferocious storm shortly after departing from Norway, embarking on their journey just two days prior. The sailors, surrounded by the relentless turbulence of the sea, grappled with uncertai
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Monitoring Shipwrecks for Climate Change Indicators: A Surprising Link
Monitoring shipwrecks for climate change indicators is a fascinating and valuable area of research that offers insights into the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. By examining bioindicator species, water chemistry, temperature, and the presence of invasive species, scientists can paint a more comprehensive picture of the consequences of climate change on our oceans. This knowledge is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change and preserve the health of our marine ecosystems.
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The Golden Age Of Bergen: A Look At Maritime Trade in 1500s Norway
Norway and its capital city of Bergen have a long and storied history, and the 1500s were certainly no exception. During this time, maritime trade to and from the city of Bergen was flourishing, bringing in wealth and prosperity for the townspeople. In this article, we'll take a look at how maritime trade helped shape Bergen's economy during this golden age!
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Shipwrecks 101 : How To Find Shipwrecks
Finding the wreck of a ship is the most difficult part of maritime archaeology. Shipwrecks may be found accidentally, while we are looking for something else, or via targeted missions to locate specific wrecks. We can find shipwrecks on land, underwater and at sea. This article gives a small introductory glimpse into this fascinating activity.
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FB391 Mustang Korsfjorden Norway 1944
10 November 1944 a Mustang P-51C III was shot down in Korsfjorden just south of Bergen. Flight Sergant Antoni B Ciundziewicki, Polish national, was the pilot that gave his life for our freedom this day in Norway.
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Marine Citizen Science: An Overview Of The Current State In Europe
Marine Citizen Science is one of the fastest growing citizen science activities in the world, with a significant growth in Europe. Governments, universities and even private companies are tapping into this new way to involve citizens in research. The opportunities for marine citizen science are promising: it can help us improve environmen
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The Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage: In Situ Preservation as the First Option
The need for preserving underwater cultural heritage is increasing day by day due to various reasons. One such reason is that many cultural assets are being lost due to natural disasters like tsunamis and earthquakes. The First rule that UNESCO’s Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage of 2001 is conveing is In situ preservation. Preserving underwater heritage through in situ preservation shall be considered as the first option because this method has proved to be an effective way in protecting cultural assets form erosion caused by waves, currents and winds.
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How to get involved with Maritime Archeaology
Have you ever wanted to explore a shipwreck? or help to preserve maritime history? Maritime Archaeology might be the perfect hobby for you! It's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun. This article will tell you everything you need to know to get started in this fascinating field.
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Citizens Archaeology: How To Become A Citizen Scientist
If you were the kind of kid who loved science projects then chances are you're now an adult who might be wondering what to do with all this enthusiasm. Many people believe that participating in citizens archaeology is a great way to get involved in research as it can take many forms. Check out this article for ideas on how to become a citizen scientist!
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Citizen Science: What Is It And Why Should You Participate?
Citizen science has become a popular term that you are probably hear more and more in the future. In this article, we breakdown what citizen science is and why it's important for people to participate.
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The Importance of Community Research In Professional Archeology
This article is about how the public can help professional archeologists learn more about their sites. Community research has become increasingly important in recent decades as additional sites are being discovered and dated, but we are still not sure how old they are or what their uses were. It's up to professional archaeologists to analyze and interpret the information they have found, which can be by evidence that the public contributes.
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MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY: a new dimension in archaeological work
Maritime archaeology is a study of not only the material evidence, but it is also including the social, politic and economy aspects of human activities on the sea and inlands waterways. Some says it is Nautical Archaeology, Marine Archaeology or Underwater Archaeology. However, if we look closely Coastal Archaeology, Nautical Archaeology, Marine Archaeology and Underwater Archaeology are relatively new sub-discipline of archaeology with it’s own distinguished discipline, theory, practice and principles.
Read articleWhat Can Be Done About Looters Of Historic Shipwrecks?
Shipwreck looting is an increasing problem for both archaeologists and treasure hunters alike. With more and more of the world's historic shipwrecks becoming sites for looting, UNESCO have set of guidelines just for preserving archeological resources from systematic plunder. Find out what you can do to help save these invaluable sites
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RUBIS French minelaying submarine
RUBIS, a Saphir-class minelaying submarine based in Dundee, Scotland when France capitulated to Germany's forces, chose not to return home. This was the start of "Operation Catapult" Winston Churchill's plan to keep French warships out of German hands that resulted in 1,300 casualties at Mers-el-Kebir.
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S/S Sverre Sigurdssøn 1940
On 09 June the French submarine RUBIS, a Saphire class sub, launched mines in Hjeltefjorden that caused the ship Sverre Sigurdssøn to sink at approx. 1815 on 10 June 1940.
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HMS Gloucester 1682
The wreck of a British royal warship that sank 340 years ago has been discovered by amateur divers. The discovery of HMS Gloucester off the Norfolk coast has been hailed as the largest marine find since the discovery of the Mary Rose in the 1970s.
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Christian II's expedition to Norway 1531
Prehistory Christian II (1481-1559) ruled Denmark and Norway from 1513 to 1523 as well as Sweden for some of that time, from 1520 to 1521. In Sweden, Christian II is best known for the Stockholm Massacre of November 1520. Immediately following his coronation as King of Sweden, he had more than 80 members of the Swedish aristocracy execute
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UAM1 Robin Hood - FLB531
FLB 531 that came inservice for the Germans in 1942 was captured in May 1945 by British RAF soldiers in Bergen. It was given the name Robin Hood. It was used as a Minesweeper/clearing vessel as UAM1 Robin Hood. Nowegian army has not registered this vessel as part of the UAM flotila at the time!
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HMS Claudia
Claudia was wrecked off Kristiansand on 20 January 1809, as she was attempting to enter the Baltic. Driven close to shore by a storm, after the storm abated she struck a reef and sank before her crew could launch her boats. Although Lord' swam through the freezing waters to get a line to Norwegian rescuers, 14 men died from drowning or exposure to the extreme cold.
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D/S Nord Norge
8. mai 1940 seilte DS «Nordnorge» ut Trondheimsfjorden. 300 østerrikske alpejegere og marinesoldater var om bord. Målet var Hemnesberget. Hurtigruta var kapret, og skulle brukes som en trojansk hest på Helgeland. Operasjonen var godkjent av Hitler selv og fikk navnet «Operasjon Wildente».
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Hjelmås - Clay Brick Factory
30 minutes drive north of Bergen there is a place called Hjelmås. What many do not know, is that 150 years ago, this place had a big Clay Brick factory producing as many as 3 million bricks per year at its peak. During diving in the area in 2015, there where found clear indications of industrial activities in the area. A map from 1867 showed a factory for clay bricks marked in the area.
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Marder One man Submarines
In the mid 70's a one man submarine was pulled up in a fishingnet. The navy disposed of it in deep waters. In the late 1980's, midget subs where found in Fanafjorden, south of Bergen, Norway by divers. These where re found by Norwegian Navy Disposal Divers in 2013. In 2015 and 2016, several divers and groups searched and found the sub's. Fjordexplorers searched unsuccessfully in Jan 2016, but did one year later successfully dive and documented the subs.
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Frigate "Washington"
In Lloyds List – The Marine List from 14 May 1802, a ship is listed as lost on the coast of Norway. “The Washington, Aars, from Calcutta, (left from the Isles of France) to Copenhagen, is lost on the Coast of Norway. Part of the Cargo will be saved”. The ship was not to be found in any wreck register or lists and a search for its history started.
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Steelbark "Delta" (Odd)
Delta had 26 October 1920 been in Gothenburg, Sweden and picked up Russian wood boards and was on its way to Port Natal (Durban), South Africa. It was trapped by a hurricane just outside of the Faeroe island and went back and forth to avoid the storm fro weeks. On the 13th November they decided to head back to Norway, and about 21:00 in the evening they got close to Ospa. They tried to anchor, but the ship got loose and drifted north of Aralden and foundered onto Kvitingane.
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1627: Site information: Two Dutch East Indiamen-the Vliegende Draak and the Kampen sailing to Batavia
Remains of 1627 wreck of Dutch East Indiaman, described as a "yacht", which stranded near the Middle Needle, while attempting to "thread the Needles" to reach the Solent for shelter during a storm. Her compatriot, the VLIEGENDE DRAAK (896133), was also lost. Outward-bound from Amsterdam to Jakarta, with lead, silver, coin and passengers, she was a wooden sailing vessel. The diver Jacob Johnson recovered material from both wrecks, as he had done for the English East Indiaman MOON off the coast of Kent in 1625 (901997) and petitioned to do for a Spanish ship off the Lizard in the aftermath of this wreck (1318138).
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SS Kommandøren 1944
Following the 9 April 1940 German invasion of Norway, she was requisitioned by the Norwegian authorities and carried troops for the Norwegian war effort until the forces in Western Norway ceased fighting on 2 May 1940.
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