Hidden treasures and much more; 2.5 lakh maritime wrecks at sea

From centuries-old ships to modern ships. More than 2.5 million ships have sunk to the depths of the sea around the world. From precious treasures to missiles, many things have gone down with the ships. Most have never been recovered.

The location of 1.8 million ships, including the Titanic, has been determined. The whereabouts of more than half a million ships, including Kerala's own 'Kairali', are unknown on the seabed. Data service providers such as the Global Maritime Wreck Database and Wreck Site have collected information on sunken ships. The oldest one found is a 10,000-year-old wooden ship found during construction work in the Netherlands.

UNESCO concludes that at least 3 million ships may have sunk since man began to sail. The figures only include completed documentation.

Lying deepest is a warship

The mass destruction of ships occurred during World War II. 15,000 ships (including submarines) have sunk in the Pacific and Atlantic. The deepest known wreck is the USS Johnston, which sank in 1944. It lies at a depth of 6 km in the Philippine Trench.

Obstruction in shipping lanes

• Ships sunk on the seabed can cause obstructions and accidents in the navigation channel. Especially those ships that are not located

• It is concluded that the ship that sank off the Kerala coast the other day will not cause obstruction in the Vizhinjam-Kochi shipping lane. This is because the sea is 200-300 meters deep in this area.

Possibility of recovering sunken ships: 20-35%