BURIED SHIP WRECKS

Getting Buried

When ships sink, they go straight to the ocean floor. Sometimes the ocean dries up, or the land is forced upwards and becomes an island, in which case the shipwreck gets buried by the wind blowing the sand over it. The shipwreck is very well preserved under the sand and rots very slowly, especially if the sand or soil is not near a water source. If the shipwreck remains underwater, it will eventually get buried by the tides washing sand over it and coral and other ocean plants growing on it. The part that remains exposed to the ocean rots away very quickly, but the part that is buried is often preserved to a decent extent. In this way, the Maritime Museum was able to obtain part of the Batavia, which was buried underwater in the Abrolhos Islands.

Often, people find household objects and tools around a shipwreck that were on board when the boat sunk, for example, brushes, old tables and chairs, swords, weaponry and bells. However there are many more things to be found underwater that have nothing to do with shipwrecks. These things include pottery, old glasses and bottles, weaponry, coins and old litter.