Shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea stir up a lot of emotions. It is estimated that the sea's floor holds several thousand wrecks from different periods. Their histories, accessibility, and impact on the environment vary.
Shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea: Not All Are Accessible to Divers
Among those that have been inventoried, some are open to divers, while others are strictly off-limits. These include Nazi ships sunk during World War II (in 1945), which have been designated as war graves. Examples include the M/S Goya, used as a military transport vessel from 1944, the Steuben, which had been a cruise ship since 1923 and was militarized in 1939, serving as a hospital ship from 1944, and the passenger ship Wilhelm Gustloff, which served as a hotel ship during the war.
The Most Interesting Baltic Wrecks You Can Explore Up Close
The most interesting shipwrecks in the Baltic are undoubtedly those accessible for diving. The Polish side of the Baltic coast is an attractive area for divers, enhanced by numerous wrecks open for exploration. Thanks to the sea’s unique conditions, such as low salinity, low temperatures, and poor oxygenation, you can still marvel at the remains of the galleon Solen, which was sunk during the Battle of Oliwa in 1627. Many of the wrecks on the Baltic seabed are ships sunk during World War II. A favorite among divers is the ORP Wicher, a destroyer of the Polish Navy, which was sunk in 1939. It was even used as a training site for underwater sappers.
Some wrecks were deliberately sunk for training purposes (such as the Delfin minesweeper, which serves as a training site for special forces divers and is now also available to trained civilians) or as tourist attractions. Since these wrecks are often located at shallow depths, even novice divers can explore them. Examples include the Soviet submarine chaser Groźny, located at a depth of about 18 meters, and the Bryza cutter, situated at a similar depth.
Which Baltic Shipwrecks Pose an Environmental Threat?
Some Baltic shipwrecks could lead to ecological disasters. One such wreck is the German passenger ship Stuttgart, converted into a hospital ship in 1939. It was bombed in 1943 while carrying wounded passengers. Only a few people survived. The burning ship was sunk in Puck Bay, along with the bodies of the dead. In 1999, it was discovered that fuel was slowly leaking from the wreck’s tanks. The area around the wreck is contaminated, and the affected zone has grown fivefold over the 16 years since the fuel leak was first recorded. The environmental state around the wreck is considered a localized ecological disaster.
An even greater environmental threat may come from the wreck of the German tanker Franken. It is estimated that when it was sunk in 1945, it contained about 3 tons of cargo (fuel) and 300 tons of ship fuel, which was needed for its propulsion. The wreck is gradually corroding, and over the 70-plus years since it sank, the thickness of its hull has decreased by around 7 mm. This deterioration could lead to the sudden, uncontrolled release of all the fuel still inside the wreck. Such a spill could contaminate the shores and beaches around the Gulf of Gdańsk, exceeding the environmental standards for carcinogenic and toxic substances. As a result, many valuable animals and plants, including protected species, could disappear.
Baltic Shipwrecks: A List
It is difficult to list all the shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea. The list of vessels resting on the seafloor is quite long and includes:
- Tugboat Arngast,
- Freighter Bremenhaven,
- Cutter Bryza,
- Freighter Christa,
- Minesweeper Delfin,
- Drewniak Mechelinki,
- Tanker Franken,
- Aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin,
- Submarine chaser Groźny,
- Ferry Jan Heweliusz,
- Warship Solen,
- Passenger ship Steuben,
- Hospital ship Stuttgart,
- Warship Wicher,
- Yacht Zawisza Czarny.
