Divers scouring the sea off the coast of southern Spain discover 34 underwater wreckages – including remains of boat from 5th century BC

Divers discovered 34 wrecks underwater in the Bay of Algeciras. Among them were the remains of an ancient vessel from the 5th Century BC.

Researchers Felipe Cerezo Andreo, Alicia Arevalo Gonzalez and University of Cadiz scientists Felipe Cerezo Andreo led the Herakles Project.

The project was carried out between May 2020 to March 2023 with the aim of expanding knowledge of underwater archaeological sites within the Bay of Algeciras.  

The team found 34 shipwrecks, along with 151 previously unknown archaeological sites.

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The results of their study has now been published Between the Pillars of Hercules. Underwater Archaeology of A Privileged Space. The Bay of Algeciras – The First Results of Herakles Project.

One of the oldest discoveries in the region is the Timoncillo I shipwreck. It dates back to 5th century BC.

In spite of intensive archaeological research in the inland, little has been done to study its underwater heritage.

In only two years, researchers have discovered 150 new underwater sites. Only four locations underwater had been discovered, and only one wreck, the Ballanera from the 17th Century, was confirmed.

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The sites discovered in recent years span different eras, from Punic and Roman times to medieval and contemporary times. About 80% of approximately 2,000 documented wrecks were merchant ships. 

Puente Mayorga IV – a 18th-century cannonboat that has been preserved in shallow water – is one of the most remarkable finds. Experts describe it as ‘an exceptional and rare example of naval construction’.

The discovery offers a valuable insight into a type of vessel that is ‘very little known archaeologically.’

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The findings raise a number of concerns.

Much of the underwater heritage lies at depths of less than 10 metres and is increasingly being exposed due to ‘changes in seabed conditions caused by port works and climate change’.

The sites are vulnerable to damage.

Although the bay has official protection status, researchers say ‘deterioration is already significant in practice’.

They state that the impact ‘could cause irreversible damage to its conservation.’

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