Michael Cambridge
For a long time, if you wanted to get around the world, you were going to have to go by water at some point. And the thing about water is that everything is literally smooth sailing on the surface. When things go wrong, however, then you sink.
In general, sinking sucks. It’s cold, you can’t breathe, pressure can crush you, and all kinds of stuff will eat you. Please avoid sinking at all costs.
Historically, not everyone—or everything—has avoided sinking. And sometimes, the stories of what went down (literally) are a lot weirder than you’d think. Here are 10 baffling tales of sunken ships… and other things that sank.
1. The SS Baychimo: The Ship That Refused to Sink
Let’s start with a ship that sank… sort of.
The SS Baychimo was a steel-hulled cargo steamer used by the Hudson’s Bay Company in the 1920s and 30s to trade pelts in the Arctic. In 1931, it got trapped in pack ice off the coast of Alaska. The crew assumed it would sink and evacuated.
But the Baychimo didn’t sink.
Instead, it broke free and became a ghost ship. Over the next few decades, people spotted it floating, intact, with no crew. It was last sighted in 1969—38 years after it was abandoned. No one knows what ultimately became of it. That’s one stubborn boat.
2. The Vasa: Sunk in Style
In 1628, Sweden proudly launched the Vasa, a warship so extravagantly decorated it looked like a floating peacock. It was armed with 64 cannons and designed to be the most intimidating thing on the sea.
It sailed for 1,300 meters before a gust of wind hit it sideways, and it sank right in Stockholm harbor. Turns out, top-heavy ships don’t do well with wind.
It lay at the bottom of the harbor for over 300 years before being raised—almost perfectly preserved—in 1961. Today it’s a museum piece, an expensive reminder that form should not outweigh function.
3. The SS Waratah: The “Titanic of the South” That Just Vanished
In 1909, the SS Waratah left South Africa carrying over 200 passengers. It was a new and luxurious steamship—nicknamed the “Titanic of the South” (a nickname that hasn’t aged well).
And then… nothing.
The Waratah vanished without a trace. No wreck, no survivors, no lifeboats. Just gone. Multiple search missions failed to find anything. To this day, no one knows what happened to it, making it one of the sea’s most confounding disappearances.
4. The OceanGate Titan: Modern Hubris Meets Ancient Grave
In 2023, a submersible named Titan imploded while attempting to visit the wreck of the Titanic—a chillingly poetic end.
It was a state-of-the-art (but highly experimental) craft operated by OceanGate, designed to take tourists to see the Titanic’s remains. Tragically, it suffered a catastrophic failure, killing all five aboard.
It was a modern echo of an old warning: don’t underestimate the ocean.
5. The Mary Celeste: No One Sank, But Everyone Vanished
Technically, the Mary Celeste didn’t sink. But something definitely sank the vibes.
In 1872, this merchant ship was found drifting in the Atlantic, fully stocked and intact. The lifeboat was gone, and the entire crew had vanished—mid-meal, by the looks of things. There were no signs of struggle or storm damage.
Why did they abandon ship? Piracy? Poisonous fumes? Giant squid? Alien abduction?
Still a mystery. The Mary Celeste remains one of history’s weirdest maritime ghost stories.
6. The Andrea Doria: The Ship That Couldn’t Dodge
The Italian luxury liner Andrea Doria was considered the pride of postwar passenger ships—elegant, safe, and built to impress.
In 1956, while cruising near Nantucket, it collided with the MS Stockholm in heavy fog. It tilted badly and began sinking. Unlike the Titanic, however, the evacuation mostly worked—over 1,600 people were rescued.
Still, the idea that two huge ships could just run into each other in the vastness of the ocean? Baffling.
7. Lake Peigneur: The Day the Lake Sucked Down the World
Not a ship this time—an entire lake.
In 1980, an oil drilling operation in Louisiana accidentally punctured a salt mine beneath Lake Peigneur. The result? A literal whirlpool of doom.
The lake drained into the mine, creating a massive vortex that swallowed drilling platforms, a tugboat, trucks, trees, and 65 acres of land. The lake even reversed flow and temporarily became the deepest part of Louisiana.
Everyone survived (miraculously), but it’s still one of the most surreal sinkings in history.
8. The Kursk: Secrets and Silence
In 2000, the Russian submarine Kursk sank in the Barents Sea during a naval exercise after a torpedo malfunctioned and exploded onboard.
The tragedy was made worse by slow rescue efforts and political stonewalling. Although 23 sailors survived the initial blast, they died before help arrived—some left farewell notes.
The secrecy surrounding the event fueled conspiracy theories and criticism of the Russian government. A sobering story about bureaucracy, technology, and tragedy beneath the waves.
9. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald: A Folk Song and a Mystery
Immortalized by Gordon Lightfoot, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior during a storm in 1975. All 29 crew members perished.
Despite being a modern ship with communication and navigation tech, it sank suddenly—without sending a distress call.
To this day, no one knows exactly what caused it. Structural failure? Rogue wave? Human error? Whatever it was, the ship’s eerie disappearance became a maritime legend.
Also, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is an absolute banger.
10. The MV Doña Paz: The Forgotten Disaster
In 1987, the Philippine ferry Doña Paz collided with an oil tanker and exploded into flames. Over 4,300 people died—making it the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster in history.
And yet, most people have never heard of it.
Why? A combination of underreporting, poor records, and the fact that many victims were unregistered passengers. It’s a chilling reminder that history doesn’t always remember what it should—and that the ocean doesn’t discriminate.
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