20 Pictures Of Planes, Boats, And Cars Found Underwater
Our exploration into the sea world led us to discover vehicles that are underwater. While the most obvious form of transportation that you’d find underwater are sunken ships and boats, we managed to find just about every mode of transport lingering in the depths of the sea. Strap on your oxygen tanks and wriggle your feet into flippers as we explore vehicles that only a few people are aware exist underwater.
20 BEETLE
Considering that the German manufacturer has produced more than 20 million Beetles since 1938, we’re not surprised to discover that some are underwater. The original Beetle has an engine that was capable of pumping out 25 horsepower and reaching a top speed of 62 mph. In 1998, Volkswagen introduced the ‘New Beetle,’ built on the contemporary Golf platform while recalling the original Type 1 styling. Later, the German manufacturer introduced the Beetle A5, reminiscent of the original Beetle. This underwater Beetle won’t see the road again, as the owner had stripped its engine before letting it sink to the depths of the ocean.
19 A TOUGH MACHINE
One of the toughest mobile machines that man has manufactured is a tank. The armored fighting vehicle is designed for frontline combat. It has heavy firepower and a powerful engine that provided it with good battlefield maneuverability and a strong armor.
As tough as the tank may be on land, it’ll succumb to the brutal punishment of the deep waters.
This tank has been underwater for so long that the plants underwater have covered the vehicle. The tank has deteriorated so much that only a small portion of the gun remains. The merciless creatures of the sea have contributed to the rusting of the tank.
18 A DERELICT
Finding a bus underwater doesn’t occur as frequently as finding a car, but it’s strange to find any vehicle in the deep end of the sea. Despite the car decaying into a complete derelict, I love that it’s maintained some of its original color. Although the front bumper has rusted, you can still see shades of red on the bonnet and on the side of the vehicle. What accentuates the car’s color even more are the colorful fish swimming in front of the vehicle. Even the tires are no longer attached to the car.
17 SCHOOL BUS
Who would’ve thought that going to school could be a life-threatening experience? Numerous school children make use of the bus to get to school. Although the last place that you’d expect to find a bus is underwater, accidents do occur. This bus has been underwater for a few years. All the windows are smashed, and the entire bus has rusted. The cabin of the bus is vacant, as all the seats have been removed. The details of the bus ending up underwater are sketchy, but I hope that all the passengers escaped without a scratch.
16 THE HERCULES WRECK
The C-130 Hercules transport aircraft sunk off the shores of Aqaba, Jordan.
Fortunately, the sunken aircraft was a manmade feature that King Abdullah II orchestrated, as he established a new dive site that forms part of the project to promote tourism to the country.
Divers sank the Hercules not far from the wreck of the Cedar Pride and only a few feet from the M42 ‘Duster’ anti-aircraft vehicle, commonly known as the “Tank,” according to Dive Magazine. Tourists who are keen on exploring the C-130 Hercules will have access to the flight deck from the inside and through the cockpit windows, allowing many photo opportunities.
15 SUBMARINE SPORTS CAR
The designers of this submarine sports car were inspired by the Lotus that James Bond drove in The Spy Who Loved Me. The car floats when driven into the water and submerges with the pull of a lever. The two water jets mounted behind the rotating louvers at the front of the vehicle provide forward movements up to 2 knots at depths of 33′, according to Hammacher.
The two built-in scuba tanks allow the driver and the passenger to remain underwater for an hour.
On land, the car uses an electric motor that allows the vehicle to reach a top speed of 75 mph. To own this submarine sports car, you’ll have to part with $2 million.
14 VINTAGE COLLECTION
When the British Merchant Navy ship, the SS Thistlegorm, sank in 1941 after a bombing, it contained a wide range of military vehicles, according to the Daily Mail. The Navy was transporting the cargo from Glasgow to Alexandria, Egypt when tragedy struck. After the captain had refueled in Cape Town, the convoy was supposed to sail to Egypt via the Suez Canal. Unfortunately, the ship couldn’t pass through the canal, as a collision ahead had blocked its path. The captain anchored the SS Thistlegorm to Safe Anchorage F, near Ras Muhammad, Egypt, when the Germans bombed it. Captain Ellis was awarded for his actions.
13 ARTIFICIAL REEF
You can find artificial reefs in cities such as Amsterdam and Utrecht. An artificial reef is a manmade structure built to promote marine life in areas with a featureless bottom. The most common types of artificial reefs are submerged shipwrecks, according to Scuba Center Asia.
Marine resource managers create artificial reefs in areas that require a structure to improve the habitat for reef organisms such as corals, which help the ecosystems.
The resource managers strip vehicles before submerging them underwater. Other objects that the managers have submerged underwater include a children’s playground and an underwater park.
12 A TIMELESS CLASSIC
While some vehicles reach the bottom of the sea in perfect condition and decay later, some cars are derelicts before reaching the bottom. Had the owner taken care of this car, he would’ve been in possession of a classic. Instead, he felt that the maintenance was too much to bear throughout the decades and opted to get rid of the car. Seeing this classic car smashed at the bottom of the sea is sad but does make a compelling discovery for divers. Although you cannot use the car on land, this classic provides a stunning depiction of some of the vehicles that are underwater.
11 AN IMPRESSIVE COLLECTION
The carnage during the war was evident not only on land but also underwater. Some of the vehicles that the navy transported ended up underwater after enemies bombed the ship. What’s interesting to note is the positioning of the vehicles underwater.
Although the cars were on a bombed ship, once they reached the bottom of the sea, the vehicles landed on their tires and next to each other.
It looks as if somebody had parked the cars underwater. What makes the story more depressing is that the cars would’ve been classics had they remained on land. Sand has covered the vehicles.
10 MILITARY VEHICLE
Decades ago, before the advent of the internet and mobile phones, the world experienced turbulent times. Events such as the Great Depression and the two world wars left a devastating mark on the history of the world. During those times, some people committed nefarious acts, resulting in countless tragedies. That was the unfortunate fate for this military vehicle, as it ended up at the bottom of the sea. During the two world wars, several ships transporting military cargo sank due to bombings. The sad part is that human lives were lost along with the vehicles.
9 HELICOPTER
No form of transportation is immune to sinking to the deep end of the sea. The cabin of this helicopter is completely stripped. What’s fascinating to see is that the helicopter is positioned upright as it touched the bottom of the sea. Although it’s interesting to see a helicopter underwater, this flying machine has better use in the air. The helicopter has been submerged for a while, and the entire body has rusted. With some vehicles, you can restore them once extracted from the sea, but nothing can be done with this helicopter. The only purpose it serves is as an interesting underwater feature.
8 FIGHTER PLANE
The Mirage 2000 fighter-bomber is a magnificent flying machine. Accidents can happen to the best of us, which the two pilots discovered while flying over the Aegean sea.
The two-seater aircraft crashed into the Aegean sea on the 9th of June 2011, according to the Daily Mail.
The Greek Hellenic Air Force rescued the aircraft as well as the two pilots who ejected before the plane crashed. The two pilots were transported to the Athens Military Hospital. The crash occurred a day after one of the Greek F-16 fighter planes caught fire while taking off from the Souda air base on the island of Crete.
7 TANK
The last place that you’d think of finding a tank is underwater. Wars often have devastating consequences for humans as well as many vehicles. During the Second World War, the navy stationed in Vanuatu, an island in the Pacific and near Fiji. The navy engaged in Operation Rollup, which was a strategy of getting rid of the Jeeps, tanks, and planes that it had brought to remote islands in the Pacific Ocean, according to Ninja Journalist. Since the navy didn’t want to transport the vehicles back home, they dumped the different modes of transportation into the ocean.
6 MOTORBIKE
Earlier in the article, we mentioned the sinking of the British Merchant Navy ship, the SS Thistlegorm, in 1941.
Apart from the Jeeps that sank after the Germans had bombed the ship, divers also discovered motorbikes.
This breathtaking picture shows a bike in an upright position. Although the bike has rusted, the wheels remain intact. Despite the carnage that the bombing caused to the ship, the impact of the bombs had little effect on the bike. This bike deserves mention amongst the vintage collection that sank with the SS Thistlegorm.
5 PIRATE SHIP
The Royal Navy launched a ship called the “Queen Anne’s Revenge” in 1710. In 1711, the French used it as a slave ship until pirates seized it in 1711. Blackbeard, one of the most notorious pirates in history, along with his crew, used the Queen Anne’s Revenge for less than a year to plunder treasure, according to Pirates Show Cancun. Blackbeard used the ship until it sank in North Carolina, which occurred after he had transferred the loot to smaller ships. Although some used the ship for nefarious activities, the Queen Anne’s Revenge looks stunning even underwater.
4 CRASHED UNDERWATER
Some of the carnage that divers have discovered underwater is remarkable. This plane has crashed into the depths of the sea and has remained there for visitors of the underworld to explore. The circumstances leading to the crash were tragic, resulting in the plane’s carnage at the bottom of the sea. The plane is a complete derelict, and attempting to haul it out of the water will be an arduous task. Although the crash is a tragedy, the wrecked plane provides an interesting underwater exploration for those who are audacious enough to explore the depths of the sea.
3 YACHT IN ANTARCTICA
Exploring Antarctica is an endeavor that most people aren’t keen to engage in. Antarctica’s blizzards aren’t for the faint-hearted—or yachts, it seems. When a Brazilian journalist explored Antarctica, he found himself in heaps of trouble.
Joao Lara Mesquita, journalist and owner of the 76-foot yacht, was producing a documentary with four crew members when his boat sank off the coast of Antarctica, according to Business Insider.
Mesquita named the boat “Mar Sem Fim” (Endless Sea), which likely sank due to ice compression and strong winds. The rescue team saved the four crew members and Mesquita.
2 A FIGHTER PLANE
The pictured airplane is from the World War II era. While some planes crashed on land during the war, this one found the bottom of the sea. If the front of the plane hadn’t been damaged, this flying machine would’ve been in near-perfect condition. Quite a lot of work will be required to restore this airplane, but it might be worth the effort. Once the restorers bring the vehicle to its original condition, they can display a true classic plane. Considering the history that the plane carries, restorers should do everything they can to ensure that the plane can function.
1 TITANIC
No underwater story would be complete without mentioning the most famous ship of all time. The British passenger liner sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during the voyage from Southampton to New York. The ship was transporting some of the wealthiest people in the world, as well as numerous emigrants who were seeking a better life in the United States, when it sank.
Divers discovered the wreckage of the Titanic more than 70 years after the disaster and recovered numerous artifacts, which are now displayed at museums around the world.
The Titanic is the second-largest ocean liner wreck in history.
Sources: dailymail.co.uk, businessinsider.com, divemagazine.co.uk
