Life is far too short to live a boring life stuck behind a computer and inside a six-by-six cubicle. While we all need to make money to finance our lifestyles, there are still ways to live our best lives without ending up at Disneyland yet again and paying for the pleasure of spending yet more of our short lives stuck in a queue. However, while it’s all good channeling our inner Chuck Palahniuk in order to add reason to our existential misery, what is a person supposed to do if they want to add a little more excitement and je ne sais quoi into their life? Well, the answer may surprise those who haven’t spent time reading the title, but it lies in getting up from your couch, stopping the incessant scrolling of TikTok, and figuring out how to head out in the world to go treasure hunting!
In this guide, you are going to go on an initial exportation to gain a decent understanding of what’s involved in the shipwreck hunting game so that when you’re vacation time finally rolls around, you’ll be fully prepared to head out to find some of the most interesting and exciting wrecks in the most exciting locations of the world.
Learn About The Various Wrecks And Research Some Of The Treasures Found
Before you choose to spend your life savings on what will very likely be the trip of a lifetime, you might want to spend some time learning about the various shipwrecks around the world and what sorts of treasures have been found. Throughout your research, you will come across a massive range of shipwreck coin jewelry and other items that were part of empires lost to time and discover some of the more mysterious examples that have never been found. This step isn’t purely to get you in the mood and raring to go but will also provide you with valuable information regarding the best spots to explore and even if there happens to be anything closer to home that you can choose from your preliminary attempts as this will cost you a lot less than traveling to the visual lectins (the Caribbean, Mediterranean, etc.), and give you a taste of whether you actually want to continue.
Researching Potential Shipwreck Locations
Finding some possible locations that are most conducive to this activity will be a part of the process, and you really want to spend as much time as is reasonable at this stage. Because you are going to spend a not insignificant amount of money to book this kind of trip, not to mention the airfare, getting it right the first time is vital. To give you somewhere to start, the following regions are generally considered to harbor the highest number of historically significant wrecks:
- The Caribbean Sea: You might have heard of that little film franchise called The Pirates of the Caribbean. Well, although that is ostensibly fiction, the fact was that this was a place of enormous interest for the major seafaring nations during the ages of empire and, as a result, is home to vast numbers of ships that ran aground or were attacked and subsequently suck.
- The Mediterranean Sea: With a history that counts in millennia rather than centuries, this entire region is chock-full of history. Here, you can find ancient Roman and Greek galleys (some that may even have sunk on the way to famous battles like the Trojan War) and the more modern battleships that were victims of the world wars that ravaged the region.
- The Outer Banks, North Carolina: Known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” the Outer Banks have a dangerous combination of shifting sandbars, strong currents, and unpredictable weather, leading to numerous shipwrecks.
- Scapa Flow, Scotland: If modern history is more your speed, then you will want to explore what Scapa Flow has to offer. This was the site of major World War 2 battles, including those from the German High Seas Fleet.
- The Red Sea: The Red Sea has many very popular wreck diving locations known for well-preserved wrecks thanks to the preserving nature of salt water (which creates a protective layer of mineral deposits that encapsulate the wood).
Legal Considerations For Shipwreck Recovery
If you have plans of finding your fortune on these expeditions, you might need to think again. Stringent laws govern the finding and use of shipwrecks and the treasures found on board. There are numerous legal concepts that surround this activity, but the main one you ought to familiarize yourself with first is known as the law of finds. This applies when a shipwreck is considered abandoned and might entitle you to claim ownership of the vessel and its cargo. However, you need to be aware that it can be legally complex to determine abandonment, and if the ship belongs to a country, you could find yourself at the center of an international legal battle. And you shouldn’t expect the fact that you might be American to save you as many nations will initiate legal action within your country, which does abide by most of these rules.
Analyzing Weather And Tides Before Heading Out
Your life is more important than the priority of finding sunken treasure, and as such, you need to learn how to analyze the weather before heading out. If there’s any hint of anything remotely inclement, you should consider calling off the dive, at least for that day. Learning about weather patterns is a vital skill and one that will benefit you in other ways in life, so making this a priority is only advantageous.
Choosing A Reputable Shipwreck Tour Operator
If you’re serious about this but have no prior experience with diving, safely navigating shipwrecks, or all of the above, you needn’t worry. They are our operators that specialize in this kind of tourism, and when you book with them, they will have dedicated guides that take you around the most sought-after wrecks and explain the history-making things even more enjoyable. It’s worth noting, however, that many will require that you are at least the most basically certified by PADI in order to perform the more complicated and deeper dives. Nevertheless, even if you’re not PADI-certified, there are still shallow wrecks you can explore using a snorkel.
If you’re hankering for some adventure in your life, then you can’t really go wrong with treasure-hunting wrecked ships! As long as you understand the risks involved and are prepared to learn how things are done, you may very well end up having the most memorable trip of your lifetime.
