- The discovery was made by Lithuanian state-run energy company Ignitis Group, around 120 square kilometers from the coast
- It detected a vessel that measures 230 feet long and 20 feet high; the ship has been unexplored and hidden for decades
- Researchers are working to identify its origins as it was found in area where 19 shipwrecks have been registered
A mysterious shipwreck stretching over 230 feet long has been found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.
The discovery was made by Lithuanian state-run energy company Ignitis Group, around 120 square kilometers from the coast, as it was surveying the seafloor for a wind farm project.
It detected a vessel that measures 230 feet long and 20 feet high. The ship has been unexplored and hidden for decades.
The sunken boat was located 125 feet beneath the surface of the ocean, according to the Ignitis Group.
Researchers are working to identify its origins as it was found in area where 19 shipwrecks have been registered. The Baltic Sea is renowned for being dangerous waters and there is estimated to be up to 100,000 shipwrecks lying beneath it.
The Ignitis Group came across the mysterious shipwreck by complete chance as it was surveying the seafloor.
It used sonar to detect the huge vessel which has remained untouched for years.
Lithuanian officials told the company it was not aware of any sunken ships in the area.
A spokesman for Ignitis Renewables, an arm of Ignitis Group which focuses on green energy, said authorities had confirmed the vessel had not been recorded in any national database.
The energy firm said historical and underwater archaeological research will help paint a better picture about what happened to the ship and how old it actually is.
The Ignitis Renewables spokesman said this ‘will be valuable for the country’s scientific community and historians’.
‘While carrying out research on the Baltic Sea floor for the offshore wind power park project, we have found a previously unknown sunken ship,’ Ignitis Group wrote in a post on social media last week.
‘We are handing this unusual finding over to experts, who will help reveal more information about this object.
‘In addition, all the detailed information about the seabed will not only be used in our project, but also share it with the Lithuanian science community.’
Data collected will also be used to help the company develop its first offshore wind farm in Lithuania.
It hopes to use green energy to fulfill around a quarter of Lithuania’s electricity demand.
The previously unstudied area where the shipwreck was found stretches 75 miles.
Research will determine whether Lithuania will formally register the shipwreck in its national database of historically significant places.
Augustina Kurilienė, chief officer at the department of cultural heritage, said: ‘Once the ship’s dating becomes clear, a decision will be made on its registration in the Register of Cultural Values.’
She added the country will follow UNESCO guidelines for protecting and preserving underwater culture heritage.
Archaeologist Elena Pranckėnaitė said the sunken ship can help paint a picture of the history of shipping in the area.
In 2019, the remains of a 500-year-old ship so ‘astonishingly preserved’ it looked like it ‘sank yesterday’ were found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.
Experts found the incredible shipwreck – located 24 nautical miles from the Swedish coast – while scanning the icy depths with a sonar device.
The vessel, which dates back to the Late 15th or early 16th Century, still has its masts in place, swivel guns on deck and even parts of its rigging remain.
This, experts believe, is because a lack of oxygen in icy depths helps to deter sea animals from ravaging the remains.
Also still on the deck is the ‘incredibly rare’ tender boat, which would have been used to ferry crew to and from the shore.
Pictures and video taken during the inspection of the vessel reveal the incredible remains in full details.
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