The 12 Most Unusual Objects Found at the Bottom of the Ocean

Despite its significance in the lives of humans and animals, very little is known about the ocean. Researchers have mapped more of the moon than they have of the ocean floor, leaving around 80% of the sea completely unexplored. Of the parts that we do know, mysteries remain, and interesting stories unfold. From lost cities and pyramids to possible alien aircraft and buried treasure, there are indeed many mysterious objects lurking beneath the surface. Check out this list of the 12 most unusual objects found at the bottom of the ocean and learn how they got there.

Pavlopetri – An Ancient City

Situated underwater in Vatika Bay off the coast of Greece, Pavlopetri is not just an unusual object. It’s an entire city. In fact, it is the oldest underwater city. It dates back 5,000 years to the Minoan times and was discovered in 1968, with its overall layout intact. Pavlopetri is an important discovery for archaeologists, as it was one of the first planned cities, featuring neighborhoods, factories, markets, and administrative buildings. This city became completely submerged after several cataclysmic earthquakes around 1,000 BC. Despite its significance, Pavlopetri is threatened by looters, tourists, and boats dragging anchors.

A Fleet of 1970s Cars

A cargo ship journeying from Saudi Arabia through the Sha’ab Reef was apparently smuggling goods in December of 1977. The crew members misjudged the width of the reef and sank after hitting part of it. The too-big ship now lies upside down on a slope in the Fasima Suedi, a gap in a very long reef. Scattered around the ship are Toyota cars, tractors, and trucks from the 1970s. The wreckage serves as an excellent diving site for the adventurous. Divers can swim around the old sunken ship and inspect the Toyota cars and trucks while watching the colorful fish swim around.

Ancient Greek Analog Computer

The mysterious, unusual object was found in a Roman shipwreck in Greece in 1901. The Antikythera Mechanism dates back more than 2,000 years and is the world’s oldest analog computer. This hand-powered device is actually an astronomical calculator that displays the Sun, Moon, and planets using dozens of gears. Only a third of the device survived life underwater, but scientists made a 3D model of it using modern materials and it is truly impressive, especially for an ancient civilization. Ultimately, the device was used to predict astronomical events, such as eclipses.

Moon Rocket Engines

The Apollo 11 mission took off on July 16, 1969, the five F-1 engines that fired on that day fell back to Earth as planned and landed in the Atlantic Ocean. These moon rocket engines sat 14,000 feet below the surface off the coast of Florida for more than 40 years before they were recovered by an exploration team funded by billionaire Jeff Bezos. Each F-1 engine was hand-built and manually assembled, measuring 19 feet tall and weighing 20,000 pounds.

125-Year-Old Bottle of Beer

This might be our favorite unusual object! Located at the bottom of the Halifax Harbor, a preserved bottle of still-fizzy beer was found by a scuba diver. The bottle belonged to one of Canada’s oldest breweries and was an Alexander Keith pale ale about 125 years old. While the bottle contained some salt water, it was still very well preserved as beer. The green glass now sits in a museum at the site where the brewery once stood. Visitors can view the bottle under glass at Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia Brewery.

Ancient Roman Statues

Numerous artifacts sit hiding beneath the water, home to marine life and influenced by the waves and tides. This archeological site contains ruins thousands of years old from Baiae, Italy. Baiae was an ancient Roman town located on the Gulf of Naples as a spa resort. It was built on the slopes of a super volcano, but its surface eventually sunk under water and was forgotten for 1,500 years. Buried under the water are numerous Roman statues and other artifacts.

Baltic Sea Anomaly

While hunting for treasure at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, a Swedish diving team captured a sonar image of a mysterious object in the ocean. The team hypothesized that the object was not of natural origin, causing wide speculation of a possible sunken UFO. The blurry image seems to capture an unusual disc-shaped object on the ocean floor. However, many researchers studied the sonar image and concluded that it is most likely a natural geological formation.

Titanic

Submerged more than 12,000 feet below the ocean’s surface off the coast of Newfoundland, the Titanic sits silently. In 1912, the Titanic sank on April 15 after it collided with an iceberg on its maiden voyage. Nearly 1,500 people perished on that fateful day and two large chunks of the ship still lay buried in the ocean. Salvage operations have taken place over the years to recover artifacts from the ship, with many items on public display in museums.

Underwater Archeological Museum of Alexandria

Located near the mouth of the Nile, Heracleion was an ancient Egyptian port city built on adjoining sands in the Nile Delta. The city got its start as early as the 12th century BC, and it was an important city due to its international trade. During the 2nd century BCE, a major tsunami or earthquake destroyed much of the city and by the 8th century AD, it was completely submerged. The sunken city and its many artifacts were uncovered in 2000 by a French underwater archeologist and his team.

Cuba’s Sunken Pyramids

In 2001, a marine engineer made an exciting discovery using advanced sonar equipment while exploring Cuban waters. A series of symmetrical stone structures stood out against the barren landscape of the ocean floor. The structures resembled pyramids and an urban complex and are most likely ruins from a local culture long ago. However, many experts dismissed the idea that a sunken city exists off the coast of Cuba and the story hasn’t gotten much publicity over the years.

Jesus Statue

Christ of the Abyss is a bronze statue of Jesus Christ submerged in the Mediterranean Sea, between Camogli and Portofino on the Italian Riviera. However, there are other versions of this state throughout the world, including in Florida, off the coast of Key Largo. The statue in Italy was created by artist Guido Galletti and placed in the spot where an Italian scuba diver died in 1947. Christ of the Abyss offers a benediction of peace.

The RMS Republic and a Billion Dollars in Coins

The RMS Republic was a steam-powered ocean liner known as the “Millionaires’ Ship,” due to its wealthy clientele. The ship was lost at sea after a collision in 1909, but, thankfully, 1,500 people were rescued because the ship was equipped with a wireless telegraph transmitter. However, it is believed that RMS Republic was carrying coins valued at more than $7 billion in modern times. The coins have never been recovered.