Divers have discovered a 19th century shipwreck loaded with champagne off the coast of Sweden.
The group, from Poland, were diving last week in the Baltic Sea, 20 nautical miles (37 km) south of the island of Öland, when they accidentally spotted what they thought was a merchant ship.
The brackish waters of the Baltic Sea are home to an estimated 100,000 shipwrecks, making them a fascinating destination for divers, marine archaeologists and, more recently, looters.
Divers counted about 100 champagne bottles in the hold, as well as porcelain and mineral water.
“The entire wreck was loaded with champagne, mineral water and boxes of china.” Baltic Tech The diving group told AFP.
He said: “I’ve been diving for 40 years and it’s not uncommon to find one or two bottles. This is the first time I’ve found a wreck with so much cargo.”
The divers stumbled upon the wreck after searching the ocean floor for years “out of pure curiosity.” The discovery of a sealed bottle of clay water revealed that the ship capsized in the late 19th century, the divers said.
“We were able to take a photo of the brand name stamped on a clay jar, and it turned out to be from a German company called Selters, and the logo from that period had this exact shape,” Stachura said.
Divers said they had notified local authorities in Sweden about the sinking but that it would take time to bring the champagne bottles to shore.
“[The ship] “It’s been sitting there for 170 years, so leaving it there for another year will allow us to better prepare it for the operation,” Stachura said.
