List of shipwrecks of North America

See also: List of missing ships and List of maritime disasters

This is a list of shipwrecks located in or around North America, within the territorial waters of countries which for political purposes are considered a part of the North American continent, including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, and the island nations of the Caribbean.

Bermuda

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Alert		March 1877	A fishing sloop that was wrecked on the northern reefs.
Apollo		February 1890	A schooner that was wrecked on the reefs en route to Nova Scotia.
Avenger		February 1894	A brigantine that was wrecked on Mills Breakers.
Beaumaris Castle		25 April 1873	A cargo ship that ran aground on Mills Breakers and was abandoned after several unsuccessful salvage attempts.
Blanch King		2 December 1920	A schooner that was wrecked on the southwest reefs.
Caesar		17 May 1818	A brig that was wrecked on a reef en route from England to Baltimore.
Caraquet		25 June 1923	A mail steamship that was wrecked on the northern barrier reef.
HMS Cerberus	Royal Navy	21 February 1783	A fifth-rate warship that was lost at Castle Harbour.
Collector		26 May 1823	A schooner that was wrecked northeast of St. George's.
Colonel William G. Ball		June 1943	A luxury yacht that was wrecked on Mills Breakers in severe weather.
Constellation		30 July 1942	A schooner that was wrecked on a reef with a cargo of drugs, cement, and whiskey, an incident which inspired the novel and film The Deep.
Cristobal Colon		25 October 1936	An ocean liner that ran aground on a reef, becoming Bermuda's largest shipwreck.
Curlew		17 March 1856	A barquentine that was wrecked on the northern reefs.
Darlington		22 February 1886	A steamship that was wrecked on the Western Reef.
Eagle		12 January 1659	A merchantman that was wrecked on the northeast breakers.
Elda		20 June 1956	A yacht that was wrecked close to the Eagle.
"Frenchman wreck"		c. 1750	An unidentified ship, wrecked around 1750; found in 1983.
Hermes	United States	1984	An American ship that was scuttled as a dive wreck one mile off shore.
L'Herminie		3 December 1838	A frigate that was wrecked on a reef in rough weather.
Hunters Galley		11 January 1752	A sloop that foundered in a series of storms and was wrecked on the rocks at Hogfish Cut.
Iristo	Norway	16 March 1937	A Norwegian steamer also known as Aristo, that grounded after mistaking the Colon wreck for a ship still underway. She was recovered from the reef, but sank under tow the following day.
Kate	United Kingdom	30 November 1878	A British steamer that struck a reef and was run aground to prevent her from sinking.
HMS Katherine	Royal Navy	4 April 1763	A brigantine that was wrecked en route to Jamaica.
King	United States	1984	An American tug that was scuttled as the first intentionally created dive site in Bermuda.
Lartington		14 December 1879	A cargo ship that ran aground near Western Blue Cut, after just five years of operation.
Lord Amherst	United Kingdom	16 February 1778	A British armed transport and hospital ship that was wrecked on the western reefs.
Madiana		10 February 1903	A passenger steamer, formerly the Balmoral Castle, that struck a reef near Hamilton Harbour.
"Manilla wreck"			An unidentified ship, wrecked mid-18th century.
Mari Celeste	United States	13 September 1864	An American Civil War blockade runner that struck a reef while being piloted by a Bermudian, and sank within eight minutes.
Mark Antonio	Spain	18 July 1777	A Spanish privateer that was wrecked on the reefs, and discovered in the early 1960s.
Minnie Breslauer		1 January 1873	A cargo ship that ran aground on the reefs, and although later recovered, sank en route to St. George's.
Montana	United Kingdom	30 December 1863	An American Civil War blockade runner that hit a reef off the north shore.	32°21.817′N 64°54.812′W
Mussel	Bermuda	7 February 1926	A Bermudian fishing ketch that was wrecked on the western reefs.
North Carolina		1 January 1880	A barque that was wrecked south of Gibs Hill Lighthouse.
Pelinaion	Greece	22 December 1940	A Greek steamer that was wrecked off David's Head.
Pollockshields		1915	A cargo ship, formerly the Herodot, that was wrecked near Elbow Beach.
Ramona	Canada		A Canadian yacht that was wrecked in 1967, refloated for salvaging, and re-sunk near the Royal Naval Dockyard.
Richard P. Buck		13 April 1889	A cargo ship that caught fire and sank following a storm.
San Antonio	Kingdom of Portugal	12 September 1621	A Portuguese nao that was wrecked on the west reefs, and discovered in 1960.
San Pedro	Spain	1595–1596	A 350-ton Spanish ship that was wrecked to the north of the main island, and discovered in 1951. Valuable treasures and artifacts have been raised, including a 32-ounce gold bar, two smaller gold bars, and an emerald-studded gold cross.
Sea Venture	England	25 July 1609	An English ship that was deliberately grounded after taking damage in a storm, and subsequently broke up and sank.
Taunton	Norway	24 November 1920	A Norwegian steamer that was wrecked on the northern reefs.
Virginia Merchant		26 March 1661	A passenger and cargo ship that ran aground off Sonesta Beach.
HMS Vixen	Royal Navy	1896	A coastal defence ship that was scuttled as a blockship off Daniel's Head.	32°18′21.31″N 64°53′7.88″W
Warwick	England	November 1619	An English cargo ship that was sunk in a gale in Castle Harbour.
Wychwood	United Kingdom	14 August 1955	An English steamer that ran aground off Gibs Hill Light. The ship was refloated but then abandoned at Five Fathom's Hole, and later blown up as a hazard to navigation.
Zovetto		13 February 1924	A cargo ship, also known as Zovetta or Rita Zovetto, that ran aground off St. David's Light.

Canada

Main article: List of shipwrecks of Canada

Cuba

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Almirante Oquendo	Spanish Navy	3 July 1898	An Infanta Maria Teresa-class armored cruiser that was scuttled about 700 metres (2,300 ft) offshore in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.	19°58′39″N 76°8′40″W
Cristóbal Colón	Spanish Navy	3 July 1898	A Giuseppe Garibaldi-class armored cruiser that was sunk in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.	19°56′N 76°45′W
USS Merrimac	United States Navy	2 June 1898	A steamship that was sunk by Spanish cruisers in the harbor at Santiago de Cuba.	19°58′37″N 75°52′18″W
Vizcaya	Spanish Navy	3 July 1898	An Infanta Maria Teresa-class armored cruiser that was sunk in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba.	19°58′N 76°8′W

Dominican Republic

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Astron	Soviet Union	7 April 1978	A freighter that ran aground and broke in two off the coast of Punta Cana.	18°43′49.79″N 68°27′14.27″W
Atlantic Princess			Originally a tourist mover that was to be sunk as an artificial reef off the coast of Bayahibe, but sunk accidentally right in front of Dreams resort.
Catuan		December 2006	Scuttled in the area of Juan Dolio at depths ranging from 24 to 60 feet (7.3 to 18.3 m).
Conde de Tolosa	Spain	25 August 1724	A Spanish galleon that ran aground during a hurricane in Samaná Bay.
Diomedes	French Navy		A French ship lost in the fierce maritime Battle of Palenque, in the 17th century, in Palenque, Bani.
Dolphin	United States Coast Guard		A 64-foot-long (20 m) fishing boat, and sister ship of the Hickory. It lies in El Portillo, Las Terrenas, and has served as an underwater base for rescue operations.
Hickory	United States Coast Guard	1986	A 140-foot-long (43 m) former US Coast Guard vessel, commanded by Captain Tracy Bowden for underwater exploration and rescue operations, the Hickory was sunk by Hurricane George while carrying 50 passengers. All survived. It is now a national park in La Caleta, Santo Domingo.
Imperiale	French Navy		A French ship lost in the Battle of Palenque, in the 17th century, in Palenque, Bani.
RP-14 Limon			An old tugboat 155 feet (47 m) long that rests in about 80 feet (24 m) of water very close to the Hickory in the same park. This ship was scuttled there for the same reason – to serve as a tourist attraction. The depth where this shipwreck lies varies from 27–60 feet (8.2–18.3 m). The three propellers of this tugboat are still clearly visible.
London			Sunk in the 17th century in Samaná Bay.
Monte Cristi Pipe Wreck			Thought to have been a merchant trader, probably sunk in the latter part of the 17th century. Named for the large number of clay smoking pipes it carried as cargo.
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe	Spain	24 August 1724	A Spanish galleon sunk by a hurricane in Samaná Bay.
Nuestra Señora de la Limpia y Pura Concepción, known as La Concepción	Spain	1641	This Spanish treasure ship built in 1620 was reportedly overloaded with silver bullion for its return journey to Spain as part of the 1641 treasure fleet. The fleet sailed from Havana on 20 September 1641 but was heavily hit by a hurricane nine days later. Concepción got separated from the main fleet and tried to make for Puerto Rico, but on October 31 foundered and sank on a sand bank north of Hispaniola, which is now called Silver Bank after this shipwreck. First found by William Phips in 1687, his operation managed to salvage 34 tons of silver and other treasure. Back in England the expedition's revenue was assessed as £205,536. In the 20th century it was the object of several known treasure hunting expeditions: A. Korganoff in 1952, Edwin Link in 1955, Falcon-Barker in 1962 and Cousteau in 1968, until finally being re-discovered by Burt Webber in 1978. More than 95,000 silver coins, Ming Dynasty ceramics, gold chains, and many other artifacts were salvaged at that time.
Quedagh Merchant			An Indian merchant vessel captured on 30 January 1696 by William Kidd, who renamed it the Adventure Prize. Shortly before he was arrested for piracy, Kidd entrusted the ship to hired merchants, who sold off most of the goods, set fire to the ship, and absconded to Holland. The wreck was discovered in 2007 off the coast of Catalina Island.
Scipion	French Navy	October 1782	A French ship that took part in the blockade against Cornwallis and thus was instrumental in the American Revolutionary War; sunk in a battle against the British fleet. Found and positively identified by Tracy Bowden. Recovered October 2009 by Deep Blue Marine Inc.
St. George		1999	Sunk as an artificial reef near La Romana.

Greenland

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Coburg	Kriegsmarine	3 June 1944	A weather ship that was scuttled at Cape Sussi, Shannon Island.
Hans Hedtoft	Denmark	30 January 1959	A liner that struck an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage off the coast of Western Greenland
Hermann	Kriegsmarine	17 June 1943	A weather ship that was scuttled in Hansa Bay.
Kehdingen	Kriegsmarine	1 September 1944	A weather ship that was scuttled off Store Koldewey to prevent capture.	76°30′N 19°02′W

Guatemala

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Springfjord	United Kingdom	27 June 1954	A cargo ship that was bombed and sunk off Puerto San José by the CIA, who were engineering a coup d'état in Guatemala.	13.933°N 90.817°W / 13.933; -90.817 (SS Springfjord)

Haiti

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Bluenose	Canada	28 January 1946	A celebrated Canadian racing schooner that foundered on a reef off Île à Vache.
Crête-à-Pierrot	Haitian National Police	6 September 1902	A cruiser that was scuttled to prevent capture while harboured at Gonaïves.
Mary Celeste	United States	3 January 1885	A brigantine found in 1872 in the Atlantic Ocean, unmanned and under full sail, heading towards the Strait of Gibraltar. It was later deliberately run aground and burned in an insurance fraud attempt, off the western coast of Port-au-Prince.

Lesser Antilles

Aruba

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Antilla	Germany	10 May 1940	A supply ship that was scuttled to prevent capture off Aruba.	12.60175°N 070.05815°W / 12.60175; -070.05815 (MS Antilla (1939))
Pedernales	United Kingdom	16 February 1942	A lake tanker that was torpedoed by the German submarine U-156, and later towed into a dry dock and cut in three. The fore and aft sections were joined together, and the middle section was sunk as a target.	12.57889°N 070.05833°W / 12.57889; -070.05833 (SS Pedernales)

Bonaire

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Hilma Hooker	Colombia	12 September 1984	A drug-smuggling ship that was seized by the authorities at Bonaire, then took on water and sank at harbour.	12.1039°N 68.2895°W / 12.1039; -68.2895 (Hilma Hooker)

British Virgin Islands

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
HMS Astraea	Royal Navy	23 May 1808	A British frigate wrecked on Anegada's Horseshoe Reef.
HMS Nymph	Royal Navy	18 June 1783	A British sloop that caught fire, foundered, and sank in Road Town's harbour.
RMS Rhone	United Kingdom	29 October 1867	A British packet ship wrecked during a hurricane off the coast of Salt Island.	18.3687°N 64.5356°W / 18.3687; -64.5356 (RMS Rhone)

Grenada

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Bianca C.	France	24 October 1961	A passenger ship that was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine in 1944, before construction on the ship was completed. It sank for the second time near St. George's, following an explosion.	12.053°N 61.759°W / 12.053; -61.759 (Bianca C (ship))

Martinique

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Cygne	French Navy	13 December 1808	An Abeille-class brig that ran aground off Martinique and was scuttled to prevent capture.

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Christena	St. Kitts and Nevis	1 August 1970	A ferry boat that sank off St. Kitts.

Saint Lucia

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Angeln	Antigua and Barbuda	21 February 2010	A container ship that capsized off Saint Lucia.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Antilles	France	8 January 1971	An ocean liner that ran aground on a reef near the island of Mustique.

Trinidad and Tobago

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Gulfstream	Unknown	February 2024	Oil tanker capsized.
Mahiri	United Kingdom	19 February 1974	An Empire F type coaster that sprung a leak and sank under tow off Port of Spain.	10°37′N 61°34′W

Mexico

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
USS Alabaster	United States Navy	1982	A patrol boat that caught fire off Puerto Vallarta.
USS Belet	United States Navy	16 January 1972	A Crosley-class high speed transport that ran aground on Bahia Peninsula.
Challenger	Peru	October 1875	An extreme clipper that was wrecked in a gale and drifted ashore at Manzanillo.
USS H-1	United States Navy	12 March 1920	A H-class submarine that ran aground off Isla Santa Margarita.
USS Jubilant	United States Navy	August 2001	An Admirable-class minesweeper that was sunk as an artificial reef off Veracruz.
HMCS Kootenay	Royal Canadian Navy	2001	A Restigouche-class destroyer that was sunk as an artificial reef.
HMS Monkey	Royal Navy	13 May 1831	A schooner that wrecked while being towed across the bar at Tampico.
USS Palomas	United States Navy	25 May 1969	A schooner that ran aground on Sacramento Reef, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) off the coast of Baja California.
HMCS Restigouche	Royal Canadian Navy	2001	A Restigouche-class destroyer that was sunk as an artificial reef off Acapulco.
USS Scuffle	United States Navy	1999	An Admirable-class minesweeper that was sunk off Cozumel.
USS Somers	United States Navy	8 December 1846	A brig that capsized off Veracruz.

Panama

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Cheribon	Chile	11 April 1902	A cargo ship that was wrecked on a reef near Remedios District.
Nuestra Señora de Encarnación	Spain	1681	A merchant vessel that sank in a storm at the mouth of the Chagres River. The wreck was rediscovered in 2011.
Sub Marine Explorer	United States		A submersible that was used for harvesting oysters and pearls in the Pearl Islands, until it was abandoned in 1869.	8.28158°N 78.8459°W / 8.28158; -78.8459 (Sub Marine Explorer)

Puerto Rico

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
Antonio López	Spain	1898	A transoceanic steamer belonging to the Compañía Transatlántica Española.	18°28′48″N 66°13′50″W

The Bahamas

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
USS Adirondack	United States Navy	23 August 1862	A sloop-of-war that struck a reef off Man-O-War Cay.
HMS Algerine	Royal Navy	20 May 1813	A Pigmy-class schooner that was wrecked on the Little Bahama Bank.
USS Chippewa	United States Navy	12 December 1816	A brig that ran aground on a reef.
HMS Conqueror	Royal Navy	13 December 1861	A Conqueror-class ship of the line that was wrecked on Rum Cay.
USS Courier	United States Navy	14 June 1864	A storeship and gunboat that ran aground in the Abaco Islands.
El Faro	United States	1 October 2015	A cargo ship that was sunk by Hurricane Joaquin near Crooked Island.
Logna	Bahamas	16 October 1982	A cargo ship that was scuttled as a dive site and artificial reef about two miles offshore of Xanadu Beach Resort & Marina, Grand Bahama; known as "Theo's Wreck".
HMS Nimble	Royal Navy	4 November 1834	A schooner employed in anti-slave trade patrol until it struck a reef in the Old Bahama Channel.
USS San Jacinto	United States Navy	1 January 1865	A steam frigate that struck a reef near Great Abaco Island.
Sapona	United States	1926	A cargo steamer run aground near Bimini during a hurricane.	25°39.040′N 79°17.593′W

Turks and Caicos Islands

Ship	Flag	Sunk date	Notes	Coordinates
2009 Turks and Caicos Islands migrant shipwreck	Haiti	26 July 2009	A wooden boat carrying migrants from Haiti that capsized near West Caicos.
General Pershing	United States	11 July 1921	A schooner that was wrecked on Endymion Rock.
Molasses Reef Wreck	Unknown	Unknown	Early 16th-century Spanish shipwreck, the earliest European shipwreck in the Americas to be scientifically excavated.
Trouvadore	Spain	March 1841	A Spanish slave ship that was wrecked off East Caicos. The crew were arrested upon reaching land, and the 168 Africans took up residence at Grand Turk Island.

United States

Main article: List of shipwrecks of the United States

References

• "Bermuda Shipwrecks". Aqua Explorers, Inc.

Further reading

• Marx, Robert F. (1987). Shipwrecks in the Americas. New York: Dover. ISBN 0-486-25514-X.

External links

• WRECKSITE Worldwide database of + 65,000 wrecks with history, maritime charts and GPS positions (subscription required)
• Ship Information Database Contains historical data about ships that were registered with Canadian ports or that sailed Canadian waters.