Shipwreck Brimming with Champagne
“The whole wreck is loaded to the brim with crates of champagne, mineral water, and porcelain,” said Tomasz Stachura, the leader of the Baltictech diving team, in a press release to CNN.
Source: Tomasz Stachura/Baltictech
Stachura is noted on the firm’s website as “one of the most active wreck divers in the Baltic Sea,” with “thousands of underwater pictures of Baltic wrecks” to his credit.
A One-of-a-kind Discovery
Despite his extensive experience, he noted that this recent discovery was unique, revealing around 100 bottles onboard.
Source: Freepik
“I have been diving for 40 years, and it often happens that there is one bottle or two… but to discover a wreck with so much cargo, it’s a first for me,” he remarked in the release.
“Largely a Coincidence”
Stachura explained that the find was “largely a coincidence.”
Source: Bobbi Wu/Unsplash
The divers had been exploring new sites in search of sunken ships when they made the discovery.
Stachura Reveals Serendipitous Discovery
“We were just checking out new spots, which I had been collecting for years, out of pure curiosity, and that’s when we came across this wreck,” Stachura said.
Source: Tomasz Stachura/Baltictech
“We did not expect it to be anything significant and even hesitated for a moment whether to dive at all.”
“Quick Dive” Turns into Nearly Two Hours of Exploration
Two team members decided to investigate on a “quick dive.”
Source: Freepik
However, they ended up spending nearly two hours underwater, according to a post on the team’s website.
Abundance of Cargo
The wreck was “in very good condition.”
Source: Olga Ga/Unsplash
The post added that there was so much cargo that assessing the quantities proved challenging.
Selters Water Bottles Reveal 19th-Century Luxury
While the champagne was cause for celebration, it was the water bottles that offered significant historical insight.
Source: Pixabay/Pexels
The press release noted that the water was contained in sealed clay bottles branded Selters, “a German brand highly valued in the 19th century, often reserved for royal tables and considered almost medicinal.”
Bottled for Over 800 Years, Still in Production Today
This mineral water comes from a spring in Selters, a town in central Germany’s Hesse region, and has been bottled for over 800 years.
Source: Wikimedia
“We managed to take pictures of the brand name stamped on a clay bottle, which turned out to be from the German company Selters – produced to this day,” said diver and underwater videographer Marek Cacaj in the press release.
Historical Value of Selters Water
Baltictech’s website mentions that the water’s value was so high that its transports were “escorted by the police.”
Source: rawpixel.com/Freepik
Stachura added that, “Thanks to the shape of the stamp, and with historians’ help, we know that our shipment was produced between 1850-1867.
Wreck Located South of Öland
The divers have informed Swedish regional authorities about the wreck, which is located about 20 nautical miles south of Öland, Sweden.
Source: Wikimedia
However, retrieving the champagne from the vessel might take some time due to administrative restrictions, Stachura noted. “It had been lying there for 170 years, so let it lie there for one more year, and we will have time to better prepare for the operation,” he said.
Collaborative Effort
The team is collaborating with Dutch marine data company MARIS, Södertörn University in Sweden, and Professor Johan Rönnby, who oversees Swedish underwater research.
Source: Jeremy Bishop/Pexels
Together, they are developing guidelines for future exploration of the wreck.