News
Divers off Cornwall discover 17th century wreck
Divers off Cornwall have discovered cannons and an anchor thought to be from one of the richest ships ever to wreck against these shores.
In 1684 the English East Indiaman the President came to grief against Loe Bar, carrying down most of her crew as well as a ‘very rich lading, modestly judged of no less than a hundred thousand pounds … with much treasure of pearl, and diamonds.’ Her loss was so great that she was even marked on the map of Cornwall produced at this period by the famous Dutch cartographer Van Keulen. The rediscovery of the site thought to be this wreck opens up a whole new chapter in the maritime history of Cornwall, linking these shores to a time when huge fortunes were made and lost in the ‘Enterprise of the Indies.’
David Gibbins, who heads the organisation Cornwall Maritime Archaeology along with Mark Milburn, takes up the story:
“The site was first reported by divers twenty years ago and was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. Mark and I are licenced by Historic England to monitor the wreck, but for many years it has been covered by sand. The recent period of calm weather has allowed us to dive off Loe Bar for the first time in months. We were thrilled to see seven cannon and an anchor, and quickly realised that we were looking at a new part of the site that had never before been recorded. You might think that all the important wreck artefacts off this coast have been found by now, but that is not the case. With every storm the sand can shift to reveal new treasures. It was incredibly exciting to see something that nobody has seen before.”
View of Loe Bar. Photo: David Gibbins
The location of the wreck of the President marked on a map of Cornwall by Van Keulen of the late 17th century. Photo: David Gibbins
The President has a remarkably detailed backstory because a pamphlet was published that year based on the accounts of the survivors: ‘A full ACCOUNT Of the late Ship-wreck of the Ship called The PRESIDENT: Which was cast away in Montz-Bay in Cornwal On the 4th of February last, As it was deliver’d to HIS MAJESTY, (both in Writing and Discourse) By William Smith and John Harshfield, the only Persons that escaped in the said Wreck.’
It tells of a desperate sea battle off the Malabar Coast of India with six pirate ships, in which a roundshot from the President penetrated the powder magazine of one of the pirate vessels and blew it up. Gibbins continued:
“Cannons are common finds on the wrecks of merchant ships from the Age of Sail, a time when most ships were armed. But its very unusual to know that guns on a merchantmen were actually used, especially in such a colourful action and on the very voyage on which the ship was wrecked. It gives a special excitement to seeing these guns for the first time underwater.”
Two cannon on the wreck. Photo: Mark Milburn
Further diving is planned at the site. To follow the team’s progress and see more photos and video, go to www.facebook.com/cornwallmaritimearchaeology.
Today we are diving one of the outer reefs from an inflatable. As we reach the bottom, a reef octopus eases its way into the cover of a small crack in the coral while displaying it’s incredible ability to change colour. They are arguably one of the most charismatic of reef dwellers and it is always exciting for me to simply hover and watch. I would have spent longer and waited for it to come and investigate me, but as dive time is limited we wanted to move on and find a turtle.
The waters around Somabay are well protected and hold a rich variety of marine life. The reef edges are thriving colonies of coral and shoaling fish, while nearer the sea bed plenty of wildlife is still to be found.
Then we located the turtles. They are very used to divers and so show little concern when slowly approached. In fact occasionally one will come over to see what you are doing. There is always huge excitement when diving with a turtle. The shear thrill of sharing a moment with another species.
What a fantastic way to finish a wonderful few days diving and I would like to thank SOMABAY, ORCA DIVING and THE BREAKERS for making my stay such a good one.
I had a great time, with diving everyday either on the house reef or on one of the offshore reefs by inflatable or larger day boat. Orca diving provided high quality equipment and facilities while the staff were all very friendly and welcoming. The Breakers was right on the coast with nice rooms, good food and once again friendly staff making the whole trip a real pleasure.
Soma Bay covers an entire peninsula and is home to several resorts as well as residential compounds.
As well as scuba diving, Somabay caters for many other sports and activities, and so is perfect for families as well as individuals and/or groups. And of course there is always time to lay peacefully on the beach under the Egyptian sun.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
Day three of my trip to Somabay and we were spending the day on the Lady Christina and diving on the wreck of the Salem Express.
Diving wrecks for me is always one of mixed emotions. The excitement of diving a wreck is more than often tempered by the thought of loss of life when she sank. The Salem Express was a passenger ship and a roll-on/roll-off ferry travelling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Safaga, Egypt. Most passengers were of poor class travelling home from their holidays while around 150 people were returning home from their pilgrimage to Mecca.
The ship struck a reef and sank within 20 minutes. Passengers were trapped below deck and the ship was filled with fear and panic.
The wreck area is strewn with personal belongings from the crew and passengers such as a transistor radio and a flat iron for clothes. A diver at sometime has put them in a prominent place to be seen.
Tragically only one life boat was launched while the others went down with the ship. More than 600 men, women and children lost their lives here.
It’s a stark reminder that the sea can be unforgiving and so when we dive on such wrecks we should do so with humble regard.
Returning to the surface, shoals of fish are gathered under our boat and seem to be welcoming us back into the light.
Back at the Breakers I sat in the dining area with a beer and a very good meal while my thoughts still remained with the day’s dive on the Salem Express.
Check in for part 3 tomorrow for Jeff’s last day of diving with Somabay on the off-shore reefs looking for turtles.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
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