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| USS Monitor Warship wreck |
International Military - A United States warship was found in astonishing condition despite being on the seabed off the coast of North Carolina since 1862 or sinking for 160 years. The ship is called the USS Monitor.
In the latest expedition, Valor in the Atlantic, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries partnered with the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration to investigate the wreck. To their surprise, the team found that the ship was in much better condition than previously thought.
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They say that for the past 160 years, warships have avoided being overwhelmed by time itself. According to a Newsweek report, Tuesday (7/6/2022), the warship USS Monitor ran aground and sank 16 miles from Cape Hatteras on the North Carolina coast about 160 years ago.
Sixteen people died after the warship was hit by a storm. The wreckage of the USS Monitor was actually discovered in 1973 and was later designated a National Marine Sanctuary in 1975.
Since then, the site of the warship's sinking has been visited as part of various expeditions to restore the tower, propeller, and other artifacts for preservation.
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Now that a remotely operated underwater vehicle ROV has been used to inspect the site, Tane Renata Casserley, resource protection and clearance coordinator at NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Monitor, said, "The wreck is in astonishing condition after being on the ocean floor for 160 years. and cope with all environmental conditions at Cape Hatteras, including very strong currents and hurricanes."
Casserley also added that the iron hull and armor belt built to withstand the rigors of war now also allows the USS Monitor to provide a stable habitat in its new role as an island of life.
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“It's amazing to see the transformation at the bottom of the ocean. Often there is so much marine life on the USS Monitor that it is difficult to see the shipwreck itself," he added.
NOAA informs that there is healthy coral living at the wreck site teeming with life, and even predators such as tiger sharks are present in so-called "living shipwrecks". It is said that the USS Monitor is the oldest and most important shipwreck because it was the first US warship to be built with a revolutionary rotating turret.