Deepest shipwreck ever found discovered in Pacific Ocean

Image source, Caladan Oceanic

Image caption, The bow of the sunken ship

A ship has been found off the coast of the Philippines nearly 7,000 metres below sea level - making it the deepest wreck ever to be discovered.

The US Navy destroyer escort, a type of warship, was sunk during a World War II battle in October 1944.

Explorers found the USS Samuel B. Roberts, nicknamed Sammy B, broken in two pieces on a slope at a depth of 6,985 meters (over 4 miles).

That's over five times the height of Britain's highest mountain Ben Nevis.

The wreck is 426 meters (1,400 feet) deeper than the USS Johnston, the previous deepest shipwreck discovered last year.

Both wrecks were found by American explorer Victor Vescovo, founder of Dallas-based Caladan Oceanic Expeditions.

Vescovo, a former Navy commander, announced the latest find together with UK based EYOS Expeditions: "Resting at 6,895 meters, it is now the deepest shipwreck ever located and surveyed.

"It was an extraordinary honour to locate this incredibly famous ship, and by doing so have the chance to retell her story of heroism and duty to those who may not know of the ship and her crew's sacrifice."

Image source, Caladan Oceanic

Image caption, A gun turret can still be seen on the sunken ship

The ship was sunk in the Battle of Samar, when the US Navy fought the Japanese Navy in the Philippine Sea, near an island called Samar.

The battle was part of the bigger Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history.

A crewed submersible vehicle - a small watercraft designed to operate underwater - filmed and photographed the wreck during a series of dives this month.

The search involved the use of the deepest side-scan sonar ever installed.

Images from the wreck show many parts of the ship still intact, including a three-tube torpedo launcher and gun mount.

Image source, Caladan Oceanic via AP

Image caption, A three-tube torpedo launcher on the wreck

The Sammy B was one of a number of US ships sunk in the Battle of Samar.

The USS Johnston, which at nearly 6,500 meters was previously the world's deepest shipwreck identified, was reached by Vescovo's team in 2021.

The team also searched for the USS Gambier Bay at more than 7,000 meters below sea level, but was unable to locate it.

The wreck of the Titanic lies in about 4,000 meters of water.

What do you think of this amazing discovery? Let us know in the comments.