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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) has discovered three long-forgotten 'ghost ships' just outside of San Francisco's Golden Gate Strait.

NOAA finds 'ghost ships' near San Francisco's Golden Gate Strait


Cheryl Santa Maria
Digital Reporter

Wednesday, September 17, 2014, 4:11 PM -

Video caption: The SS President Coolidge, back at the wharf in San Francisco following a collision with the tanker Frank H. Buck in March, 1937. Courtesy: NOAA

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) has discovered three long-forgotten 'ghost ships' just outside of San Francisco's Golden Gate Strait.

NOAA confirmed the discovery of the 1910 shipwreck SS Selja, an unidentified tugboat that has been deemed a "mystery wreck" and the 1863 remains of the Noonday clipper ship on Tuesday.

They represent the first finds in a two-year project aimed at locating and identifying the approximately 300 wrecks in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, an area that encompasses 3,366 square kilometres of ocean and coastal waters.

The protected space is home to countless marine species, including whales and sharks.

“The waters of the sanctuary and the park are one of the great undersea museums in the nation,” James Delgado, director of Maritime Heritage for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, said in a statement.


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“These wrecks tell the powerful story of the people who helped build California and opened America to the Pacific for nearly two centuries. Finding the remains of these ships links the past to the present.”  

The project was led by Bruce and Robert Lanham -- San Francisco residents who have discovered a number of wrecks in the area -- with the help of remote-controlled cameras and sensing equipment.

In addition to the discoveries, researchers conducted the first sonar survey on the Frank H. Buck and Lyman Stewart, two of the more famous wrecks in the area.

“The shipwrecks off the Golden Gate are places to explore, discover and appreciate our country’s maritime cultural heritage,” said Brian Johnson, Gulf of the Farallones sanctuary deputy superintendent.

“Through the study, protection and promotion of this diverse legacy, Americans can learn more about our shared past.”

The Frank H. Buck. Courtesy: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

The Frank H. Buck. Courtesy: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

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