Why Preserve Wrecks?

The UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage:

The richness of the world’s underwater cultural heritage is often underestimated. While over the last century, archaeological sites on land have yielded an abundance of information on the development of civilizations, the oceans,  which cover the larger part of our planet, still retain many of their secrets. However, they contain a unique testament to the spirit of our ancestors for exploration; and many shipwrecks and ruins of cities lost to the waves are much better  preserved than similar sites found on land.

Nonetheless, looting of underwater cultural heritage and the destruction of  its context are increasing rapidly and threaten to deprive humanity of this  heritage. The waves have protected shipwrecks and ruins for centuries, but improvements in diving technology have made them more accessible and  therefore increasingly vulnerable. The pillaging and dispersion of archaeological heritage is no longer restricted to land-based sites with treasure hunting  now taking place under water. Nevertheless, while many States have heightened the preservation of their heritage on land, most of their underwater cultural heritage remains unprotected.

 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

In addition to their cultural significance, shipwrecks function as important habitat for a wide variety of fishes, invertebrates and algal species…”

 

University of Plymouth Marine Institute

Historical shipwrecks can contribute significantly to the coastal economy, provide adventure for divers and greatly influence our understanding of maritime history.

Protecting and Preserving the Underwater Cultural Heritage in the Philippines:

The archipelagic nature of the Philippines and its strategic maritime location in the South China Sea gives an indication of the country’s significant underwater cultural heritage. Indigenous and foreign watercraft dating from the 3rd century C.E. has been discovered, excavated, exhibited and published by the National Museum of the Philippines and in collaboration with local and foreign research entities.

However, the management and protection of this cultural heritage is far from perfect. Inadequate financial support from the government, weak legislation and enforcement and lack of qualified personnel are cited as some of the reasons. This is coupled with the ever active threat of pillage and destruction from treasure hunters, illegal fishing methods and the dive tourism industry. As such, the National Museum’s role as the leading government agency tasked with the conduct and management of the country’s underwater cultural heritage and the advance of underwater archaeology to an academic practice remains a challenge…

…At this time, no work on shipwreck preservation and protection, management and monitoring has yet been undertaken. There are numerous shipwrecks from the turn of the century to Second World War wrecks that are very vulnerable to looting and other forms of destruction. These submerged cultural resources need to be managed in conjunction with other stakeholders, such as the diving industry and local communities. 

There is a need to enhance information dissemination and public awareness through the Internet, television, books, journals, magazine articles and other media in order to reach a wider audience. Some National Museum projects have been televised but not widely or during primetime. More projects that have media coverage can be expected to provoke more public interest.

The scuba diving community is a very important resource that needs to be tapped. In many cases divers possess first-hand information about shipwreck locations and most have the best intentions but not the knowledge of the process of shipwreck research and protection. This group has the most exposure to shipwrecks and can be a very valuable ally against UCH destruction if made
more aware of the benefits of the preservation of heritage and if they can be involved in preservation programs.

 

Jacques-Yves Cousteau    Quoted in ‘Sport: Poet of the Depths’, Time (28 Mar 1960)

I am absolutely enraptured by the atmosphere of a wreck. A dead ship is the house of a tremendous amount of life—fish and plants. The mixture of life and death is mysterious, even religious. There is the same sense of peace and mood that you feel on entering a cathedral.