Odyssey mines huge cargo of silver

Listen to this article Odyssey Marine Exploration, a well-known company dealing with the exploration of inaccessible locations in the seas of the world, has launched an operation to recover a cargo of silver from the wreck of the SS Gairsoppa. The mission is complicated by the fact that the treasure wreck is located almost 5km

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: July 19, 2012 - 19:30

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 05:11

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Odyssey Marine Exploration, a well-known company dealing with the exploration of inaccessible locations in the seas of the world, has launched an operation to recover a cargo of silver from the wreck of the SS Gairsoppa. The mission is complicated by the fact that the treasure wreck is located almost 5km below the surface of the water in the Atlantic Ocean!

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The action, which began in July this year, is a record attempt in terms of the depth at which the mining is carried out, but the motivation is also considerable. The vessel, measuring over 125m, was carrying a huge cargo of silver in its holds.

The SS Gairsoppa, flying a British flag, was sunk by a German U-boat after leaving port in 1941, joining the list of victims of the so-called “wolf packs”. The UK government, after paying some £325,000 compensation to a private carrier, became the owner of the sunken vessel. From today’s perspective, we can see that this was a great deal.

However, this is not the end of the good news for the UK and Odyssey, as there is another wreck with a sunken cargo of silver waiting in line – the SS Mantola. As you can see the treasure hunters have not been fazed by the court ruling stripping them of their rights to a Spanish treasure worth around €400,000,000.

Source: shipwreck.net

About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.