Divers Discover 34 Shipwrecks Off Southern Spain — Including Remains From the 5th Century BC

34 Wrecks — Spanning 2,500 Years

Divers have uncovered 34 underwater wrecks in the Bay of Algeciras, including the remains of a vessel dating back to the 5th century BC.

The discoveries come from the Herakles Project, led by University of Cádiz researchers Felipe Cerezo Andreo and Alicia Arévalo González. The project ran between May 2020 and March 2023, aiming to expand knowledge of the underwater archaeological sites in one of the most historically significant waterways in the world.

From Ancient Punic Vessels to 18th-Century Gunboats

The team identified 34 shipwrecks and 151 previously undocumented archaeological sites — adding massively to the 125 already known. Before this project, only four underwater locations had been identified in the bay, with just one confirmed wreck: the 17th-century Ballanera.

Key finds include:

• Timoncillo I — believed to be from the 5th century BC, making it one of the oldest discovered in the area
• Puente Mayorga IV — an 18th-century gunboat preserved in shallow waters, described as "an exceptional and rare example of naval construction"
• Sites spanning Punic, Roman, medieval and modern periods
• Around 80% of the approximately 2,000 documented artefacts came from merchant vessels

Climate Change Threatens the Heritage

However, the findings also raise concerns. Much of the underwater heritage lies at depths of less than 10 metres and is increasingly being exposed due to "changes in seabed conditions caused by port works and climate change."

Although the bay has official protection status, researchers say "deterioration is already significant in practice" and warn that the impact "could cause irreversible damage to its conservation."

Between the Pillars of Hercules

The Bay of Algeciras sits at the Strait of Gibraltar — the ancient "Pillars of Hercules" — one of the most strategically important maritime passages in history. Despite intensive archaeological research on land, the underwater heritage of this area had been largely unexplored until the Herakles Project changed that.

The team has published their results in the study "Between the Pillars of Hercules: Underwater Archaeology of a Privileged Space."

This article is based on reporting from The Olive Press, published April 10, 2026. This article is for informational purposes only.