More than 600 shipwrecks offer a divers dream off the Azores

[Atlantic Islander]

José Bettencourt, an archeologist from Centro de História Além-Mar, highlighted the scientific potential of the Azores, reporting that there are records of 600 to 700 shipwrecks off the Azores of ships lost between the 15th and 20th centuries.

According to the archeologist, this has a huge potential for research, tourism, and to underline the Azorean identity as a region with its own historic journey into the Atlantic.

The Azores is already recognized by its scientific potential in Portugal with more than 30 spots classified as cultural underwater heritage, according to UNESCO.

José Bettencourt is in charge of the exhibition at the Angra do Heroísmo Museum, which was created after the discovery of a shipwreck in Horta’s bay. In the exhibition “Stories that come from the sea”- the visitors can see elephant teeth, tin plates, pipes, cufflinks and ink collected in Horta’s bay. For the first time, it will be displayed a 10 ft anchora, raised in the Mos’s Bay by the Americans deployed at Lajes, which belonged to a Spanish ship of the conquest of the Island by the Spanish.

Another highlighted object is a wooden bucket from the early 17 century that, according to José Bettencourt, "even at the national level is an exceptional piece."

source

[Prisoner Of Ice]

Shipwrecks is one of biggest reasons I've thought of learning to dive, unfortunately salavaging and stuff is expensive business and dredging anything up basically requires government funding so it could only be an expensive hobby for if I accidentally became a billionaire some day.