120-Year-Old Maritime Mystery of Sunken SS Nemesis May Have Been Solved, Offering Crucial Archaeological Data

Scientists may have solved a long-standing maritime mystery regarding the SS Nemesis after finding the wreck's exact location on the seafloor close to Australia.

Finding the SS Nemesis

The SS Nemesis wreck was discovered by a research team with CSIRO, which is the national science agency of Australia, with Heritage NSW. The findings were found as they were examining the waters off the coast of Wollongong in New South Wales.

This steamship spans 240 feet and went missing in 1904 during a voyage from Newcastle all the way to Melbourne. It shortly sank after leaving the port when it met a strong gale, leading it to get lost in the sea. At that time, 31 people boarded the ship. All of them were lost when the SS Nemesis sank.

The location of the wreck remained fully unknown until it was discovered in May 2022 by the marine survey firm Subsea Professional Marine Services. Now, the most recent mission of the CSIRO was initiated to discover more about the SS Nemesis.

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Maritime Mystery of SS Nemesis

With the help of advanced technology, researchers mapped the seafloor and performed a visual inspection of the full wreck. They found the wreck upright on the seafloor. However, notable damage and deterioration were observed at its stern and bow.

Phil Vandenbossche, a hydrographic surveyor at CSIRO who was on board the voyage, says that the wreck is situated toward the continental shelf's edge and is upright, sitting over the sea floor. However, it exhibits significant deterioration and damage at its stern and bow. Vandenbossche notes that their visual inspection of the ship with the drop camera revealed that some of its crucial structures remained identifiable and intact, including two anchors that were stationed on the seafloor.

The team was able to map the shipwreck's exact location in 524 feet of water, roughly 17 miles off Wolongong's coast.

Finding and confirming the SS Nemesis' whereabouts and identity offer crucial archaeological data. Jason Fazey, a voyage manager at the CSIRO, notes that the voyage track took them past the wreck. Fazey further notes that the survey conditions made them lucky, as the team did a great job of taking incredible imagery of the SS Nemesis. They were able to survey the wreck's full length with the help of their drop camera. This reveals several details regarding the structure of the ship, including some spaces within it.

Dr. Brad Duncan, a senior maritime archaeologist from Heritage NSW, notes that the wreck is one of several thousand shipwrecks along the coastline of Australia. There are several other wrecks that are yet to be found.

Nevertheless, the SS Nemesis' discovery closes a longstanding maritime mystery. Fazey expresses hope that it offers a certain degree of closure.