Maritime archaeologists have discovered two 19th-century iron shipwrecks near El Jadida in Morocco, according to a report by the country’s National Centre for Studies & Research on Underwater Heritage.
One of the vessels lies near the city beach and the other close to the entrance to its old harbour. This had been one of the most important Moroccan commercial ports in the second half of the 19th century, despite its notoriously tricky entrance, lacking breakwaters to calm rough Atlantic waters.
Ships documented as having sunk while trying to negotiate the entrance include l’Alcyne, l’Amazone, Le Maroc, La Marne and Le Papin, and the task of identifying the wrecks is now underway.

The research centre is part of the Ministry of Youth, Culture & Communication, which has been on a drive to explore and document Morocco’s underwater heritage.
Ottoman supply dash
Meanwhile, what is thought to be a WW1-era Ottoman shipwreck has been discovered off the Turkish Black Sea town of Akcakoca, which lies in Duzce province east of Istanbul.
A spearfisher reported coming across the site in the spring of 2024. He showed images taken using his speargun-mounted camera to experts at Duzce University, who later organised a series of dives at the site.
They have now reported that the 50-60m ship’s construction and “torpedo-like ammunition” found on board suggests that it was a WWI-era warship.
Three Ottoman ships, the Bezm-i Alem, Mithat Pasha and Bahr-i Ahmer, went missing during a mission to deliver urgent supplies to troops engaged in the Battle of Sarikamish in November 1914, and the researchers are investigating the possibility that the wreck was one of those vessels.

The ship had sustained significant damage, though it has yet to be established whether this had been caused by an explosion or rough seas.
The team requires permission from Turkiye's Ministry of Culture & Tourism to excavate the wreck but hopes to carry out a comprehensive survey project while military historians analyse the munitions and other items found at the wreck-site.
Eastern trade route
In the Lakshadweep archipelago west of India in the Arabian Sea, scuba divers from a club called Brannadives have found what they reckon could be the wreck of a 17th- or 18th-century European armed ship.
The divers had been exploring shallow (5m) lagoon waters for marine life near the island of Kalpeni when they came across the wreckage on 4 January.

The vessel, complete with cannon and an anchor, lay to the west of the island. The divers have liaised with experts at the Department of Science & Technology who, based on the wreck's size, again estimated at 50-60m, and iron or iron/timber construction, speculate that it could be a Portuguese, Dutch or British warship. This would be the first such discovery in the region.
The 17th and 18th centuries saw European nations vying for control of trade routes between the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. The dive group plans to protect the site until maritime archaeologists are able to undertake a thorough investigation.
Mazarron II raised at last

Finally, the work of transferring an ancient Phoenician wreck ashore off Spain’s south-eastern coast has been completed. The project was first announced nearly four years ago, as reported on Divernet.
The 8m-long boat was dubbed the Mazarron II because it had sunk near what is now the town of Mazarron 2,600 years ago. For centuries the vessel, which had been carrying a cargo of lead ingots, was preserved beneath a covering of sand.
Since its discovery in 2m-deep water close to the Playa de la Isla beach in 1994 it had been artificially encased under water to protect it, and extensively studied and replicated.
However, at risk from storms and coastal development, it was eventually decided that it would be safest to bring the remains ashore for conservation and analysis. The project was led by archaeological divers from the University of Valencia.
Also on Divernet: ANCIENT SHIPWRECK TO BE SHIFTED ASHORE, CYPRUS IMPOUNDED OTTOMAN WRECK FINDS, ANCIENT TOOTH FOUND ON 110M-DEEP WRECK