Discovery of Shipwrecks in San Francisco Bay Place: San Francisco, California
Year Found: 1921–2017
Estimated Value: Not Provided
For over eight thousand years, ships have served as essential tools for economic trade and transportation. However, not all voyages ended happily, leading to numerous shipwrecks scattered across the ocean floor. In San Francisco Bay, extensive explorations from 1921 to 2017 have uncovered various shipwrecks, revealing a rich history of maritime activity and the stories of those vessels that met unfortunate fates.
Archaeologists have made fascinating discoveries of ship remains beneath downtown San Francisco, rather than in the bay itself. During the height of the Gold Rush, many ships were berthed in Yerba Buena Cove but were eventually abandoned. To date, approximately forty ships have been uncovered, with estimates suggesting that another thirty-five may still be hidden beneath the city. As San Francisco expanded over the years, the bay was filled in, leaving these vessels buried under layers of urban development.
