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Tisnes, Norway
Daniel Osterkamp/Getty Images

Whether it’s a ghost town of a theme park, an abandoned place, or an actual ghost town, most of us can’t resist the picturesque qualities of neglect. The most recent shipwreck discovery, explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship HMS Endurance off the coast of Antarctica, is amazingly well-preserved after 106 years — but is still plenty spooky. Here are some shipwreck images you might find hard to shake.

Related: Eerie Abandoned Factories Across America

Antarctica

Wikimedia Commons

For 106 years, the wreck of Endurance, a three-masted, 144-foot wooden ship, was considered one of the most famous shipwrecks yet to be discovered — until now. Found in some seriously icy water 10,000 feet below the surface, the boat required an elaborate hunt

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/09/climate/endurance-wreck-found-shackleton.html

with an icebreaker, undersea drones, and a team of adventurers, marine archaeologists and technicians that cost over $10 million.

Related: Spooky Ghost Towns Across America

Astoria, Oregon

The remains of the Peter Iredale
Peter Iredale by Dan Nevill ((CC BY))

The Peter Iredale went aground in 1906 on its way to the Columbia River. The rusted skeleton of the four-masted steel ship can still be seen at Fort Stevens State Park near Astoria, Oregon.

Related: The State Park You Don’t Want to Miss in Every State

Chernoybl, Ukraine

Chernoybl, Ukraine
Sean Gallup/Staff/Getty Images News/Getty Images Europe

A remnant of the 1986 nuclear disaster, this barge is still half-sunken in the Pripyat River near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Related: Spectacular and Spooky Abandoned Roads Around the World

Anávyssos, Greece

Anávyssos, Greece
Sven Hansche/EyeEm/Getty Images

A scuba diver takes a moment to explore this remarkable shipwreck at close range.

Related: Once Popular Tourist Ghost Towns That Are Now Totally Abandoned

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin, Ireland
mariuskasteckas/Getty Images

The Milky Way gets an eerier look when juxtaposed with the wreckage of a ship.

Related: Weird, Abandoned Places Across America

Red Sea, Egypt

Red Sea, Egypt
EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER/Getty Images

Scuba divers get a close-up look at the rusted remains of a ship while exploring the Red Sea.

Related: Once Popular Tourist Hotspots That Are Now Totally Abandoned

Skeleton Coast Wilderness, Namibia

Skeleton Coast Wilderness, Namibia
Paul Souders/Getty Images

The fishing boat FV Southwest Seas is little more than a few splintered boards, bleached and battered as it sits on the white sand of the nation’s remote western coastline.

Tisnes, Norway

Tisnes, Norway
Daniel Osterkamp/Getty Images

This shipwreck has been in the water long enough for most of the boards to be stripped to bare wood.

Related: 30 Boat Tours That Take You Back in Time

Tangalooma, Australia

Tangalooma, Australia
Marty Watson/EyeEm/Getty Images

More than a few ship carcasses are dumped here in Tangalooma.

Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands

Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands
Brandi Mueller/Getty Images

The bow of the USS Saratoga can be seen through the murky water. Only scuba divers with technical diving training can explore the wreck.

Related: Awe-Inspiring U.S. Military Vehicles

Israel

Israel
Ido Meirovich/Getty Images

This eerie hull leaves more questions than answers.

Related: 19 Spooky Ghost Towns Across America

Carlisle Bay, Barbados

Carlisle Bay, Barbados
Abstract Aerial Art/Getty Images

This shipwreck is easy to examine in the crystal-clear waters of Barbados. A small boat cruises overhead to give it a closer look.

Rayong, Thailand

Rayong, Thailand
pratan ounpitipong/Getty Images

This ship would be an eyesore if it wasn’t such a pretty picture at sunset.

Related: Around the World in 20 Stunning Sunsets

Gujarat, India

Gujarat, India
Malcolm P Chapman/Getty Images

Wondering how the boat got there? During the summer the area is flooded.

Fraserburgh, Scotland

Fraserburgh, Scotland
Gannet77/Getty Images

This fishing vessel ran aground near this Scottish port, a disappointing end to a day at sea.

Phillip Island, Australia

Phillip Island, Australia
Boy_Anupong/Getty Images

The S.S. Speke shipwreck seems almost otherworldly photographed against the rocky shore.

United States

United States
Jittiwat Sermsripong/EyeEm/Getty Images

This abandoned boat took its sad story along with its battered hull to the bottom of the sea.

Funafuti, Tuvalu

Funafuti, Tuvalu
Mario Tama/Staff/Getty Images News/Getty Images AsiaPac

An old shipwreck sits in the lagoon in 2019. The world’s fourth-smallest country has been battered by climate change, including a 5 millimeter-per-year sea level rise.

Lampedusa, Italy

Lampedusa, Italy
Dan Kitwood/Staff/Getty Images News/Getty Images Europe

A Nigerian migrant stands in a “boat graveyard” containing battered ships, many of which were used for migrant crossings from Libya to Italy.

Jingo-Dun, South Korea

Jingo-Dun, South Korea
Pool/Pool/Getty Images News/Getty Images AsiaPac

Crews try to salvage the Sewol Ferry. It sank in 2014, leaving more than 300 people dead.

Larnaca, Cyprus

Larnaca, Cyprus
PhotoStock-Israel/Getty Images

Scuba divers take a closer look at the MS Zenobia shipwreck, which sank (some say under mysterious circumstances) on its maiden voyage in 1980.

Wuhan, China

Wuhan, China
Wang He/Stringer/Getty Images News/Getty Images AsiaPac

An image of the Titanic is on display at the “Titanic the Artifact Exhibition” in China.

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Meet the Writer

Liane Starr has contributed to outlets including the Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter, People, Budget Living, and more. She still clips coupons. You can reach her at [email protected].