Maritime navigation and maps have been intertwined for centuries. Early navigators used maps and the stars to find their bearings and set headings. Maritime exploration, in turn, often expanded the knowledge contained in maps. As explorers shared what they encountered on voyages, maps incrementally grew more accurate and complete. It’s no surprise then that maritime navigation remains a popular mapping topic, even in the 21st century.
This map from Scott McCune shows shipwrecks and maritime obstructions around Earth’s oceans. It includes more than 94,000 records cataloged by the British Admiralty.
Yellow points mark shipwrecks around the globe. The wrecks use a glow effect, so areas with more wrecks glow brighter and appear denser on the map. It’s a striking way to highlight patterns in such a massive dataset. From Western Europe to the Strait of Malacca, you can readily see where wrecks cluster.
The basemap also helps the obstructions pop on the map. The ocean-centric Spilhaus stereographic projection focuses attention on the seas. By using color to show ocean depths (grays indicate shallower depths), the basemap reveals that most obstructions have been recorded in shallower waters. Through a combination of just two datasets, you can see how the geography of our oceans relates to shipwrecks.
More to Explore
- Check out a map of tidal oscillations that also uses the Spilhaus projection.
- Take a deep dive into sunken ships from World War II.
