Beneath the Bay

The Gulf of Mexico holds a staggering number of shipwrecks, estimated to be in the thousands. Among the most famous are the USS Oriskany, an aircraft carrier sunk to create an artificial reef, and the SS Gulfstate, a steamship that met its fate during a hurricane. 

“Beneath the Bay,” an interactive map, shows the locations of over 100 of these shipwrecks that rest in Mobile Bay. Originating from every period of North American history, from Spanish colonization to modern times, guests can pinpoint the locations of the more storied shipwrecks in maritime history. Among them are the CSS Alabama, a Confederate warship that serves as a reminder of Civil War naval battles. And the Clotilda, the last known slave ship to bring enslaved Africans to the United States. This wreck was discovered in the murky depths of the bay in 2019, shedding light on a dark chapter in history.