Divers restore and relocate the wreck of the 17th-century Swedish warship Solen in Gdańsk Bay for preservation and tourism.
Divers from the National Maritime Museum (NMM) in Gdańsk successfully restored and repositioned the wreck of the 17th-century Swedish warship Solen, located in the Gdańsk Bay. They cleared old fishing nets, ropes, and debris from the wreck’s structure and returned it to a location recorded in the 1970s. The operation involved raising large, heavy elements, including parts of the ship’s hull, with specialized buoyancy bags.
Creating a New Underwater Exhibit
Divers also began relocating eight 18th-century iron cannons found during a previous expedition. These artifacts will contribute to a unique underwater exhibit, offering divers the chance to explore a piece of Baltic maritime history. The final step will be creating detailed photogrammetry of the wreck and its surroundings to ensure precise documentation and to attract diving tourism.
The Solen was part of a Swedish fleet and was destroyed in 1627 during a battle with Polish ships. Its wreck was rediscovered in the 1970s, yielding over 6,000 valuable artifacts.