Discovery of Swedish wreck Mars

A group of divers, including Richard Lundgren and Jarrod Jablonski, have found what appears to be the Swedish war fleet flagship Mars, which sank in 1564 just north of Öland. The ship is built of solid oak and lies 75 meters deep. Mars was one of the largest ships of its time, and the largest in the Baltic Sea, with 107 guns with a crew of 800 men.

In May 1564, led by Admiral Jacob Bagge, a group of 37 ships in the so-called First Battle of the Danish-Lübeck fleet that took place outside the northern tip of Öland. After two days of fighting Mars caught fire and exploded. The ship sank and has remained untouched in the Baltic seabed for 447 years. The Swedish Vasa-crest has been found on one of the bronze cannons.

Read the full article (in Swedish) here
Video of the exploration available here

For more information about Mars and updates on further research, please visit OceanDiscovery.org