The stories behind history's most haunting shipwrecks

James Delgado connected uncovering shipwrecks

Explorer James Delgado shares the secrets beneath the sea 05:49

Renowned underwater archaeologist James Delgado appeared connected "CBS Mornings" connected Friday to sermon his caller book, "The Great Museum of the Sea," and bespeak connected much than 50 years of searching for historic shipwrecks astir the world.

Delgado, who has investigated much than 100 shipwrecks globally, gained planetary attraction successful 2019 erstwhile helium discovered the Clotilda, the past known enslaved vessel to get successful the United States. The find was aboriginal featured successful a "60 Minutes" conception with Anderson Cooper.

The archaeologist's fascination with shipwrecks began successful puerility portion increasing up successful the San Francisco Bay area, wherever helium learned astir ships from the 1849 Gold Rush. He said locating shipwrecks requires extended preparation.

"It takes a team. And that squad includes oceanographers, radical that recognize currents. We're besides looking astatine aged records and charts. You're besides trying to recognize the forensics of it," helium said. 

The process involves analyzing factors similar vessel velocity and sailing patterns. Once located, the wrecks often don't lucifer fashionable expectations.

"We person large images that radical deliberation of arsenic shipwrecks, but determination are a heap of rockets and timber and anchor, and past you go, each right, what precisely americium I looking astatine here," helium said.

In his book, Delgado describes the oversea arsenic "the largest depository connected Earth" and argues that each shipwreck has a communicative to tell. 

"I deliberation the astir important happening for radical to retrieve astir shipwrecks is that it's good for them to person antithetic meanings," Delgado said. "Some radical similar them due to the fact that they animate you with the stories of bravery. Others are tragic and sad. For some, they're the graves of family. But for others, they're a large accidental to dive and to explore."

The archaeologist has besides explored the Titanic, describing the acquisition arsenic overwhelming contempt the ship's fame. 

"Nothing prepares you for seeing 'Titanic,'" helium said.

After a 2.5-hour descent successful a Russian submersible, with unit truthful aggravated that "a regular styrofoam java cupful gets squeezed down" erstwhile strapped to the outside, Delgado said the anticipation abruptly disappeared erstwhile the vessel appeared.

"There it was looming retired of the darkness," helium recalled. "This monolithic hull rising doubly arsenic precocious arsenic the ceiling here. Still painted but streaked with rust and rusticles that are orangish and yellowish and red. And past a porthole that's unfastened and different closed."

Delgado described 1 peculiarly eerie moment: "One of the spookiest moments — due to the fact that 'Titanic' is simply a vessel of the dormant — is erstwhile I archetypal looked done the porthole, 2.5 miles down, the lights — I could spot a look looking backmost astatine maine successful the porthole. It was my ain reflection."

He reflected connected the ship's enduring power: "This vessel sitting connected the bottommost ruined and deteriorating inactive is the signifier upon which immoderate of the astir almighty play played retired that we each cognize astir with the shipwreck. And you're there."

"The Great Museum of the Sea" is disposable wherever books are sold.