American Heritage Shipwreck

3D Model

The ‘American Heritage’ shipwreck, can be found eight miles off the coast of Malibu, CA at a depth of ~690m. The ship is 58m long and was used to support nearby oil platforms. The ship sank in 1995 after it purportedly began to flood when the middle propeller seperated from the motor, leaving a large open hole to the sea. Fortunately, all six crew survived the ordeal.

The wreckage was initially found in MBARI multibeam data while surveying the area for an upcoming geology cruise. MBARI’s ‘Doc Ricketts’ ROV was able to visit and film the wreck, which led to the generation of this model. Unfortunately, poor visibility and floating ropes prevented the ROV from getting too close, which caused an incomplete reconstruction, but the wreck can be seen with thousands of large sponges growing throughout the hull.

An interesting side note, Chief ROV Pilot Knute Brekke, had previously worked aboard this vessel earlier in his career and knew the story of it’s demise.

More info @: www.mbari.org/american-heritage-wreck