Polish divers from the BalticTech Team group discovered the shipwreck and its Champagne cargo while looking for new spots to explore in the Baltic Sea.
Two divers went down to investigate after the group noticed what appeared to be a small wreck on their sonar system.
It turned out to be a 19th century shipwreck still in relatively good condition, and complete with much of its cargo.
‘The whole wreck is loaded to the brim with crates of champagne, mineral water, and porcelain,’ said Tomasz Stachura, diver and leader of Baltictech Team.
‘We did not expect it to be anything significant and even hesitated for a moment whether to dive at all. The divers, Marek Cacaj and Pawel Truszynski, showed great determination and were the first to go down to check the wreck.’
Around 100 bottles of Champagne and mineral water were among the items found, although the group said it was hard to be precise about quantities at this stage.
Photo credit: Tomasz Stachura / Baltictech.
It isn’t the first time that Champagne has been found on a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea, but it’s unusual to see such a large number of bottles.
‘To discover a wreck with so much cargo, it’s a first for me,’ said Stachura, who has been diving for 40 years and specialises in underwater wreck photography.
Clay bottles containing mineral water had the ‘Selters’ name, a high-end German brand still around today, and the Baltictech group said it believed the vessel capsized at some point in the second half of the 19th century.
Mineral water ‘was treated almost like medicine’ in this era, they said, suggesting the bottles may have been destined for a royal dining table.
While the ship was found around 20 nautical miles (37km) south of the Swedish island of Öland, however, it’s not clear where it was heading to.
Russian elites were known for their love of Champagne in this period, particularly very sweet styles. Stachura told the BBC that Russia’s Tsar Nicholas 1 was reported to have lost a vessel in the area in around 1852.
The divers said they hoped to explore the wreck in more detail and were in contact with the Maritime Archaeological Research Institute at Södertörn University in Sweden, including its director, professor Johan Rönnby.
They added that they were seeking sponsors to help with ongoing research, and also that further insights will be shared at the Baltictech 2024 Conference, to be held in November in Poland.