Routine military scan ends in a historic discovery in the deep sea
An unusual finding was accidentally revealed off the coast of France: during a routine military operation to survey the seabed in 2025, the French Navy identified an anomalous object using sonar. Subsequent checks conducted with the help of underwater vehicles revealed at a depth of about 2,500 meters a merchant ship that likely sank in the 16th century. The vessel, which is more than 30 meters long, was preserved in the depths along with a large part of the cargo it carried.
An unusual finding was accidentally revealed off the coast of France: during a routine military operation to survey the seabed in 2025, the French Navy identified an anomalous object using sonar. Subsequent checks conducted with the help of underwater vehicles revealed at a depth of about 2,500 meters a merchant ship that likely sank in the 16th century. The vessel, which is more than 30 meters long, was preserved in the depths along with a large part of the cargo it carried.
What began as a routine activity of the French Navy ended in the finding of a ship that had lain on the seabed for about five hundred years. The vessel was located at a distance of about 2.4 kilometers from the coast of Ramatuelle in southern France, at a depth of about 2.5 kilometers below the water surface. According to the authorities, this is the deepest shipwreck found so far in waters under French jurisdiction.
It all started when during a military scan in 2025, a signal of a large and unknown object appeared on the sonar on the seabed. Thierry de la Bourgad, deputy maritime prefect, described the sequence of events: "The sonar detected something quite large, so we returned with the device's camera, and then again with an underwater robot to take high-quality images."
After the initial scan, a joint team of the French Navy and those involved in underwater archaeology used an autonomous vehicle of the A18D type to get a first look at the object. Later, another robot was sent, which allowed for photographing and mapping the site in a more detailed manner.
When the images from the depths arrived, the scale of the finding became clear: a ship more than 30 meters long and about seven meters wide. Researchers estimate that it is a merchant ship from the 16th century. The cargo remaining on the seabed may help to understand where it came from and where it was headed before it sank. Inside the site, at least 200 clay jars were identified, some of which are covered today with sediments that have accumulated over hundreds of years. The jars are characterized by a rounded body, designed mouths, and ribbon-like handles.
On some of them, the marking IHS appears, identified with the name of Jesus, alongside geometric decorations that may have been influenced by forms from the plant world. According to the French authorities, "these jars are characteristic of the well-documented Ligurian production of the 16th century." Liguria is a region in northern Italy today, and the characteristics of the pottery provide researchers with a possible clue to the ship's origin. Alongside the jars, about 100 yellow plates were found, as well as equipment that was on deck, including anchors, cannons, and two large metal pots.
One of the things that makes the site particularly important is its depth. When the ship sank hundreds of years ago, there was no practical possibility to reach a depth of about 2.5 kilometers to salvage the cargo. Even later, it remained far from the hands of looters. As a result, many parts of the vessel and the objects it carried remained where they sank.
The ship was named Camarat 4, in accordance with its geographical location. The team that researched it explained: "Camarat 4 is an extraordinary discovery due to its depth, its unprecedented nature, and the opportunity it provides to study a 16th-century complex that remained almost intact."
The cargo found may also help in reconstructing its last voyage. Based on the pottery, experts estimate that the ship left the Liguria region and sailed towards the southwest before it sank off the coast of France. Arnaud Côme, head of the Department of Underwater Archaeology at the French Ministry of Culture, emphasized the uniqueness of the finding and said: "This is the deepest shipwreck ever found in the territorial waters of France."
Finding the ship is only the first stage in a long process of research. The French authorities plan to prepare a 3D digital model of the site, which will allow researchers to examine in detail the structure of the vessel and the location of the items without moving them from the seabed.
The teams hope to return to the area also to investigate the ship's environment and take targeted samples from some of the objects. According to the researchers, "this is a unique research opportunity." The next stages are supposed to include comprehensive mapping using thousands of photos, an examination of the area surrounding the vessel, and sampling of items that could provide additional information about its origin, age, and the cargo it carried.
