Explore the truth behind the famous shipwrecks and subsequent discoveries of the Titanic and the Mary Rose. Plus, find out about some lesser-known ships that were wrecked at sea. And, don't forget to check out the story of Grace Darling - a true heroine and poster girl for the RNLI.

What can shipwrecks tell us?
Time-capsules of their present and windows of our past, shipwrecks can offer new perspectives into life on board
The sinking of HMS Gloucester
Disputes, disaster and destruction: uncover the events that led to the wrecking of the 17th century warship
11 Mar 2022
What the Endurance shipwreck discovery tells us about the ship's final hours
For more than a century, the wreck of Shackleton's ship Endurance has lain undisturbed in the icy waters off Antarctica. Its remarkable preservation is a testament to the ship's original builders and designers.
01 Jun 2021
Drowning in sewage: the sinking of the Princess Alice
Did the polluted waters of the Thames contribute to Britain's worst inland waterway tragedy?
HMS Terror and Erebus - the story of Franklin's lost expedition
Find out more about the history of Franklin's fatal voyage, and the continuing work to explore the Erebus and Terror shipwrecks
25 Mar 2020
Dealing with self-isolation: a desert island guide from the real Robinson Crusoe
Think you're struggling with social distancing? At least you haven't started singing to goats... Curator Jeremy Michell uncovers the remarkable real-life story of island isolation which inspired Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.
21 Feb 2020
New discoveries from the wrecks of HMS Erebus and Terror
Archaeologists exploring the shipwrecks of HMS Erebus and Terror have recovered over 350 objects from the lost Franklin expedition.
What is a mermaid?
Tales of mermaids date back to the first written accounts of humanity, but how much do we know about the mythical sea creatures?
04 Dec 2017
No Iceberg in Sight
Contrary to popular belief, the Titanic disaster of 1912 was not Britain’s greatest loss of life at sea. The Lancastria disaster of 1940 is the most catastrophic loss recorded, see our following story of the event. 
03 Oct 2017
Futility: how a novel foreshadowed the sinking of the Titanic
October’s Item of the Month looks at a prescient work of fiction from 1898, Morgan Robertson’s Futility (RMG item ID: PBF5926).