Imagine a modern-day Indiana Jones, but instead of dusty deserts, his battlefield is the vast, mysterious depths of the ocean. This is the life of Mensun Bound, a maritime archaeologist who’s in a relentless race against time—and a shadowy network of shipwreck looters. With every technological leap forward, the stakes grow higher, as rogue organizations exploit advanced tools to plunder the ocean’s hidden treasures. But here’s where it gets controversial: while these innovations make discovery easier, they also empower those who seek to profit from history’s wreckage. And this is the part most people miss—the ethical dilemma of who owns these relics and whether they should be left undisturbed.
Bound, now 72, gained fame for discovering Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance in 2021, resting 10,000 feet below the Antarctic waters. Yet, his triumph is tinged with worry. ‘It’s a race against looters and plunderers,’ he confessed at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, discussing his book Wonders in the Deep with journalist Mark Frary. The technology that aids his work—autonomous underwater vehicles, advanced surveying tools—is a double-edged sword. ‘There’s nowhere in the oceans we can’t reach now,’ he noted, but this accessibility extends to those with less noble intentions.
One haunting example is a Roman shipwreck Bound dismissed early in his career, deeming it unimportant. Years later, he returned to find it completely stripped, leaving only a ‘stain in the sand.’ This heartbreaking lesson fuels his urgency today. Even the Endurance, protected by the Antarctic Treaty, isn’t safe from rogue groups eyeing its artifacts. ‘The bell is just sitting there,’ Bound warned, ‘and I know there are those who would take it.’
The problem isn’t just about theft—it’s about ownership. Take the San José, a Spanish galleon sunk in 1708, carrying an estimated $17 billion in treasure. Found in 2015 off Colombia, it’s mired in legal battles. ‘It’s in Colombian waters, a Spanish ship with Bolivian loot, sunk by the British, and claimed by American companies,’ Frary explained. ‘Whose is it?’ The technology to retrieve it exists, but courts are still debating its fate.
Bound’s career is a testament to the fragility of maritime history. He’s surveyed countless wrecks, often forced to choose which to save, knowing others will vanish forever. ‘It’s brutal,’ he admitted. Even the deepest wrecks, like the USS Samuel B Roberts at 23,000 feet, may soon be within reach of looters.
So, here’s the question: Should we race to preserve these relics, or let them rest in peace? Bound’s work highlights the tension between discovery and destruction. As technology advances, will we protect history—or watch it disappear, piece by piece? Let’s discuss—do you think shipwrecks should be left untouched, or is retrieval worth the risk?
