WRECK HUNTERS ADRIATIC
WRECK HUNTERS ADRIATIC
WRECK HUNTERS ADRIATIC PROJECT
Why is the Wreck Hunters Adriatic project unique?
“WRECK HUNTING” TEAM
A group of enthusiasts of different profiles, true lovers of diving, maritime and aviation history, underwater archeology and adventure, gathered in this wreck hunting team, is dedicated to finding and identifying wrecks in the Adriatic sea. Mostly
professionals in the field of underwater science and technology bring untold stories in their spare time. Thanks to their extensive knowledge and experience, as well as cooperation with state institutions that are responsible for the protection of sunken cultural heritage, in just a few years this diving initiative has grown into a formalized and recognizable platform. So far, searches for wrecks of this kind have only been carried out by individuals, and rarely or almost never in an organized and systematic manner. This very fact provided the opportunity for the Wreck Hunters Adriatica to organise and commence with their work.
ETHICAL PRINCIPALS
In its work, the WHA is uncompromisingly guided by ethical principles in dealing with sunken cultural heritage. Upon finding a site, our goal is to provide timely notifications to the competent authorities to ensure that appropriate actions are
taken with the aim of protecting and preserving the sunken cultural heritage. Undersea sites represent "time capsules", i.e. historical monuments in which time stopped at the moment they touched the bottom. These are often places of human suffering. Bearing this in mind, in our work we respect the reverence of victims and "blue tombs".We consider showing compassion towards the victims crucial for preserving their dignity. By correctly establishing the facts and historical context of the found site, we can gain a deeper understanding of the importance of the discovery. In our activities, we are guided by expert and scientifically relevant facts to determine the historical context of events related to the localities that are the subject of our work.
CHALLENGES IN DISCOVERY
The challenges we face in our work are primarily found in the search for the truth, i.e. making our contribution to the research of maritime and aviation sunken history whose remains are found in their eternal resting place in the depths of the
Adriatic. On our way there are also challenges in finding, mapping and recording sunken localities we solve by incorporating the latest available submarine technologies. No smaller challenges are related to the technical limitations and risks of diving at great depths. We overcome them by using adequate gas mixtures and closed breathing circuit technology. We have solved the segment of the challenge of protecting shipwrecks with timely reports to the competent institutions are responsible for the protection of sunken cultural heritage. With these applications, the state institutions have the opportunity to document new archaeological sites, but also the obligation to protect and preserve the finds in question
