The Ngomeni shipwreck located off the Kenyan coast

Kenya has a rich marine archaeological history that remains untapped. Plans to open Africa's first underwater museum were announced in 2012 and the project was expected to be complete in 2014; although it seems the plans were shelved until 2017, when the National Museums of Kenya and the Italian museum curated an exhibition of some of the items excavated from the wreck. The museum was expected to diversify Kenya's tourist attractions and to facilitate further exploration of marine archaeology.
It is believed that several foreign ships are wrecked along Kenya's Coastline, the majority being Portuguese trading ships. In total, there are about 32-35 known shipwrecks although only 11 of them have been underwater for over 50 years.
Here are three of the oldest discovered and excavated wrecks along the Kenyan coastline. Others that are believed to be underwater but remain undiscovered are Highland Lassie (1879), Sussex (1909) and Hamad (1909).

Santo Antonio Shipwreck

Santo Antonio de Tanna sank in Mombasa in 1697 A.D. The Potuguese ship sank as it sailed to Fort Jesus to bolster the efforts of the soldiers holed up inside trying to protect it from siege by the Omani Arabs. The Portuguese were having tough times securing their trade monopoly and suppress the Omani Arabs who were rebelling  years of exploitation by the Portuguese.  The wreck happened before the siege and fall of Fort Jesus in 1698.

Zheng He Shipwreck

The ship belonging to Admiral Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty is believed to have sank in Lamu in 1418. Zheng He was a decorated admiral known for his voyages across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The ship contained gifts from the Chinese Emperor to the Sultan of Malindi; including gold, porcelain and silk. In return, he was to get ivory, myrrh, zebras and camels.

Ngomeni Shipwreck

The Portuguese ship is believed to have sank between 15-16 AD. The wreck happened before Santo Antonio but, unlike Santo Antonio, Ngomeni still has most of its frame, timbers and ribs intact, making it an ideal spot for an underwater museum. Excavation is still ongoing to find out what stories the ship will tell.
If you want to geek out and read more about shipwrecks on the Kenyan Coast, then Portuguese Shipwrecks on the Kenyan Coast, a paper published in 2007 by Hans-Martin Sommer is worth a read.

About The Author

Author
Alix Grubel

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