1. Port Royal, Jamaica
Once a notorious hub for pirate activity, prostitutes, booze, and raging
all-night parties, Port Royal was once branded ‘the most wicked and sinful city
in the world’.
That was so until June 1692 when a massive 7.5 earthquake shook the island of
Jamaica, sucking Port Royal into the ocean due to it’s unstable foundations and
killing over 2,000 of it’s inhabitants. Was this earthquake a fatal natural
accident or was it retribution for all the sins committed within the cavity? For
hundreds of years people believed the latter.
In the years since then the infamous city, once one of the largest European
cities in the New World, has continued to sink and now it lies forty feet below
the ocean. The sunken city is a hive for archeological exploration as amazingly
many near-perfect artefacts are still being unveiled from the site.
2. The Pyramids of Yonaguni-Jima, Japan
To this day experts still argue over whether the Yonaguni Monument which lies
underwater just off the coast of Japan is man made or simply a natural
occurrence.
While there is evidence to support the natural theory, looking at the
terraced stones and triangular shapes that which make up the pyramid it’s hard
to believe such a monument could occur naturally. The pyramid rises a massive
250 feet from the sea floor and is a constant lure for scuba-divers for obvious
reasons.
If the structure was manmade, experts suggest it was likely built during the
last ice age at roughly 10,000 BCE.
3. Dwarka, Gulf of Cambay, India
The ancient city of Lord Krishna was once thought to
be merely a myth but ruins discovered in 2000 seem to be breathing life into the
old Indian tale.
The story goes that Lord Krishna had a magnificent city which was made up of
70,000 palaces made of gold, silver, and various other precious metals. The city
was prosperous however upon Lord Krishna’s death Dwarka supposedly sank into the
sea.
The ruins are situated 131 feet beneath the ocean surface in the bay of
modern-day Dwarka, one of the seven oldest cities in India. Acoustic studies
have shown the ruins to be amazingly geometric, stunning experts.
Many artefacts have been recovered from the site but perhaps none more
important than one which was dated to 7500 BCE, supporting the theory that the
ruins may well be the ancient Dwarka.
4. Lion City of Quiandao Lake, China
Hailed as the most spectacular underwater city in the world, China’s Lion
City certainly is a marvel.
Built in Eastern Han Dynasty at roughly 25-200 CE and spanning about 62
football fields in area, today Lion City can be found 85-131 feet beneath the
surface of Thousand Island Lake, an area that was intentionally flooded in the
1950s to create a dam.
The sculptures that decorate the city rival the beauty of even Alexandria so
it’s little wonder that Lion City is now one of China’s most popular tourist
destinations.
5. Cleopatra’s Palace, Alexandria, Egypt
Just off the shores of Alexandria lies what is believed to be the palace of
Cleopatra, an ancient Egyptian queen. It is believed that the ruins were cast
into the sea by an earthquake over 1,500 years ago and lay dormant until recent
years.
Along with the royal quarters, archaeologists also believe they have found
the temple of Isis alongside them. To date, more than 140 artifacts have been
uncovered from the site and experts now believe they have located the tomb of
Cleoplatra and an ancient museum within the ruins.
Hopefully the ruins will be opened up to divers and tourists in the years to
come, allowing us all to have a closer look at the marvel that is Cleopatra’s
palace.
As seen on Earth
Porm