Picture Show: 500 Wrecks in the World's Largest Ship Cemetery

[rpannier]

"Nouadhibou means 'where the jackals get fat.' It is also where ships go to die." So writes the photographer Jan Smith, who captured haunting images of abandoned shipwrecks in Mauritania's Nouadhibou Bay, which is perhaps the world's largest ship cemetery. When Smith attempted to venture into Mauritania in 2008, he encountered no shortage of struggle. "I was turned away at the border, slept in a mine field, and was accused of espionage. No one believed I would travel to the remoteness of Nouadhibou to simply take pictures of rotting ships."

After being detained by the Moroccan army, Smith was eventually able to fly into Mauritania directly and photograph the shipwrecks. The experience exposed him to a sometimes contradictory place, where one the one hand illegal immigrants lived in miles of shacks (slavery existed there until 1981 and its legacy persists to this day), and on the other Smith himself was shown extraordinary hospitality. But behind everything lies a mysterious sea of abandoned ships—"a testimony to corruption," as Smith puts it—whose origins are largely unknown, though they are most vestiges of the rampant insurance fraud (where boats are simply abandoned) that takes place in those waters.

They are great pics. Worth a look.

link:
http://www.good.is/post/picture-show-500-wrecks-in-the-world-s-largest-ship-cemetery/?GT1=48001

[Chulanowa]

1. It would seem to me...

That a bunch of people with cutting torches could make a killing out there.

[Webster Green]

4. A lot of them had some nice gear remaining.

Electronics equipment, all kinds of marine fittings and stuff. That stuff costs a fortune to go and buy.

One of them had like a 3" cannon or something. Wonder if it still works.

[xchrom]

2. Recommend -- beautifully haunting. Nt

[Abq_Sarah]

3. You can also see the entire

Area on google earth.

There's something really creepy about all those deteriorating ships right off the coast.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. What's the latitude and longitude? EDIT: Found it. Google Maps link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Nouadhibou+Bay,+Mauritania&sll=18.20848,-14.436035&sspn=10.880772,19.753418&ie=UTF8&hq=Nouadhibou+Bay,+Mauritania&hnear=&ll=20.868431,-17.047911&spn=0.002617,0.004823&t=h&z=18

[Prometheus Bound]

9. Thanks for that.

[MadMaddie]

6. I wonder why those ships have not been scrapped and

the metal melted down for reuse? The metal in the twin towers was scrapped.

The photo's are haunting and a reminder of the great waste humans participate in.

[rpannier]

7. A possibility might be this

From the photographer at the bottom of the page:

Most of them are Chinese or European fishing trawlers that were abandoned, and then reported as sunk to insurance companies. In exchange the local officials received bribes.

As far as most are concerned, they don't exist any longer because they are underwater

[MadMaddie]

8. Thanks for the clarification.

Geeze what a waste.

[Captain Hilts]

10. Wow. And I've been to the James River. This is amazing. nt

[Johnyawl]

11. There appears to be a ship breaking operation going on...

...if you follow the goggle earth link that poster #5 (commie pinko dirtbag) provided and follow the coast line to the town and harbor, you'll see a place inside the harbor that looks to me like a ship breaking (salvage) operation. One hopes that local entrepenuers are taking advantage of their gov't corruption.

[Gold Metal Flake]

12. Less art, more color

http://www.artificialowl.net/2008/12/probably-one-of-largest-boat-graveyard.html

http://www.artificialowl.net/2008/12/probably-one-of-largest-boat-graveyard.html

Revolting.