A shipwreck refers to the remnants of a marine vessel that has undergone a catastrophic failure resulting in its sinking or getting severely damaged, leading to its non-seaworthiness. This term can be used collectively to denote the physical debris that remains after the ship has either sunk beneath the water's surface or run aground, unable to be safely deployed back to sea due to extensive damage. Alternatively, the term can also be employed to describe the event itself in which the ship meets its ill fate, effectively transitioning from a functional craft into a destroyed or severely damaged wreck, after confronting a disaster at sea.

1. Titanic - Perhaps the most infamous shipwreck of all time, the Titanic sunk on her maiden voyage in 1912 after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic. A deep sea expedition in 1985 finally located the ship’s remains more than two miles beneath the surface. 2. Mary Rose - A ship of the English Tudor navy, the Mary Rose served for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany. However, she saw her demise in 1545 during the Battle of the Solent, when she sank in the Solent and the majority of her crew perished. In 1982, the wreck of the Mary Rose was salvaged along with thousands of artefacts and today has her own museum. 3. USS Arizona - A shipwreck that serves as a war memorial, the USS Arizona was bombed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The sunken battleship still lies in the harbor as a reminder of the tragic event, and is a major tourist attraction with over one million visitors annually. 4. The Swedish warship Vasa - The Vasa was a grand warship that sunk just a short distance into her maiden voyage in 1628. Her wreck remained in the Stockholm Harbour until she was discovered and brought to the surface in 1961. Today, the ship and the artefacts found within her are displayed in the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. 5. MV Joyita - The Joyita was a merchant vessel that disappeared in the South Pacific in 1955 and was found adrift a month later with no one aboard. The ship was in a severely damaged condition, partially submerged and listing heavily. Despite extensive investigations, the fate of the crew remains one of the sea’s unsolved mysteries. The wreck of the MV Joyita has always been considered a classic example of a modern 'Marie Celeste' - a ship found without its crew.

Fun Fact: The oldest known shipwreck, the "Uluburun," dates back to the late Bronze Age around 1300 BC. Discovered off the coast of Uluburun, Turkey, it was found to contain various artifacts from places as diverse as Mycenae, Cyprus, Palestine, Egypt, and even Afghanistan. This shipwreck provides invaluable insight into the complex trade networks in place during the Bronze Age, highlighting the amount of international trade that took place thousands of years ago. These invaluable artifacts include copper ingots, elephant tusks, spices, and even precious jewelry. The "Uluburun" shipwreck truly provides a living and tangible link to our ancient past!