Questions of ownership – and whether shipwrecks are being explored or plundered – are causing deep divides among the people who dedicate their lives to unearthing the ocean’s hidden loot
When Ohio shipwreck hunter Thomas “Tommy” Thompson found the wreck of the SS Central America on the bottom of the Atlantic in 1988 he struck gold, literally. He brought to the surface millions in gold bars and coins from the ship, which sank in a hurricane off the coast of South Carolina in 1857.
Over the years, excitement at the discovery of this watery treasure trove soured. Investors, who had helped raise $12.7m to fund the shipwreck hunt, accused Thompson of cheating them out of their share of the proceeds.
