The R/V ''Odyssey Explorer'' was a salvage and recovery vessel owned by
Odyssey Marine Exploration
Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. is an American company engaged in deep-ocean exploration with a focus on the exploration, development and validation of subsea mineral resources. Starting out as a shipwreck pioneer, Odyssey has discovered some ...
. It was sold in 2016 and renamed ''Empire Persia'' by the Latvian business conglomerate which purchased the vessel.
Falklands Conflict
In 1982 ''Odyssey Explorer'' was operating out of
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-ea ...
under the name ''Farnella'' as a stern trawler. Upon the outbreak of the
Falklands Conflict
The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland I ...
, ''Farnella'', along with three sister ships, was taken up from trade by the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
and commissioned as a stop-gap minesweeper for operations in the South Atlantic. HMS ''Farnella'' was returned to her owners in October 1982.
Dispute with Spain
On October 16, 2007
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
seized the ''Odyssey Explorer'' as it sailed out of port from the
British overseas territory of
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
. The vessel's captain, Sterling Vorus, claimed to have been in
International Waters
The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed region ...
, but was forced to dock at
Algeciras
Algeciras ( , ) is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar ( es, Bahía de Algeci ...
under what Vorus declared was "threat of deadly force". Once in port Vorus was eventually arrested for disobedience after refusing inspection of the vessel without first receiving approval of ''Odyssey Explorers flag state, the Commonwealth of the
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...
. Vorus was released the following day. Aboard the ''Odyssey Explorer'' at the time of seizure were about a dozen journalists and photographers, all of whom had their video tapes, tape recorders and computer memory storage devices seized by Spanish officials.
See also
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Archaeology of shipwrecks
The archaeology of shipwrecks is the field of archaeology specialized most commonly in the study and exploration of shipwrecks. Its techniques combine those of archaeology with those of diving to become Underwater archaeology. However, shipwrec ...
*
Maritime archeology
Maritime archaeology (also known as marine archaeology) is a discipline within archaeology as a whole that specifically studies human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of associated physical remains, be they vessels, s ...
*
Underwater archeology
Underwater archaeology is archaeology practiced underwater. As with all other branches of archaeology, it evolved from its roots in pre-history and in the classical era to include sites from the historical and industrial eras. Its acceptance has ...
*
Wreck diving
Wreck diving is recreational diving where the wreckage of ships, aircraft and other artificial structures are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificia ...
References
Exploration ships
1972 ships
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