World’s Greatest Shipwrecks Season 1, Episode 8: Toxic Wrecks

Scotland's Sea Secrets

For over a century, the stories and wrecks of HMS Hampshire and HMS Vanguard continue to be shrouded in mystery. Now, two research teams are granted special access to investigate and uncover what happened to these WWI warships in their final moments north of Scotland.

Fail Invasions

Countless shipwrecks lost in the depths of the oceans are time capsules containing tales of adventure and tragedy. Two of the greatest failed invasions in the history of naval warfare leave us wondering how the Spanish Armada was defeated and why the Allied fleet was crushed in WW1. Now, marine experts hunt to locate these forgotten ships, explore their secrets and unlock their incredible stories.

Danger Ahead

The enigmatic shipwrecks of El Faro and the Empress of Ireland occurred a century apart and both remain a mystery of the sea. The Empress of Ireland was one of the great ocean liners operating between Europe and North America at the beginning of the 20th century. Armed with the latest underwater technology and personal testimony, experts explore these doomed ships to discover what set them on the path to catastrophe.

Assassins of the Deep

The wreckages of three German U-boats—including UC-66, the first to be sunk by a plane in WW1, and U480, the world’s first stealth sub—are eroding at the bottom of the sea along with the stories behind their disastrous fate. A team of maritime archaeologists race to locate the submarines and solve the mystery behind their deadly demise.

Lost Fleet of WWI

More than 50 massive warships were lost in a matter of hours in the Scottish natural harbor of Scapa Flow during WWI. Now, marine archaeologists use cutting-edge tech to explore one of the greatest acts of defiance in wartime history. Testimonies and CGI illuminate the events and subsequent salvage.

Attack at Sea

The massive Americans aerial bombardment of the Japanese fleet and the torpedo strike of the German liner Wilhelm Gustloff by a Russian submarine are two of the most shocking attacks of WWII. Now, expert divers explore these underwater graveyards for new evidence of these maritime conflicts.

Nuclear Wrecks

The remains of five warships from the remote Pacific to the Atlantic could reveal new insights into how the nuclear arms race changed the world forever. Using 3-D sonar scan technology, an expert team of marine scientists investigate the catastrophic effects of atomic explosions at sea.

60 min

Last Days of the Battleship

The USS Arizona and the HMS Hood were two of the most powerful warships in history, but their weaknesses paid a fatal price. Experts investigate evidence that may reveal why the age of the battleship has come to a sudden and violent end.

60 min

Collision Course

Three historical collisions expose the volatile risks at sea and how they have shaped regulations and the technological advancements of today. Now, maritime researchers explore the remnants of these shipwrecks to uncover what happened in their fatal, final moments.