Lost California Treasure

California Shipwrecks and NOAA Wreck Records

California shipwreck records, NOAA charted wrecks, coastal source notes, salvage restrictions, tide context, and map links for maritime-history research.

46 Shipwrecks Records

  • Wreck of the Frolic shipwreck · Point Cabrillo, Mendocino County · High probability

    The Frolic was a fast Baltimore clipper ship engaged in the illicit opium trade between China and California. In July 1850, carrying a cargo of Chinese silks, porcelain, and household goods, she ran aground on the.

  • Wreck of the SS Brother Jonathan shipwreck · Off Crescent City, Del Norte County · High probability

    The SS Brother Jonathan was a luxurious paddle steamer carrying passengers and a cargo of gold coins from San Francisco to Portland. In July 1865, it struck an uncharted rock (now called Jonathan Rock) off Crescent.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545941). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545942). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 201305.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545943). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545944). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 20000708.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545945). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545946). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 201305.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545947). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 201305.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545948). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545949). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545950). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20040604.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545951). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 20110726.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545952). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20140401.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545953). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 20000708.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545954). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 201305.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545955). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545956). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20000708.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545957). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20020702.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545958). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 201305.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545959). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 20000708.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545960). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20230712.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545961). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 200206.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545962). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 200206.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545963). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 200206.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545964). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 200206.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545990). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 201305.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545991). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 201305.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545992). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 201305.

  • Unidentified Dangerous Wreck shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545993). Classified as a dangerous wreck. Source record date: 20110920.

  • Unidentified Non-Dangerous Wreck (Test) shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Medium probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545994). Classified as a non-dangerous wreck (test). Source record date: 20191102.

  • Unidentified Wreck Showing Any Portion Of H shipwreck · California Coastal Waters · Low probability

    A charted marine wreck recorded in the NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts database (OBJECTID 545995). Classified as a wreck showing any portion of h. Source record date: 201305.

  • Wreck of the SS City of Rio de Janeiro shipwreck · Entrance of the Golden Gate, San Francisco Bay · Low probability

    Known as the 'Titanic of the Golden Gate,' this passenger steamship sank in 1901 after striking a rocky ledge near Fort Point in a dense fog. Rumors immediately spread that the ship was carrying a secret shipment of.

  • Wreck of the SS City of Chester shipwreck · Golden Gate Strait, San Francisco Bay · Medium probability

    On August 22, 1888, the steamship SS City of Chester collided with the much larger vessel Oceanic in thick fog inside the Golden Gate strait. The ship split in two and sank in less than six minutes. The wreck was.

  • Wreck of the San Agustin shipwreck · Marin County, submerged within Drakes Bay along the Point Reyes National Seashore. · Medium probability

    In November 1595, the Spanish galleon San Agustin, commanded by Sebastian Rodriguez Cermeno and laden with a valuable cargo of Chinese silks, spices, and Ming Dynasty porcelain, was sailing from Manila to Acapulco when.

  • Wreck of the Samoa shipwreck · Marin County, located approximately 600 yards south of the Chimney Rock Lifeboat Station along the rugged cliffs of Point Reyes. · Low probability

    On January 28, 1913, the steam schooner Samoa was en route from Eureka to San Francisco with a heavy cargo of redwood lumber when she became disoriented in a blinding fog off the Marin Coast. The vessel ran violently.

  • Wreck of the Richfield shipwreck · Marin County, on a submerged reef approximately 500 yards off Chimney Rock at Point Reyes. · Low probability

    On May 8, 1930, the oil tanker Richfield, the proud flagship of the Richfield Oil Company fleet, was navigating through a dense fog and battling strong northwest winds off the Point Reyes Peninsula while carrying.

  • San Agustín Shipwreck Site shipwreck · Drakes Bay, Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County · High probability

    Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño's Manila galleon San Agustín wrecked in Drakes Bay in 1595 and is treated by the National Park Service as the first recorded shipwreck in California history. Accounts describe the vessel.

  • USS Conestoga Wreck shipwreck · A few miles off Southeast Farallon Island, west of San Francisco, in Greater Farallones waters · High probability

    USS Conestoga left Mare Island on March 25, 1921 for Pearl Harbor and vanished with 56 sailors, becoming one of the Navy's major unresolved maritime mysteries. NOAA later found and confirmed the wreck in Greater.

  • SS Montebello Wreck shipwreck · Off Cambria, San Luis Obispo County, central coast · High probability

    The oil tanker SS Montebello was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on December 23, 1941, only weeks after Pearl Harbor, while carrying more than 3 million gallons of crude oil. NOAA places the wreck about seven miles.

  • Schooner Active at Lighthouse Point shipwreck · Lighthouse Point, Santa Cruz, northern Monterey Bay · Medium probability

    The schooner Active wrecked at Lighthouse Point, Santa Cruz, during rough weather in October 1876 and is one of the better-known shore-adjacent losses in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. NOAA's profile places.

  • SS Palo Alto Concrete Ship Wreck shipwreck · Seacliff State Beach, Aptos, Santa Cruz County · High probability

    The SS Palo Alto was a historic concrete oil tanker built in 1919 by the San Francisco Shipbuilding Company. In 1929, the Cal-Nevada Company purchased the ship and towed it to Seacliff State Beach, grounding it in.

  • Wreck of the Clipper King Philip shipwreck · Ocean Beach, San Francisco · High probability

    The King Philip was a three-masted clipper ship built in 1856. In 1878, she lost her anchor and drifted ashore at Ocean Beach, where she broke up and became buried in the sand. Every few decades, extreme low tides and.

  • SS Tennessee Shipwreck Site shipwreck · Tennessee Cove, Marin Headlands, Marin County · High probability

    In 1853, the side-wheel passenger steamship carrying 600 passengers and a valuable cargo of mail and gold ran aground in dense fog. All passengers were rescued, but the ship broke apart in the surf. Today, the ship's.

  • SS Pomona Shipwreck shipwreck · Fort Ross Cove, Fort Ross State Historic Park, Sonoma County · High probability

    A 225-foot steel steamship built in 1897. In March 1908, she struck a submerged wash rock off Fort Ross and was run aground in Fort Ross Cove to save the crew. The wreck lies in 25 to 60 feet of water, and its boilers.

  • SS Jacob Luckenbach Wreck shipwreck · Gulf of the Farallones, 17 miles west-southwest of the Golden Gate, San Francisco · High probability

    A 469-foot steel cargo steamship. In July 1953, she collided with the SS Hawaiian Pilot in dense fog and sank in 180 feet of water. In 2002, the U.S. Coast Guard completed a massive $20 million operation to extract.