A remarkable 19th-century shipwreck filled with crates of unopened champagne has been discovered in the Baltic Sea.
As per CNN, Polish divers from the Baltictech team found the wreck off the coast of Sweden, loaded with champagne, mineral water, and porcelain.
Tomasz Stachura, the leader of the diving team, described the find as a rare and significant discovery.
Stachura said, "I’ve been diving for 40 years, and this is the first time I've come across a wreck with such a large cargo of bottles."
The discovery was accidental, as the team was exploring new spots out of curiosity. Two divers decided to take a "quick dive" and ended up spending nearly two hours examining the wreck.
They found around 100 bottles of champagne and numerous bottles of mineral water branded as Selters, a highly valued German brand in the 19th century.
The shipwreck, located about 20 nautical miles south of the Swedish island of Oland, is in good condition. The divers notified Swedish regional authorities, and extracting the cargo will take time due to administrative processes.
The team is now working with Dutch marine data company MARIS, Sodertorn University, and Professor Johan Ronnby to develop guidelines for further exploration.
"It's been there for 170 years, so we can afford to wait another year to ensure proper preparation for the operation," Stachura said.
