This is a list of shipwrecks located in or around the continent of Africa.
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Assarca shipwreck | Unknown | Early 7th century (Presumed) | A wreck discovered at Black Assarca Island in 1995. It was excavated in 1997, and found to hold a cargo of amphoras. |
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 April 1973 | A cargo ship that ran aground off Mombasa.[1] | ||||
| 13 April 1951 | A 545-ton trawler built for World War II. It ran aground 3miles north of Mombasa. | ||||
| 27 April 1994 | A Likoni and Mombasa route ferry that capsized due to overcrowding off Kilindini Harbour. 270 people lost their lives.[2] |
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 April 1992 | An oil tanker that was damaged in a storm, spilling several thousand tonnes of oil. | -25.5833°N 91°W | |||
| 20 February 1861 | An American-built extreme clipper sold to Havana and put to work in the slave trade. It was captured by the Royal Navy and used as a store ship, before striking a reef and sinking at Mayotte. |
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Italy | 2 December 1994 | A cruise ship that was hijacked in 1985 by the Palestine Liberation Front. It ultimately sank nine years later, after an explosion in the engine room started a fire that engulfed the ship. | ||
| 3 May 1944 | A Type IXD2 U-boat that was attacked by British aircraft and run aground near Bayla. | 9.5333°N 109°W | ||
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 July 1915 | A light cruiser that was sunk in the Rufiji River.[3] | -7.8683°N 39.24°W | |||
| 20 September 1914 | A protected cruiser that was sunk at Zanzibar by . | -6.1483°N 39.1933°W | |||
| 10 September 2011 | A RORO ferry that sank between Unguja and Pemba Island, with the loss of at least 200 lives. |
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 May 1996 | A Lake Victoria ferry that sank off Mwanza with over 200 confirmed dead. | ||||
| 8 May 2005 | A train ferry that collided with near the Ssese Islands. |
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Protectorate of Uganda | 1962 | A British ferry named after Robert Coryndon, Governor of Uganda (1918–1922). |
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | April 1698 | A galley that was captained by William Kidd, who ordered it burnt at Île Sainte-Marie. | |||
| July 1781 | A fifth rate that caught fire and sank off Île Sainte-Marie. | -17.0025°N 49.8419°W |
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 November 1942 | An that was torpedoed by the off Béjaïa. | 36.75°N 16°W | ||
| 4 July 1943 | A troopship that was torpedoed by the . | 36.7333°N 32°W | ||
| 10 November 1942 | A sloop that was sunk by an Italian aircraft north of Algiers. | 37°N 3°W | ||
| HMS Karanja | 12 November 1942 | Troop carrier (infantry), former BI cargo liner. Sunk by German aircraft off Bougie (Béjaïa). | ||
| 9 November 1942 | A troopship that was sunk by the off Algiers. | 36.8203°N 3.1653°W | ||
| 6 February 1943 | A that was sunk by German aircraft near Mostaganem. | 36.25°N 15°W | ||
| 14 November 1942 | British P&O requisitioned troopship bombed and sunk by German aircraft. Sister ship . Located off Bougie (Béjaïa), Algeria, passing Cape Carbon. | 36.8667°N 6°W | ||
| 26 November 1943 | A British troop carrier sunk north of Béjaïa in an air attack during World War II.[4] [5] | 37.02°N 5.2017°W | ||
| 30 January 1943 | A that was torpedoed by an Italian submarine off Béjaïa. | 36.9333°N 5.6667°W | ||
| Strathallen | 22 December 1942 | A Strath-class liner that was being used as a troop transport was sunk by a German submarine off the coast of Algeria. | ||
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 December 1917 | An that was sunk northwest of Alexandria. | 31.3°N 78°W | ||
| 11 July 1941 | A D-class destroyer that was attacked by a German bomber and sank under tow off Sidi Barrani. | 31.75°N 56°W | ||
| L'Orient | 1 August 1798 | An and Napoleon's flagship, destroyed by fire and explosion in Aboukir Bay during the Battle of the Nile. | ||
| 16 May 1970 | A Z-class destroyer that was sunk by Israeli aircraft in Foul Bay. | |||
| 14–15 December 1991 | A roll-on/roll-off passenger ferry that ran aground at midnight on a reef near Safaga, sinking rapidly with the loss of at least 464 civilians. | 26.6394°N 34.0608°W | ||
| 24 December 1941 | A that was torpedoed by about west of Alexandria. | 31.46°N 28°W | ||
| (Jolanda) | April 1980 | A cargo ship that ran aground on a reef at Ras Muhammad. | ||
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 February 1941 | A D-class destroyer that was sunk by German bombers east of Tobruk. | 32.0733°N 24.0783°W | ||
| 12 May 1941 | An that was sunk by German dive bombers at Tobruk. | 32.0758°N 23.9725°W | ||
| 23 December 1941 | A passenger and cargo liner that was torpedoed by the east of Tobruk. | 32.06°N 24.46°W | ||
| 14 September 1942 | A that was sunk by shore batteries off Tobruk. | 32.0978°N 24°W | ||
| 23 February 1941 | An monitor that was attacked by German aircraft and sank under tow off Derna. | 32.9833°N 54°W | ||
| 2 June 1942 | A Type VIIC U-boat that was attacked by a British aircraft and scuttled north of Bardia. | 31.9167°N 36°W | ||
| 17 June 1941 | A troopship that was torpedoed by the northwest of Derna. | 33.03°N 22.04°W | ||
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1815 | An American merchant ship that ran aground off Cape Bojador in what is now the Western Sahara. The surviving crew, led by Captain James Riley, were subsequently captured and taken as slaves by local tribes.[6] | |||
| 12 December 1911 | A steamship that ran aground in heavy fog. The Duke of Fife was rescued from the sinking ship, but contracted pleurisy and died soon afterward. | |||
| 15 December 1942 | A cargo ship that was torpedoed by the off Morocco. | 35.5°N -23°W | ||
| 12 November 1942 | A troopship that was torpedoed by off Casablanca. | 33.6667°N -42°W | ||
| 11 December 1941 | A warship that was torpedoed by in the Straits of Gibraltar. | 35.9833°N -22°W | ||
| 13 November 1942 | A troopship that was sunk by off Casablanca. | 33.6667°N -42°W | ||
| 20 January 2009 | The sailing yacht Taube, sailing for the (since abandoned) cultural exploration project Migrobirdo, capsized in heavy swell on the approach to the port of Mehdya on the Sebou River. Six youths of different nationalities drowned, while one German female survived. An investigation concluded that several factors contributed to the accident, including an untrained skipper, an inexperienced crew, overloading, and the absence of a clear line of command.[7] | 34.2667°N -47°W | ||
| 16 November 1942 | A Type IXC U-boat that was sunk by American destroyers off Casablanca. | 33.6667°N -42°W | ||
| 19 October 1941 | A Type VIIC U-boat that was sunk by and near Tangier. | 35.7667°N -8°W | ||
| 15 May 1944 | A Type VIIC U-boat that was sunk by British ships north of Tangier. | 35.9°N -50°W | ||
| 31 October 1943 | A Type VIIC U-boat that came under attack from British forces and was scuttled north of Tangier. | 35.9°N -57°W | ||
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 April 1942 | A H-class destroyer that ran aground off Kelibia. | 36.8717°N 11.14°W | |||
| 23 August 1940 | A H-class destroyer that struck a mine and was scuttled off Cap Bon. | 36.8833°N 11.3167°W | |||
| Mahdia | Unknown | Unknown | An ancient shipwreck discovered near Mahdia in 1907. It is thought to date from around 80 BC.[8] | 35.5319°N 8.7875°W | |
| 13 August 1942 | A light cruiser that was sunk during Operation Pedestal. | 36.8333°N 11.1667°W | |||
| 4 June 1943 | A that sank off Bizerte. | 37.3833°N 9.8667°W | |||
| 29 June 1943 | A that capsized off Bizerte. | 37.3167°N 65°W |
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 July 1946 | A Malawian ship owned by the Nyasaland Railway Company that set sail from Monkey Bay to Chilumba in Karonga, Malawi in 1946. It capsized en route with the loss of the entire crew. | |||
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Portuguese nau that set sail from Lisbon in 1533. It was discovered in 2008 on the coast near Oranjemund.[9] | ||||
| 29 November 1942 | A refrigerator ship that ran aground on the Skeleton Coast, south of the Kunene River.[10] | -18.13°N 11.55°W | ||
| 5 September 1909 | A freighter that ran aground south of Conception Bay.[11] [12] | -23.9953°N 14.4572°W | ||
| Unknown | 15 February 2013 | The cargo ship ran aground at Lüderitz.[13] | -26.37°N 15.0403°W | |
| 1955 | A Durban steamer that ran aground on a sandbank in dense fog, about 11miles north of Swakopmund. The crew were unharmed and were able to get off the ship once the area's coast guard arrived and allowed everyone off. | |||
| Unknown | 1945 | A steamer that ran aground in Spencer Bay. | ||
| Unknown | 25 August 2008 | The ship ran aground 14 km south of Henties Bay.[14] | -22.2411°N 14.3536°W | |
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 June 1753 | A Dutch East Indiaman carrying copper duits, silver bars, and gold ducats, which hit a reef 13spell=inNaNspell=in from the eastern coast of Africa and 120miles south of the Portuguese settlement of Mozambique. The wreck was discovered in 1986.[15] | |||
| Cordigliera | Unknown | 16 November 1996 | After placing a distress call to Durban Radio at 10:30 pm requesting immediate assistance due to a leak in a hold, the freighter sank off Port St Johns, South Africa, with the loss of all 23 lives. | |
| 17 July 1755 | An East Indiaman that was wrecked at Bird Island in Algoa Bay.[16] | |||
| Grosvenor | 4 August 1782 | An East Indiaman that was wrecked off the Pondoland coast.[17] | -31.3739°N 29.9147°W | |
| Kapodistrias | 1985 | A Greek bulk carrier wrecked at Cape Recife near Port Elizabeth | ||
| Unknown | 2005 | A bulk carrier that was stranded northeast of Port Alfred.[18] | ||
| Unknown | A fishing trawler that sank near St Francis Bay. | -34.1667°N 54°W | ||
| 4 August 1991 | A cruise liner that sank off the Transkei coast, after leaving East London en route to Durban.[19] | |||
| 1647 | A Portuguese vessel wrecked at Sardinia Bay near Port Elizabeth | |||
| 26 July 2001 | A combined ocean liner/cruise ship that sank off Cape St. Francis while under tow to be scrapped. | |||
| Unknown | July 2002 | Stranded southwest of East London.[20] | ||
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1946 | An that was scuttled off Durban. | -29.8725°N 31.0942°W | ||
| September 2011 | A tanker that ran aground near Ballito on 26 July 2011, and was then refloated and scuttled offshore. | |||
| 6 March 1886 | A barque that was stranded in the Bushman River. | |||
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 7 February 1962 | Stranded in Shell Bay on Robben Island. | ||
| 30 May 1815 | A British East Indiaman, requisitioned for troop transport, wrecked near Waenhuiskrans.[21] | -34.66°N 20.2519°W | ||
| 26 February 1852 | A British iron-hulled troopship that struck a submerged rock near Gansbaai. The chivalry of the soldiers in abandoning ship gave rise to the "women and children first" protocol.[22] | |||
| 26 June 1994 | A derrick/lay barge that ran aground on Duiker point after breaking loose while being towed around the Cape Peninsula by the tug Tigr in a storm.[23] | -34.037°N 18.3087°W | ||
| 8 December 1896 | A three-masted iron sailing ship that ran aground near the Cape of Good Hope.[24] | -33.5067°N 36.7°W | ||
| 17 November 1874 | A wooden 3-masted full-rigged sailing ship that caught fire and sank south of the Cape of Good Hope, with a loss of 369 lives.[25] | -37°N 12°W | ||
| 24 December 1789 | A 44-gun laid down in 1780. Severely damaged by an iceberg, the ship was sailed 400league to the Cape of Good Hope, where it was intentionally grounded.[26] | |||
| 2001 | A cargo ship that ran aground near Cape Town, and was re-floated and scuttled 200miles from shore.[27] | |||
| 8 June 1682 | An East Indiaman (the first to be wrecked off the South African coast) that sank near Cape Agulhas. A considerable amount of gold was on the ship.[28] | -34.7828°N 19.6794°W | ||
| 15 July 1862 | A Prussian barque that ran ashore due to navigational error near Muizenberg.[29] | |||
| 25 May 1900 | A British 665-ton schooner-rigged steamship built in 1898 by the Grangemouth Dockyard Company | |||
| 5 August 1909 | A Shaw Savill Line steamship that was wrecked near Llandudno, Cape Town.[30] | |||
| 1982 | A fishing trawler that sank near Cape Aghulas. | -34.8167°N 78°W | ||
| Unknown | Unknown | A coastal trading vessel that sunk near Olifantsbos Bay. | ||
| Unknown | 1978 | A bulk carrier that sank near Saldanha Bay. | -33.15°N 19°W | |
| 12 November 1994 | A British built in 1943. It was renamed SAS Pietermarizburg in 1947, and at the end of its career was scuttled to make an artificial reef at Miller's Point near Simon's Town.[31] | |||
| 19 July 1829 | A merchant vessel that was wrecked near Simon's Town. | -34.1898°N 44.898°W | ||
| South African Navy | 18 February 1982 | A South African frigate that sank in deep water after a collision with its refueling ship, .[32] | -35.25°N 38°W | |
| 27 December 1794 | A Portuguese slave ship that was wrecked on the rocks off Cape Town, resulting in the deaths of over 200 slaves. The wreck was rediscovered in the 1980s, but was not identified until 2015. | |||
| 5 November 1799 | A 64-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy that was blown ashore in Table Bay by a gale, with heavy losses.[33] | -33.92°N 18.45°W | ||
| 18 September 2009 | A Turkish bulk carrier carrying coal that ran aground on Bloubergstrand near Table Bay. | |||
| 1806 | A Dutch ship of the line that was scuttled near Simon's Town to prevent her falling into enemy hands following the Battle of Blaauwberg. | |||
| 13 May 1947 | A former protected cruiser that became famous as SATS General Botha, a merchant naval training ship. After retiring as a training ship, it reverted to its original name and was sunk in False Bay near Simon's Town as a target. | -34.23°N 18.63°W | ||
| 27 November 1942 | A Houston-built munitions carrier that ran ashore on Oliphantsbos Point, near Cape Point.[34] | -34.2732°N 18.3801°W | ||
| Treasure | 23 June 2000 | A bulk ore carrier that developed a hole in its hull and sank under tow northwest of Cape Town, causing an oil spill that killed around 2,000 endangered African penguins. | -33.6717°N 37.9°W | |
| Wafra | 28 February 1971 | An oil tanker that grounded near Cape Agulhas, causing an oil spill. The ship was later refloated, towed out to sea, and re-sunk to avoid further contamination of the coastline. | -36.95°N 62°W | |
| 28 August 1842 | A British convict ship that was driven ashore in Table Bay by a storm, together with the troop transport Abercrombie Robinson. | |||
| Ship | Flag | Sunk date | Notes | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1747 | An East Indiaman that was wrecked off the Banana Islands, Sierra Leone. The wreck was rediscovered in 2014. | ||||
| 1 April 1999 | A Nigerian and Port Harcourt to Nembe route ferry that capsized in rough sea off Port Harcourt. At least 100 people were killed.[35] | ||||
| 22 May 1787 | An East Indiaman that ran aground off Cape Verde following a mutiny. | ||||
| 26 September 2002 | A Senegalese passenger ship that capsized off the coast of the Gambia.[36] | ||||
| Medusa | 2 July 1816 | A French passenger ship that sank near Bank of Arguin. The traumatic experience of the stranded passengers and crew was immortalized in Géricault's painting, The Raft of the Medusa. | 20.0475°N -16.809°W | ||
| 8 November 1942 | A French light cruiser, laid down in 1923, that was sunk by gunfire from . | ||||
| Tor Hugo | 27 November 1972 | A Norwegian patrol boat that served in World War II before being sold off to civilian ownership as a fishing vessel. | |||
| A full-rigged ship that sank off Dakar.[37] |