Into The Depths Of Unknown
The team of divers swam deeper into the ocean. They had never been this far before, and everyone was nervous about what they might find. Would there be treasure or something more sinister lurking beneath the sea?
Suddenly the team leader signaled for them all to stop. There was something there! As they stared at this massive unknown object, the divers knew they had uncovered something greater than any of their imaginations could have created.
A Deep Sea Treasure Hunter
The life of a deep-sea diver is never ordinary. Depending on where they are diving or what they discover, some days they may just enjoy seeing below the surface and a beautiful underwater world. Each team hopes that their dive will be successful but going into the depths of the ocean doesn’t guarantee anything.
With years of dedication and training, it can sometimes seem disheartening. Will they ever discover something or teach others more about the mysterious watery realm they spend so much time exploring? Each dive is another opportunity but what will be revealed, and is the world ready to see what lies beneath the surface?
Swedish Ocean X Diving Team
Peter Lindberg and Dennis Åsberg are members of the Swedish dive team called Ocean X. In June 2011 they were beginning an exciting dive that seemed promising. Both divers had years of experience but were still looking for a big treasure find!
Their team was diving in the Northern Baltic Sea. They estimated they would go as deep as 300 feet in the middle of the Gulf of Bothnia. Both divers had dreams of finding buried treasure, but what they did discover was more than their imagination could create.
Who Are Peter Lindberg & Dennis Åsberg?
Both men were well-known in their profession but still hadn’t discovered the buried treasure they sought. As they got prepared to dive into the Baltic Sea both men were hopeful this dive would be different. The air felt crisp and they took a deep breath before putting their masks on.
They had a small team on this dive, and the team was very close. They knew how much both of their lead explorers wanted to discover something truly incredible. No one on the team could have predicted the discovery directly beneath them that would change their lives forever.
The Equipment Was Receiving Out Of This World Interference
Every dive team has several pieces of equipment to make sure they stay safe the deeper they explore. They have oxygen tanks and also carry sonar equipment to help find discoveries in the dark depths of the oceans.
Today’s dive was focused on locating an ancient shipwreck. The team had researched and traced the final location of the ancient boat to their exact dive location today. As they swam deeper something unexplainable began to happen with their sonar equipment. Was the entire team already in jeopardy?
Warning Beeps Or Discovery Signals
Their sonar equipment was reacting and beeping loudly in the water. The team was perplexed; they couldn’t see what the equipment was picked up and decided to dive deeper to investigate. As they dove deeper they couldn’t believe what the sonar was picking up
On the screen, it looked like they were on top of an underwater mountain. How could this be possible? They knew they had to dive deeper but what were they about to enter? Had anyone else tried to investigate this piece of rock and failed to return?
This Wasn’t A Mountain - It Was Out Of This World
As they got closer the sonar equipment began to fail. The sound waves that made the sonar equipment create images on the screen couldn’t get through the landscape. The team had discovered something that was impenetrable by sound waves.
If sound waves couldn’t get through, was this even man-made? The team was looking at a massive rock structure that seemed to have a mixture of rock and sand. It was so sturdy. As the team investigated they knew this might not even be from this planet. They couldn’t believe what the rocks would reveal to them!
They Would Need To Return
The team was getting confusing signals from their equipment and they knew they weren’t going to be able to complete their mission today. What they had discovered could possibly be even bigger than they imagined.
If sonar couldn’t be used, how could they plan and prepare for returning? They needed to go back to land and figure out their next plans and steps. As they swam back up to the surface, the team had a renewed sense of purpose and energy. Whatever they had just discovered was better than any buried treasure!
Back On Land Discussions
The team started speaking quickly as soon as they got back in the boat! Everyone wanted to know what the other thought. Had everyone touched the massive rock and felt the surface. Where could this have come from?
One thing the team agreed on, was this was nothing like they had seen before. The shape was massive and the texture of rock and sand was unlike anything they had ever felt. What could it possibly be and how did it get to this part of the ocean?
Approaching From Logic
The shape and density of the rock made the team question if this was an old submarine that had lay dormant since World War II. Another theory was it could be the barrels of a long-sunk battleship’s gun. Out of all the ideas they discussed nothing seemed to fit.
The one thing the team didn’t want was to be ridiculed by their community. They needed to examine all logical and scientific reasoning before they went public. Their lives were devoted to the science and they believed there was a logical explanation for what was happening. They went back to examine the facts but what answers would they find?
Here Are The Facts
They knew a few details from what they witnessed and the limited sonar readings. The piece was circular with a diameter of 200 feet and the top and sides were covered in strange cracks and markings. The team began to talk about the markings as if the piece had been dragged or moved to its final spot.
What would be possible of moving this or depositing it into the ocean? The more they kept the discussion going the more puzzled and confused they became. Was it time to go public and face ridicule or should they keep their discovery private for a little bit longer?
365 Days Until They Could Dive Again
After spending hours examining the grainy image they had received from their sonar equipment, they decided to wait a year and spend more time researching the area and possible other solutions. This next year was going to be paramount to everyone’s career.
They clearly marked the location on their map and began to drive their boat back to the shore. The boat ride was quiet with everyone thinking about this strange discovery. It felt like they were on the brink of an amazing discovery but they still couldn’t figure out what it was.
A Year Of Preparation
The year went by quickly with the crew researching and getting prepared to go back in for a dive. Every day they talked about what they could do differently or what equipment they should get that would help. They were a small team, could they handle such a big project?
They decided to invest in higher-end sonar equipment. They needed a better visual of what they had found before they could bring in the rest of the scientific community. It felt like within a blink of an eye it was the day of the dive. Would they still be confused or were they ready to reveal their findings to the community?
The Dive Did Not Go As Planned
The crew was full of nervous energy to get into the water. They questioned their memory and wondered if it would still be in the spot they had marked on the map. Was it possible their unknown treasure could vanish?
As they dove down to the depths of the ocean searching for their mysterious find, they couldn’t believe their bad luck. Their new, more advanced sonar equipment was malfunctioning. One of the divers from the team commented, "Anything electric out there… stopped working when we were above the object." Did their mystery treasure have a mind of its own? Did it not want to be discovered or moved?
Everything Shut Down
They dived down again but any time something electrical got near this piece of molten rock, it stopped working. They tried to take more pictures and record everything, but all they received was static. The team began to wonder if this was becoming science fiction and didn’t know if this was even possible with earth-made artifacts.
Frustrated, they once again left the site with more questions than answers. A year of planning felt wasted and they still had no idea what this object was. They decided it was time to allow more creative solutions, and the possibility that this wasn’t from earth. Was it even supposed to be found?
A Real-Life Science-Fiction Adventure
A common theme in science-fiction involves out-of-this-world objects damaging earth like electric currents. It could represent a dangerous electromagnetic pulse weapon, or something less sinister. Had this dive team stumbled upon a secret attack on Earth?
The team panicked. They didn’t want to become jokes within their community but what if this object presented a very clear danger? It was time to make a decision about revealing their finds, but it meant jeopardizing their careers and futures. How would the public react to their shocking news?
The Public Speculation
The immediate response wasn’t hysterical. Everyone could see the dive team had attempted to get more information before jumping to alien conclusions. It became a popular topic of discussion with even more fantastic, creative solutions. People were focused on the origin of the item and wondered about what secrets it could possibly reveal.
With their findings released, the team prepared to hear a variety of reasonings and excuses. Would any of it make sense? One theory credited a famous movie franchise with the solution.
Star Wars Similarity
The images of the object showed similarity to a famous ship used by none other than Han Solo. In the Star Wars community and online forums, news spread quickly about a dive team discovering Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon.
Hans Solo piloted the ship with Chewbacca during the Galactic Civil War. The similarities were a little bit of a stretch but they didn’t answer the more important question. Star Wars is created by Hollywood, and this object definitely didn’t seem to be from this planet. Everyone wanted to know, how did it end up in our oceans?
How Did a 200 Foot Object Land In The Ocean?
It was confirmed the object was made up of metal, but no one had any answers on how it ended up in the ocean. The size and weight of it made it impossible to imagine accidentally ending up where it was found.
Was this a part of a bigger object? Had it fallen from the sky in the middle of the night? How long had it laid underwater and hidden from the world before the Ocean X Team had discovered it? Did they only discover it because it was the right time, or had they unearthed a potentially dangerous weapon? The team needed to know if they had found the weapon that could destroy our planet!
Was Earth Under Attack?
UFO fanatics and science-fiction movie bluffs knew that an alien invasion rarely ended peacefully and began to sound the alarm about what the team had discovered. The public wanted to access and wanted to be reassured they were safe, but unfortunately, the team couldn’t confirm that.
These deep-sea divers were in over their heads. They knew it was time to call in different experts and hopefully work together for answers and solutions that would ease the public's mind. Would the new experts be just as stumped or would they have the answers?
Consulting Marine Geologist
Peter Lindberg and Dennis Åsberg reached out to marine geologist Charles Paull. Paull was highly respected in his field and had already been following the media coverage when the team’s sonar images were leaked.
Paull’s explanation was simple. He believed different rocks had been dropped by schools of fish and over time had formed this metal object puzzling the world. His reasoning made sense, but the team suspected this was more than just a few loose rocks. Would the next specialist they consulted have a better answer?
Nature Does What It Wants
Even though we spend so much time trying to understand what our planet is capable of, we still get surprised. Göran Ekberg, a scientist from Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute agreed with his colleague.
Ekberg knew it would be more exciting if this object was unexplainable or could be linked to extra-terrestrial beings but he believed the following logic and said: “nature has produced stranger things than that.” Would this calm down the public? A certain space explorer wanted to contribute their two cents too!
Space Thinks It’s A Disgrace
The next expert who joined the conversation was Jonathan Hill. He worked for the Mars Space Flight Facility and didn’t believe anything about this large object found in the ocean came from space. He thought people should begin to examine who was benefiting from the rumors.
Hill said, “Whenever people make extraordinary claims, it’s always a good idea to consider… whether they are personally benefiting from the claim.” This was the first expert to call into question the integrity of Peter Lindberg and Dennis Åsberg. Did others feel the same?
At This Point, What Can You Trust?
Lindberg and Åsberg were surprised at the accusation but had been prepared that this would happen at some point. Before going public the entire team understood the risks and public speculation they were allowing. The Ocean X Team couldn’t help it, they needed answers, regardless of what others thought.
Just when they thought they had no allies left, a surprising one came from the Weizmann Institute of Science. A local geologist had received a sample of the object and his chilling observations would wipe away any doubt of personal benefit or advantage Ocean X Team wanted.
Cut It Open & Count It In
Geologist Steve Weiner had tested a sample of the object and his results were shocking. It was confirmed that this “metal” solid substance was not a natural geological formation. He gave his full support to the Ocean X Team and began to work closely with their research.
Weiner explained further that this was an object made up of a substance that could not replicate itself. He called into question all previous theories and began to spark a great debate. Was the scientific community prepared to believe in life outside of earth?
The Critics Were Not Impressed
At this time, there were too many opinions and still not enough research. The scientific world was becoming divided, and there was only one thing that could make it right. The Ocean X Team needed more research.
How could they demonstrate the difficulties they experienced around or near the object that would finally convince their critics they weren’t lying. Combining resources with Weiner they decided to take a big step and film their next deep sea dive. Would anyone watch a documentary based on their findings?
It’s Impossible To Prove - Except We’ve Seen It
Lindberg and Åsberg had always suspected this discovery would impact their careers but they had never predicted how. It was exciting that they had witnessed and touched something that was at the center of so much debate in their community.
“There's something we do not usually find in nature sitting in the depths of the Baltic Sea.” The team hoped bringing a camera crew along their journey would prove their dedication and get their discovery the scientific credit it deserves. It may seem unlikely, but these aren’t the only scientists that have been called in to verify alien spaceships.
The Camera’s Are Rolling
The Ocean X Team returned in 2019 to begin filming their documentary. They ran into similar issues with the object conducting electricity but eventually had enough footage to compile a documentary and amazon television series.
At this point, this mass object has yet to be permanently labeled. Each year as more people become intrigued with this sunken object, they look to the original explorers for answers. Other members of the crew have begun to step forward including Stefan Hogeborn. Would he stand united with his team or surprise the world and create more controversy?
Stefan Speaks, The Internet Is Listening
Stefan Hogeborn was not on the original dive but was on the second dive a year later. He has been to the site of the object that still has spectators and speculation. After completing over 6,000 dives Hogeborn had this to say about the discovery.
“I have never seen anything like this. Normally stones don’t burn. I can’t explain what we saw, and I went down there to answer questions, but I came up with even more questions” While critics will say the Ocean X Team is just looking for profit, there is still only one sonar image collected of the mysterious UFO-like creation. Another scientist also had a clash of reality with science-fiction looking for a pirate ship.
Mysterious Item At A Construction Site
Swedish archaeologist Jim Hansson always enjoys the adventurous aspects of his job. He has been called in to investigate several different things being found in very weird places. He assumed this phone call from a local construction site would be the same as all the others. He couldn’t be further from the truth.
Hansson was asked to come to a construction site and help explain what the work crew had dug up. The location was interesting enough on an island that held a lot of Swedish history. This construction site could have been on top of a battle site or even previous royalty. Hansson rushed over to see what this discovery could be.
The Baltic Sea Similarities
The island in question that Hansson was being called to was also on The Baltic Sea, just like the Ocean X Team discovery. The sea is in an incredible location for history as it is surrounded by nine countries: Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Finland, and Sweden.
The island was called Skeppsholmen and had a rich history with the Swedish military. Hansson had been on previous expeditions that included finding ships from the 1600s and he was excited to see what this construction crew had uncovered. Would it be worth the hype or a simple artifact undeserving of Hansson’s talents? The answer surprised everyone.
This Was Bigger Than Anyone Imagined
Hansson wasn’t being called in about one piece. The construction crew had uncovered an entire dig site and possible building from earlier centuries. It was exciting to see the beams were still in moderately good condition and Hansson got to work securing the perimeters to protect this discovery.
Only a few months earlier, Hansson’s team had discovered the great ancient ship “Blekinge” not far off the coast of this island. The “Blekinge” was a mighty battleship used during the war between Russia and Denmark in the late 1600’s. Had this construction crew uncovered more from the same time period?
Would This Discovery Sail Away?
As the team continued to uncover more of this artifact, they began to realize this wasn’t one item but actually a second ship. Hansson was impressed with the preservation of the wood and he could even make out the marks of construction from axes and similar tools of the era.
Hansson's team took a small sample of the wood back to the lab in order to understand more about their discovery. They also wanted confirmation on the exact year the wood would date back too. They needed to know what they had discovered, only months after their previous big ship was found. Would Hansson be lucky twice or was it all a facade for the press?
If These Planks Could Talk
The lab brought back conclusive evidence that the ship was from the 17th century but even more exciting was finding a copper plate with the ship's name at the dig site. This copper plate gave the archaeology team hard proof they had found the “Scepter”.
This ship was owned by a famous monarch, King Gustav II Adolf the Great. During his time of ruling, he is credited for making Sweden a major player in European economics. The ship’s final voyage is documented as incomplete. Is it possible this ship was carrying the weapons Team Ocean X had discovered not too far away?
Restoration & Historical Repair
While it was never proven the link between the two historical finds, Hansson’s team was able to restore the “Scepter” and give it a proper place in history. After much debate, it was decided the ship was intentionally sunk to start grounds for a new shipyard.
Hansson can only hope the next discoveries out of the deep baltic sea will continue to illuminate part of history so many have forgotten. This exciting work serves to provide more answers to curious Swedish residents but also international speculation. You never know what will come out of the waters next, but it’s best to just keep swimming until all the facts are discovered!