SEARCH, together with Ocean Infinity, discovered the wreck of USS Nevada (BB-36)--one of the US Navy’s longest serving battleships. The wreck is located 65 nautical miles southwest of Pearl Harbor at a depth of over 15,400 feet. The mission was jointly coordinated between SEARCH’s operations center and one of Ocean Infinity’s research vessels amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The discovery of USS Nevada adds to our ongoing archaeological study of ships of war, including those used in atomic testing.
“Nevada is an iconic ship that speaks to American resilience and stubbornness. It survived torpedoes, bombs, shells and two atomic blasts. The physical reality of the ship, resting in the darkness in the great museum of the sea, reminds us not only of past events, but of those who took up the challenge of defending the United States in two global wars.”
Dr. James P Delgado, Senior Vice President, SEARCH, Inc.
News of the discovery reached millions via outlets such as National Geographic, The Washington Post, BBC, and Gizmodo.
Following the discovery, the US Navy conducted a memorial fly-over of the site to honor the ship.
In 2021, the US Coast Guard dropped a weighted memorial wreath on the wreck site from a rescue helicopter on the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.
SEARCH published a scientific report on the discovery for the Journal of Maritime Archaeology.
