The wrecks in Saint-Pierre harbor are ships that, except for the Dhalia, were all sunk during the eruption of Mount Pelée on May 8, 1902.The eruption generated a pyroclastic flow, also known as nuées ardentes (Fr: burning clouds), that destroyed the town of Saint-Pierre, Martinique in a few minutes.
During this eruption, it was estimated that 394 boats were in Saint-Pierre's bay, Martinique
The disappearance of the port administration's archives has made it impossible to draw up an exhaustive list of the shipwrecks caused by the disaster. A report published in 1904 was established on the basis of statistics and testimonies. It was established by the National Establishment for Disabled Marines. It estimates the French losses at a minimum of 386 ships and boats, mainly coastal vessels and fishing boats, 500 crew members and 33 passengers. The foreign losses are at least 3 English ocean-going steamers with 99 crew members, 2 American sailing ships with 20 crew members, 3 Italian ocean-going sailing ships with 28 crew members and one passenger.Notice of the wreck at the Franck A Perret museum in Saint Pierre. Like the city, the ships were destroyed in an instant, the majority caught fire and were destroyed body and property
The fishermen knew the locations of some of the wrecks and would cast their nets in areas rich in fish. With the advent of scuba diving in the 1970s, wreck hunters set out to search for the sunken boats. Michel Météry and Jean Bally are known to be the main inventors of most of these wrecks. The discoveries began in February 1974. The wrecks were all declared in May 1977 to the DRAC by Michel Météry and Jean Bally. Jacques Cousteau, Albert Falco and Dominique Serafini on the Calypso were also among those who searched for them.
The boats are now very attractive diving sites for divers who live or come to Martinique and all local diving clubs organize trips to the wreckages. The Roraima, by its size and the quality of conservation, is the most emblematic of these wrecks. The Tamaya is the most mysterious because it is too deep for air diving. The Grappler with its "treasure" is still sought after.
To preserve these cultural and heritage assets of Martinique, in 2012, the city of Saint-Pierre and the French state made the decision to protect the wrecks resting in Saint-Pierre's harbor.
The Frank A. Perret Museum of Saint-Pierre recently launched a podcast in French dedicated to the wrecks. This podcast highlights various speakers, presented in alphabetical order: Mathurin Cadenet, originally from Saint-Pierre (nicknamed "Pierrotin"); Daniel Eustache, also Pierrotin and fisherman; Jean-Sébastien France, diver and president of the Association for Research and Valorization of the Archaeological Heritage of Martinique (ARVPAM); and Michel Météry, diver and discoverer of the wrecks in the harbor of Saint-Pierre.
The wrecks are not only important archaeological sites, but also places of remembrance of the tragic events of the 1902 eruption.
Archaeological research The harbor of Saint-Pierre is now recognized for its significant archaeological value. Due to its historic status as the capital of Martinique and the large number of boats that it permanently welcomed, the harbor preserves traces of the past under its waters.
The University of the West Indies has organized several excavation campaigns in collaboration with the Naval Archeology Research Group (GRAN) and the Laboratory of Medieval and Modern Archeology in the Mediterranean (LA3M). The Department of Underwater and Underwater Archaeological Research (DRASSM) of the Ministry of Culture also carried out; research, prospecting, inventory and geophysical studies of the site.
During its various campaigns, the GRAN established a detailed list of fragments and wrecks in the bay as well as throughout Martinique. The Tamaya, the Biscaye, the Roraima and the Diamant have been definitively identified. The other wrecks have an uncertain identification. In 2023, the European Union launched the ecoRoute program in Martinique, focused on "The northern route around the wrecks of Saint-Pierre". This program is supported by the Archaeological Association Small Antilles Archeology (AAPA).
Amélie / Raisinier Amélie/Raisinier was Belems sister ship and was 48 meters (157 ft) long. It was built in 1890 at the Sevestre shipyard in Chantenay following an order from Simon and Duteil of Nantes. Having left Marseille, it arrived in St Pierre at the end of April 1902. It suffered a leak in its hull while it was anchored in the harbor and the crew battled the damage for two days before it was towed to Turin Cove by the Diamant for repairs, where it finally sank. During its research, GRAN discovered various fragments, including the remains of an iron sailboat, badly damaged by the sea, near Raisinier beach.
The wreck lies at a depth of . It is accessible by snorkeling..
Biscaye (ex-Gabrielle)
The Biscaye was a three-masted schooner-rigged sailing ship, built of wood with a hull lined with copper plates. It was built in Bilbao in 1878, and measured 32 m (105 ft) long by 7 m (23 ft) wide.
Armed by the Vidart et Legasse house of Bayonne, this sailing ship was under the command of Captain Jules Trévty and had eight crew members. It ensured the transportation of cod between Martinique and Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Departing from Bordeaux on February 17, 1902, it reached Saint Pierre and Miquelon before arriving in Saint-Pierre, Martinique with a cargo of 700 barrels of cod on May 6. On May 8, 1902, it was anchored in the bay of Saint-Pierre, less than from the shore, facing Place Bertin. Location . Archaeological excavations of the wreck revealed the presence of cod barrels.
Due to its construction, it probably caught fire quickly, unless the small tidal wave following the fiery cloud caused it to capsize and sink.
The wreck was rediscovered in the 1970s and was initially misidentified as that of the Gabrielle. The wreck measured 32m long, while the Gabrielle measured only . Although the Gabrielle was at anchor on May 8, she was not found. The wreck was the subject of the 1994 dedicated research by GRAN. During their underwater diving, the following report was made.
The wreck of a ship, characterized by a copper-lined hull, is located practically in the axis of the Saint-Pierre pontoon. Oriented east-west, with the front facing east, it rests on a slope: the front is deep and the rear is deep. The hull is approximately long. The ship is lying on its port side, clearly revealing its starboard membranes and the remains of the planking with the lining.
The metal rudder, relatively well preserved, emerges from the sand. It has a thickness of at the top and a width of . The notch, intended to receive the upper hinge, measures high and is located below the preserved top of the rudder. The lining measures thick, the membranes 17 cm thick and wide, and the planking wide.
An anchor, approximately long, lies to the northeast of the front of the wreck, approximately away, oriented east–west. It is likely that it belongs to the wreck.
Michel Météry had initially named this wreck Gabrielle, because its position seemed to correspond to that of the Gabrielle anchorage according to Lacroix's book. However, Bureau Veritas records indicate that the Gabrielle, which sank at Saint-Pierre from the Knight armament, measured 23 m long, while this wreck measures 31.
Three elements lead to the identification of this wreck as that of the ship Biscay: The length of the ship. The type of doubling. The cargo of fish.
The data is summarized below: Length preserved between 29.10 and 31.20 meters. Lining and doweling in yellow copper alloy. During the 1994 survey, a cargo of barrels containing skeletons of gadids (fish of the cod family) was discovered in the bottom of the ship.
Among the ships sunk at Saint-Pierre, only the Biscay has a length corresponding to these measurements.
Clémentina The wreck is a hull bottom approximately 20 meters long, belonging to a locally built coaster. This wreck was the victim of several lootings or attempted lootings, which led the Directorate of Antiquities to file several complaints with the gendarmerie. Some objects were saved thanks to these interventions. Not listed on Hydrographic Service documents, it is nevertheless well known to local divers.Characteristics of the wreck Hull: Wooden, lined with copper. Position: The hull rests on the keel, on a slope covered with mud. The rear of the boat rests at a depth of 50 meters (49 meters on the mud at the foot of the rudder) and the front is 40 meters away, giving the boat's axis an angle of 30° to the horizontal (slope of 56%). This axis is oriented at 116°. Dimensions: Total length of the hull without the rudder: 20.6 meters. Retained width: 6.80 meters.Saffron details Material: Metallic, still in place and very visible, protrudes 90 cm from the vase. Dimensions: Width of 75 cm at the top, 87 cm at the level of the vase. Thickness of 17 cm. Fixing: The upper rudder fixing hinge is still movable on its axis and still carries its fixing rivets with a diameter of 2 cm. The wooden parts have disappeared, leaving only the metal frames. Rudder: The preserved part of the rudder, stern post (31 cm) and counter post (21 cm), does not show any trace of a propeller cage, indicating that it was a sailboat.Structure and materials Background: The shape is preserved by the copper plates of the doubling, forming a hollow mold of the hull. On the two front levels, the wood remains visible. Sampling of the frames: Bordered 6 to 7 cm thick, membrane 18 x 18 cm, lining approximately 6 cm thick. Dubbing plates: The front plates are twisted, probably as a result of an impact. The vessel's modest size suggests a barge or coaster.Analysis and discoveries''' Wood species: Analysis revealed the use of three different species: spruce for the lining, pine for the frames, birch for the planking. However, it was not possible to determine the exact species or origin of the wood, which may come from Europe or America. Objects recovered: A port lantern cleared by a clandestine survey was saved and placed in storage at the Directorate of Antiquities.
The wreck of Clementina remains a subject of significant archaeological interest, providing valuable information on local shipbuilding and maritime practices of the time.
The wreck lies 20 meters deep at .
Dalhia / YMS 82 Dalhia / Y.M.S. 82, a BYMS-class minesweeper, was laid down on October 24, 1941, at the Stadium Yacht Basin in Cleveland and launched on June 13, 1942. Transferred to the French Navy on October 5, 1944, she was renamed Dahlia and received the number D.325, in accordance with the tradition of the Y.M.S. all of which were named after flowers. On March 21, 1949, the French navy definitively acquired the Dahlia from the U.S. Navy, and the ship continued its career as a minesweeper.
After World War II, French coasts were littered with mines, and minesweepers like the Dahlia were extensively engaged in mine clearance operations. In April 1950, the Dahlia, accompanied by the ships Genet, Pétunia and Zinia, participated in the clearance of the port of La Pallice and the dredging of fishing areas used by La Rochelle trawlers. Subsequently, the Dahlia was sent to the Antilles for stationary service, where she represented France, defended its interests and provided aid to the local population in the event of natural disasters.