Archaeologists 'stunned' after finding 'the most intact shipwrecks in the world'

were left "stunned" after they reportedly discovered the "most intact in the world" hidden beneath hundreds of feet of cold, clear water. Lake Guardian, a research vessel of the Environmental Protection Agency, conducted research in the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary, a massive area extending from New York State's shoreline to the aquatic border with Canada.

The researchers discovered 63 ships beneath the water, many of which are believed to have once sailed in the service of nation-building during the 19th century, only to fall victim to harsh weather, turbulent seas, and the unpredictable forces of fate. Maritime archaeologists on the Lake Guardian are now working on detailed three-dimensional computer models of the wrecks, starting with about a dozen ships.

Experts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, students from the University of Rhode Island will work together with Rhody, which is a remotely operated vehicle fitted with a high-definition camera.

The researchers told the New York Times on Friday they were "blown away and stunned by what we have found"

Benjamin Ioset, a NOAA maritime archaeologist, said: "There's lifetimes worth of research potential here."

Michael R. Pittavino, curator of the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in Oswego, said: "These are very clear waters - you have great visibility of some of the most intact and preserved shipwrecks in the entire world, and some of the oldest. The deep, cool water of the Great Lakes really slows down the degradation of these vessels."

The Lake Guardian's sonar system has found a new shipwreck, the marine sanctuary's 64th, in just three days into the trip. The new shipwreck is believed to be a commercial vessel from the 19th century. Dr Ioset said that it will take "a little bit of detective work" to find the details about its identity.

"It feels like the team onboard is hitting our stride," Jason Fahy, an ocean engineer at the University of Rhode Island and the expedition lead, wrote in an update on the expedition's fifth day, shortly after the survey of the Farmer's Daughter.

The ocean engineer said: "From the vessel crew to our most junior undergraduate, everyone has been caught in a state of wonder watching the ROV feed."