Severe coastal erosion caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi has revealed a centuries-old shipwreck in Vietnam, providing a narrow window to salvage what experts consider a historically significant discovery.
Originally discovered in 2023 off the coast of Hoi An, the 57-foot ship – whose heavy, ribbed wooden hull survived hundreds of years of rough seas almost perfectly intact – was re-submerged before authorities could recover it.
Experts have not yet dated the wreck, but preliminary findings suggest it was built between the 14th and 16th centuries, when UNESCO-listed Hoi An was the center of a thriving regional trade in silk, ceramics and spices.
“We are currently preparing to apply for an emergency excavation permit,” Pham Phu Ngoc, director of the Hoi An Center for the Preservation of World Cultural Heritage, told AFP on Monday after the wreckage resurfaced following Typhoon Kalmaegi last week.
TAM XUAN/AFP via Getty Images
“The discovery of this ancient ship is clear evidence of Hoi An’s important historical role in regional trade,” he said, adding that a larger part of the ship had been exposed this time, “which could provide us with more information.”
A team of experts from the Hoi An Preservation Center, Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities and a local museum inspected the wreck last year.
Along with the rough age estimate, they discovered that it had been made from “durable, high-strength wood” and reinforced with waterproofing materials to seal its joints.
“The structure of the ship suggests that it was capable of long-distance voyages, probably used for maritime commerce or naval operations,” the Hoi An center said in an earlier statement.
The relic risks “serious deterioration without immediate conservation measures”, given severe coastal erosion and the ship’s frequent exposure to harsh weather conditions, he added.
The wreckage was still clearly visible on Monday, with crowds gathering on the beach to admire its remarkable skeleton.
Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least 188 people in the Philippines and five in Vietnam, BBC News reported, citing figures released by the two countries.
TAM XUAN/AFP via Getty Images 
Long-hidden wrecks were recently revealed by bad weather in the United States.
In May, a Wisconsin angler discovered wreck of a tugboat submerged in the waters of Lake Michigan for more than a century after winter storms exposed it.
By 2024, erosion caused by storms and exceptionally high tides has revealed much of a 114 year old shipwreck in Massachusetts.
In 2022, severe beach erosion caused by two hurricanes led to the discovery of a wooden ship. dating from the 1800s who had been buried under the sand in Florida.
