PC: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
What was the Ituna before it became a commercial fishing vessel
Mackie in 1886 by A. & J. In December 1894, the Ituna left New York for Havana and Mexico on a three-month scientific research expedition. Nearly 400 ships and aircraft wrecks lie on the seafloor of the recently expanded Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and the nearby Golden Gate National Recreation Area, including four never-before-found vessels. 20 ships have been plotted so far, including the USS Independence and the freighter S.S.
NOAA states that the Ituna began life as a luxury steam yacht, built for John G. Inglis in Glasgow, Scotland. It was named for the Latin name of the Solway Firth, the coastline border between England and Scotland. After several changes of ownership, it was bought by Allison V. Amour of Chicago, Illinois, whom NOAA describes as a wealthy socialite interested in natural sciences. The results were published as Archaeological Studies Among the Ancient Cities of Mexico, which scholars of Mesoamerican anthropology valued immensely. Its Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Maritime Heritage Program worked in partnership with Teledyne SeaBotix, Inc. and sonar expert Gary Fabian. The team used a remotely operated vehicle and an autonomous underwater vehicle to collect high-definition video footage, still images and side-scan sonar data for analysis. NOAA credits Cyril Poissonnett of Teledyne SeaBotix with deploying the autonomous underwater vehicle for the side-scan sonar survey of the Ituna. The images show the vessel’s steel hull, which was designed by the yacht designer George Lennox Watson, as well as its triple expansion steam engine and its cargo of machinery. The agency reports that the clipper-ship bow of the former yacht provided identification of the wreck. NOAA adds that multiple marine species have colonised the shipwreck, including giant green anemones (Anthopleura xanthogrammica) and white plumose anemones (Metridium farcimen). The Maritime Heritage Program is engaged in a two-year study to discover and document these wrecks. Selja.
