Near the center of The Lynn Canal - just off the coast of Juneau, Alaska - a team of shipwreck hunters employ the latest sophisticated equipment to uncover the story of the most tragic shipwreck of the Pacific Northwest: the Princess Sophia. Join the Sea Hunters as they explore the final resting place of one of North America's most controversial sinkings: the Princess Sophia.
This is a tale of a captain who rolled the dice against a stormy Alaskan sea and lost, taking his ship, his crew, and every one of his more than 350 passengers to an early grave.
The Klondike Gold Rush of 1897 and smaller booms that followed enticed a flood of treasure seekers north to the Yukon and Alaska. During those years, the hardy coastal steamers of the Canadian Pacific Railroad and her competitors served as the only practical means of transportation in and out of the region. They sailed the Inside Passage along the stunningly beautiful shores of the Alaska Panhandle, carrying freight and passengers to and from the ports of Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle.
One section of that run was the Lynn Canal, a narrow fjord running from Skagway in the north to Juneau at its mouth. It was here - in these waters - that a simple error in judgment led to heartbreak for the entire region. Here, after hours of helpless waiting for rescue, the passengers of the Princess Sophia slipped into a watery grave. Eighty years have passed and still the question echoes in the Alaskan wind - could they have been saved?
Shock waves from the disaster reverberated throughout the entire Northwest.
Businessmen, community figures, planners and personalities - they all died at once, with no one left behind to take their place or to build their memorials. The Sophia tragedy certainly underscored the need for changes in marine safety regulations and procedures.
Sea Hunter team leader John Davis and dive coordinator Mike Fletcher flew to Juneau, Alaska. They intended to explore the reef and dive the wreck that lies beside it. They wanted to learn more about what happened during Sophia's last terrible moments.
Join us again, as we search the oceans of the world, for lost and famous shipwrecks; another true adventure with The Sea Hunters.
click here to see where to watch or .
Ready to Watch The Sea Hunters, Season 1, Episode 2?