SEABER AUVs Uncover Possible Ravenel Disappearance

June 3, 2025

On May 22, 2025, during a SEAMAP scientific mission near Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, the team decided to take a small detour to explore a 63-year maritime mystery: the disappearance of the Ravenel in 1962.

Equipped with SEABER’s fleet of four AUVs, they scanned 4 km² in three hours using a 680kHz side-scan sonar. The analysis of the first 2 km² revealed nothing but sand.

© SEABER
© SEABER

Then, on the second transect of the final AUV, a structure emerged. The dimensions matched: 30 to 35 meters long, 7 to 8 meters wide. The AUVs made a second pass to capture high-resolution imagery of the wreck.

More missions are planned to confirm if it's the Ravenel. This discovery comes after extensive research conducted in 2021 and 2022, with significant state resources deployed.

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