Divers Find Lost Planes In Pacific, But When They Look Inside…

15. Brandi Mueller

Brandi Mueller is a famous under water photographer that has captured some of the most breathtaking sea images that the world has today. It started as her passion but she quickly made it a career and wow, are we glad she did. Her work isn’t always easy or safe, which takes bravery and dedication. Brandi’s photographs have not only taught us much about the deep blue, but they have also shown us something we never thought we’d see…

14. Recognition

The world has noticed and cherished her work so much that she has been given many awards and acknowledgments, including the Dive Photographer Of The Week at Underwater 360. She’s not only a photographer, but a photojournalist and scuba diving instructor who travels around the word telling nature’s story. Every year, she seems to capture something more enchanting than ever before…

13. Not So Haunting Shots

Before we get to the lost planes, I wanted to show you some of her other works that are less frightening, and more creative. This is a shot she captured in a pool that has become quite famous for it’s artistic flare.

 

Or this magnificent shot of two sea horses in a close embrace. This artistic boat captain has definitely captured some of nature’s most precious moments, as well as created some wild pool shots in her days. It wasn’t until she captured some haunting shots of missing planes that her work dropped the jaws of viewers for a different reason…

12. Experience

It’s no surprise that she has such talent for capturing such difficult pictures, as she has been experimenting with underwater photography since she was 15 years old. She also learned much of her technique when she was in the coast guard and as a dive instructor. The mind blowing and perfectly timed photographs may look as if they were made for her to capture, but in reality it takes an immense amount of skill and patience.

11. The Marshal Islands

What she discovered in the Marshal Islands shocked historians everywhere and will probably go down as her most intense trip yet. The photo-journalist admitted that the experience of shooting in the islands was intense and even surreal at times. Wait until you see what she calls surreal…

10. One Of A Kind?

Her work, at first, didn’t get the attention it deserved because it’s not so uncommon to find objects on the sea floor, as some have even been placed their intentionally. There are, of course, many that are the result of war but some like the The USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, which was intentionally sunk to become a habitat for sea life. Many coral reefs have been destroyed due to over fishing and these sunken objects soon replace those and come to life.

9. What She Found

What Brandi found however, was one of a kind. She appeared to find what looked like an airplane graveyard. The chilling images speak to lost souls that, until now, had been kept silent. Usually, when an airplane is located on the sea floor, it can be linked back to a documented crash, but when Brandi looked for the plane she found, she was in for a surprise…

8. 150 Planes

As her exploration continued, she discovered a total of 150 planes group together under the deep blue. Many questions would arise, as it is so odd that so many planes are grouped together as if they all were intentionally put there to form a graveyard of sorts. Were they shot down during war? Why hadn’t anyone been talking about these lost planes if they were really from WWII? There would be more questions than answers…

7. Suspicious

Things started to get a little weirder as she started to notice the planes were in surprisingly good shape, especially for being in the water so long. Not only were they mostly intact, there were no bullet holes in sight, leading Brandi to question their downfall even more. If they weren’t shot down in war, than what happened to all of these planes and the souls that went down with them?

6. Millennials May Cringe

The truth would eventually surface as to the origin of this mass airplane graveyard, and it will definitely surprise you–for one reason or another. This is the age of recycling due to the detrimental environmental impact the world has witnessed throughout history, which is why for some, the idea of simply dumping old ships into the ocean, even if it’s in hopes to build natural habitat, seems insane when they could potentially be recycled. The truth is less tragic and more perplexing than you might think…

5. The Truth

Most of the airplanes are US Navy war planes that were manufactured in the mid 1930’s. In fact, nearly all the planes discovered were Dauntless Dive Bombers, F4U Corsairs, or TBF/TBM Avengers. If one didn’t do the necessary research, the group of planes could definitely look like a group of fighter pilots that lost their battle and died at sea. But no…

4. The Newest Model

When a newer, shinier, and safer model of the fighter plane was developed, the US Navy decided to upgrade everything and purge the old. The safer the planes, the more soldiers would get to come home to their families so the decision wasn’t a hard one. However, the planes had to go somewhere, and were eventually sent to their watery grave.

3. Just or Unjust?

Although the safety of the soldiers was the of the highest priority, many believe the Navy had no right to dump the ships in the ocean. After all, using the ocean as a dump is problematic for obvious reasons and many believe there were many other efficient solutions, such as recycling the parts. Was it really the best decision? If not, why are we still doing it today?

2. Metal Shortage

If the pollution of the ocean wasn’t a top concern (as war calls for some hasty decisions) the shortage of metal should have been. Due to the expense of war, the country was experiencing immense metal shortages during and after the carnage, so it seems a bit odd that they would willingly waste so much precious material.

1. The Result

Brandi’s discovery not only settled the minds of many who questioned the origin of these fallen ships, but has also brought US history into the minds and hearts of newer generations that weren’t around to experience it. With her wonderful photography she has opened up a new line of discussion regarding our historical actions and how we can continue to improve the way we protect our environment by eliminating harmful waste.