NORWAY

Viking Shipwreck

ProMare, in collaboration with the Norwegian Maritime Museum, has been surveying parts of the Norwegian coast for submerged Viking ships. In 2012, a tip led to the discovery of Norway’s oldest known shipwreck, dating back to around 1000 AD. Likely a trading vessel loaded with grinding stones, it’s the sole Viking age ship found underwater in Norway. A detailed mapping in 2019, featured on National Geographic’s “Drain the Oceans – Vikings Seas,” preceded a comprehensive pre-disturbance survey in 2020. Extensive excavation in 2021 revealed reindeer antler and wooden remnants, confirming the ship’s age and significance as a rare Viking find in Norway.

Telemark Canal

The Telemark Canal connects the towns Skien, Notodden and Dalen in southern Norway by linking several long lakes through a series of 18 locks with a total elevation of 72 meters. The first sections of the 105 km long canal opened in 1861, and by the time the canal was finished in 1892, it was considered “the eighth wonder” of the world. In the past few years, a detailed mapping of the canal has been carried out, revealing more than 100 shipwrecks!

Hitler’s Sunken Secret

During World War II, the sinking of the Norwegian ferry Hydro in 1944 was a pivotal covert operation. Allegedly carrying heavy water for the Nazis’ atomic bomb project, its true cargo remained a mystery. ProMare, NOVA, and Sperre AS collaborated to explore Lake Tinn’s depths, discovering the well-preserved ship and evidence of mysterious cargo. Analysis confirmed it was heavy water, shedding light on the Allies’ efforts to thwart the Nazi nuclear program. Despite attempts to sabotage German heavy water production, including a famous raid on Vemork, the ultimate destruction of the Hydro ensured the prevention of Nazi nuclear ambitions.

Ormen Lange SHIPWRECK

When a new pipeline was going to be built, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology was contracted to ensure that the pipeline would not damage cultural heritage under water. A detailed survey was carried out and several shipwrecks were discovered. One, an 18th century sailing vessel was discovered in the pipeline track where the pipe could not be re-routed. As a result, the shipwreck had to be excavated before the pipeline could be installed. Since the shipwreck was in 170 meters depth, this had to be done entirely by robotic systems, making this the first and only deepwater marine archaeology excavation project.

LAKE HORNINDAL

Hornindalsvatnet is Europe’s deepest lake, at 514m depth. Promare team used an ROV to explore this lake and collected samples.  Genetic studies conducted on the specimens show that a type of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), a previously unknown species, probably developed post-glacially in this lake.

Drain the Oceans

Discover Promare’s projects showcased on the National Geographic Channel’s “Drain the Oceans” series. Learn more about the world beneath the waves as this innovative show employs cutting-edge technology to reveal submerged wonders, uncovering the hidden treasures and mysteries of the deep, guided by Promare’s expertise.

The wine wreck

Den Haabefulde Tronfølger was a merchant ship that sank in 1780 near Arendal, Norway, during a voyage from France to Copenhagen, carrying a cargo primarily of wine. The ship was co-owned by Norwegian industrialist Bernt Anker, famous for his parties and Norway’s wealthiest person in the 18th century. We located the ship in 2023 together with Telemark Teknologipark. See the video here.

The Englishman

This site was discovered by chance during environmental clean up activities by Norwegian company Green-Bay. We dived on the shipwreck with them in the summer of 2025 and discovered a remarkably well preserved shipwreck with constructions and lots of artefacts still intact.

Triangular trade wreck

Triangular trade is a term used to describe the trade routes that connected Europe, the Americas, and Africa during the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. This shipwreck was discovered by chance in deep water off Norway. We have examined it briefly with ROV. The ship seems to have carried a cargo of iron ore, and the ship is copper clad, both strong indicators that this was a triangular trade ship that perished on an outbound journey.

Medieval Shipwrecks

Whetstone from Eidsborg is the one of oldest export articles in Norway with continuous production from the Viking era and up to around 1950. We have located evidence of this trade near the quarry (click here for video). We have also investigated and mapped a Medieval shipwreck off Grimstad, carrying whetstone from Eidsborg to unknown destinations.
 

Search for Amundsen

Roald Amundsen disappeared in 1928 while attempting to find Umberto Nobile after Nobile’s airship, the Italia, crashed during a polar expedition. Amundsen, who had previously flown with Nobile on a North Pole expedition, volunteered to join the rescue effort but the plane he was on also went missing. In 2009 Promare joined an expedition with Kongsberg, the Norwegian Navy and the Norwegian coastguard to locate the lost plane in the Barents Sea.