An Underwater Robot Explores the Hidden ‘Shipwreck City’ Beneath the Surface of This Popular Urban Lake in the Pacific Northwest

Using a remotely operated vehicle, researchers are exploring a long-overlooked piece of Seattle’s maritime history

Sarah Kuta | Daily Correspondent

May 22, 2026 5:25 p.m.

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Seattle’s Lake Union is typically abuzz with activity, from the gentle splash of kayak paddles to the roar of seaplanes skimming across the water. It’s one of the city’s most popular sites, yet most visitors don’t realize a hidden world is lurking beneath the surface.

The lakebed is littered with shipwrecks, from barges and sailboats to a World War II-era minesweeper. Researchers have dubbed it “Shipwreck City,” and they’re using high-tech gear to document and share this long-overlooked facet of Seattle’s maritime history.

The initiative is being led by Phil Parisi, a robotics researcher and self-described “Seattle rookie.” He’s working with Libbie Barnes, the associate curator of exhibits and engagement at Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry, as well as George Spano, a longtime boat captain, fisherman and ocean conservationist.

“Seeing that there were wrecks in our own backyard that we haven’t been able to fully identify and understand what’s really there just spoke to me on a personal level,” Parisi tells KING-TV’s Dalton Day. “This city’s got so many amazing things. The development’s changing so much around us. It’s growing. We got new things coming up all over the place, but let’s not forget what’s in our own backyard underwater in a lake that we use every day.”

Seattle's Hidden Shipwrecks Are Right Under Your Nose

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In recent months, they’ve been using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to explore roughly 100 previously identified underwater “targets.” Many of the targets have only been documented using top-down sonar, so Parisi and his team are using the underwater robot—nicknamed Finn—to get a closer look.

Since Lake Union often has poor visibility, the team uses GPS data to get within the vicinity of their intended target. Then, they switch to the ROV’s side-scan sonar unit to fine-tune their search.

The ROV is also equipped with lights and a camera, which the team uses to capture photos and videos of the targets.

“Going in and filling in those blanks of what these really are—you can put the picture together of what is actually down there,” Parisi tells KING-TV. “What is it made of? What does it look like?”

Even once they find their target, the team still has to overcome numerous challenges.

“Biofouling, rust, poor public anchoring techniques and other environmental degradation often shed registration stickers, obscure painted hull names and cause wrecks to collapse,” Parisi tells Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis.

So far, the researchers have spent 21 underwater hours exploring 34 targets. They say they have identified two previously unknown wrecks and confirmed at least 20 others.

While exploring the area near Gas Works Park, for instance, the team documented a 91-foot-long barge called Foss 54. In the same region of the lake, they also found a 40-foot wooden vessel, a converted landing craft that seems to have been used for industrial or military purposes and a 45-foot wooden vessel with the name Irene still visible.

Parisi hasn’t found any sunken treasure yet. But he has found lots of trash, including tires and plastic waste.

Moving forward, the team hopes to continue its work to create a comprehensive underwater archive of Lake Union.

“When you get the chance, allow curiosity to take over and do a deep dive into your local city or town’s history,” Parisi tells Fox News Digital. “It is amazing what happened not so long ago, and it never disappoints.”

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Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.