The Wreck of the HMS Birkenhead
In 1852 the HMS Birkenhead was sailing to Algoa Bay. Hundreds of civilians and British troops were on board when it was wrecked off Danger Point. It was one of the worst shipwrecks in South Africa’s shipping history. Only 193 out of 643 people survived.
The Birkenhead hit a submerged rock. As the ship filled with water,
Captain Robert Salmond gave the order for women and children to board life rafts first. This was the first documented example of this policy. All the men aboard the ship adhered to the protocol, and survivors claimed that the evacuation of the boat was very calm.
Because of this protocol and the bravery of the men, all women and children aboard the Birkenhead survived. However, the wreck resulted in heavy casualties for the British forces.
The lighthouse at Danger Point was built 43 years after the wreck of the Birkenhead, and has a plaque commemorating the vessel).
The wreck of the Birkenhead lies 30 metres deep underwater and around 1.5km offshore. Diving to the wreck is possible to explore the remains. There are organized dives that leave from Gansbaai.
