LOS ANGELES (AFP).- US maritime experts have discovered the wrecks of three "ghost ships" missing for over a century just outside San Francisco's Golden Gate strait, they said Tuesday.

The 1910 shipwreck of the "SS Selja," the remains of the clipper "Noonday" which went down in 1863 and an unidentified early steam tugboat tagged the "mystery wreck" were found at the start of a two-year mission in the area.

Some 300 wrecks are thought to be on the seabed in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, and the adjacent Golden Gate National Recreation Area, off the coast near San Francisco's landmark Golden Gate Bridge.

"The waters of the sanctuary and the park are one of the great undersea museums in the nation," said James Delgado, head of Maritime Heritage for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

"These wrecks tell the powerful story of the people who helped build California and opened America to the Pacific for nearly two centuries. Finding the remains of these ships links the past to the present."

The "Noonday" was part of a fleet of fast-sailing vessels that brought men and supplies to California during and after the Gold Rush. "Noonday Rock," north of the Farallones, was named for the wreck.

Experts used remote-controlled cameras and sensing equipment to pinpoint the wrecks, and will continue to analyze data from recent dives. They will share information with the public as it is analyzed.

"The shipwrecks off the Golden Gate are places to explore, discover and appreciate our country's maritime cultural heritage," said Brian Johnson, Gulf of the Farallones sanctuary deputy superintendent.

"Through the study, protection and promotion of this diverse legacy, Americans can learn more about our shared past," he added.


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