{{Short description|Location where scrapped ships are left}} [[File:Huge ship at alang - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Large ships are scrapped in [[Alang]], India]] [[File:Shipwrecking_in_Alang,_India,_2017-03-17_by_Planet_Labs.jpg|Aerial view of Alang|thumb|right]] [[File:VIEW FROM CARTERET, NJ, ACROSS THE ARTHUR KILL TO STATEN ISLAND SCRAPYARD AND SHIP GRAVEYARD - NARA - 551997.jpg|thumb|[[Staten Island boat graveyard]] in 1973]] [[File:Shipwrecks in Camaret-sur-Mer.jpg|thumb|Shipwrecks in [[Camaret-sur-Mer]]]] [[File:Landévennec.JPG|thumb|French navy graveyard at [[Landévennec]] near Brest]] [[File:Wrakken van schepen nabij Benodet (cropped).jpg|thumb|Boat cemetery in [[Bénodet]]]] {{Commons category|Ship graveyards}} [[File:Morton Island, Queensland Australia - panoramio.jpg|alt=Tangalooma Wrecks near Moreton Island, Queensland, Australia|thumb|Tangalooma Wrecks near [[Moreton Island]], [[Queensland]], [[Australia]]]] A '''ship graveyard''', '''ship cemetery''' or '''breaking yard''' is a location where the [[hull (watercraft)|hull]]s of [[ship breaking|scrapped]] [[ship]]s are left to decay and disintegrate, or left in [[reserve fleet|reserve]]. Such a practice is now less common due to waste regulations and so some dry docks where ships are [[Shipbreaking|broken]] (to recycle their metal and remove dangerous materials like [[asbestos]]) are also known as ship graveyards.
By analogy, the phrase can also refer to an area with many [[shipwreck]]s which have not been removed by human agency, instead being left to disintegrate naturally. These can form in places where navigation is difficult or dangerous (such as [[List of shipwrecks of the Seven Stones Reef|the Seven Stones]] off Cornwall, or [[Blackpool shipwrecks|Blackpool]] on the Irish Sea), or where many ships have been deliberately [[scuttling|scuttled]] together ([[Scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow|as with the]] German [[High Seas Fleet]] at [[Scapa Flow]]), or where many ships have been sunk in battle (such as [[Ironbottom Sound]], in the Pacific). Such regions are also likely to be described as '''shipwreck graveyards'''.<ref name="graveyards" >{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsKDpKCEtRw |title=Exploring the World's Most Infamous Shipwreck Graveyards (Ep. 67) |via=YouTube |first=Alex |last=Mirabal |access-date=4 June 2024 |series=Underwater Adventures with Alex Mirabal }}</ref>
The majority of the ships in the world are constructed in the [[developed countries]]. Ships last about 25–30 years, after which they become too expensive to maintain and are sold to be broken down. Most of them are directly sold to the ship recycling companies in [[India]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Pakistan]] and other [[developing countries]], also known as the (semi-)periphery countries from Immanuel Wallerstein's [[World-systems theory|World System Theory]]. In 2014, 54% of the ships went to the beaches of India and Bangladesh.<ref>IndustriALL. (2015, 15 december). ''SPECIAL REPORT: Cleaning up shipbreaking the world’s most dangerous job''. [https://www.industriall-union.org/cleaning-up-ship-breaking-the-worlds-most-dangerous-job]</ref> This is consistent with the period 2012–2018. From the total of 6,702 scrapped ships worldwide, 3,586 ships have been scrapped in India and Bangladesh, which comes down to 53.5 percent.<ref>Buchholz, K. (2019, 13 maart). ''India and Bangladesh Are Scrapping Bulk of Old Ships''. Statista Infographics. Retrieved December 5, 2021, from [https://www.statista.com/chart/17336/countries-scrapping-the-most-ships-and-countries-of-shipowners/]</ref>
As of January 2020,{{update inline|?=yes|date=February 2026}} [[Ports in India#Ship breaking|India]] has the highest global revenue and highest share of global [[Ship breaking#India|ship breaking]] (number and volume of ships broken), with a 30% share.<ref name=breakkro1>[https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/shipping-/-transport/india-eyes-60-per-cent-share-of-global-ship-recycling-business-higher-gdp-contribution-mandaviya/articleshow/72964082.cms India eyes 60 per cent share of global ship recycling business; higher GDP contribution], Economic Times, 30 December 2019.</ref>
It is estimated that ship breaking yards provide more than 100,000 jobs to people worldwide and that they yield millions of tons of steel every year with a minimal consumption of electricity.<ref>YPSA. (n.d.). ''Overview of Ship Breaking in Bangladesh''. Ship Breaking in Bangladesh. [https://shipbreakingbd.info/overview-of-ship-breaking/]</ref> Besides steel, this industry also yields a huge amount of solid wastes in the form of scrapped wood, plastic, insulation material, glass wool, sponge, waste paper, oiled rope and cotton waste.<ref>Srinivasa Reddy, M., Basha, S., Sravan Kumar, V., Joshi, H., & Ghosh, P. (2003). Quantification and classification of ship scrapping waste at Alang–Sosiya, India. ''Marine Pollution Bulletin'', 46(12), 1609–1614. [https://doi.org/10.1016/s0025-326x(03)00329-1]</ref>
==List of ship graveyards==
===Africa=== {{see also|List of shipwrecks of Africa}} *Wrecks all along the peninsular coast at [[Nouadhibou]], in [[Mauritania]] *Many wrecks along the [[Skeleton Coast]] in [[Namibia]]
===Asia=== {{see also|List of shipwrecks of Asia}} *Several locations near the [[Aral Sea]] *The ship-breaking yards of [[Alang]] (India), [[Chittagong Ship Breaking Yard|Chittagong]] (Bangladesh), and [[Gadani ship-breaking yard|Gadani]]<ref>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/ricksomething/391292519/ Gadani Beach]</ref> (Pakistan)
===Europe=== ====France==== *[[Guilvinec]]-[[Treffiagat|Lechiagat]] *On the river [[Rance River|Rance]] *[[Magouër]] ([[Plouhinec, Morbihan]]) *[[Plouhinec, Finistère]] *[[Landévennec]]
====Sweden==== *[[Ship cemetery at Ekenabben]] in [[Blekinge]].
====United Kingdom==== *The [[River Tamar]] downstream of the [[Royal Albert Bridge]] used to be used as a mooring site for mothballed vessels, including submarines, of the [[Royal Navy]]. These have now all been removed. *[[Portsmouth Harbour]] hosts a number of ex Royal Navy vessels, awaiting removal for scrapping. *[[Forton Lake]] in [[Gosport]], near [[Portsmouth]], is host to approximately thirty vessels, several of which saw action in [[World War II]]. *[[Scapa Flow]], where in 1919 [[Imperial German Navy|German sailors]] [[Scuttling of the German fleet at Scapa Flow|sank their own fleet]] while interned. Most of the ships were excavated in the following years, but there are still 8 wrecks from this event and several others.
===North America=== ====Canada==== *[[Burrard Inlet]] [[McBarge]]
====United States==== {{see also|List of shipwrecks of the United States}} *The US Navy [[Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet|"phantom fleet"]] at [[Suisun Bay]], to the north of [[San Francisco Bay]] *The US Army [[Patuxent River]] "ghost fleet" of 1927–40, comprising the USAT ''Monticello'' (ex-USS ''Agamemnon'', ex-German SS ''Kaiser Wilhelm II'' of 1903), ''America'' (ex-German SS ''Amerika'' of 1905), ''Mount Vernon'' (ex-German ''Kronprinzessin Cecile'' of 1907) and ''George Washington'' (ex-German SS ''George Washington'' of 1909)<ref>Cairis, Nicholas T. (1979), ''Passenger Liners of the World Since 1893'', Revised Edition, pp. 152, 155, 159, 206, 208. New York: Bonanza Books. ISBN 0-517-28875-3</ref><ref>Neill, Peter (1988), ''Maritime America: Art and Artifacts From America's Great Nautical Collections'', pp. 135, 146-147. New York: Balsam Press, Inc.</ref> *Witte's Marine Salvage - the [[Staten Island boat graveyard]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.opacity.us/site55_staten_island_boat_graveyard.htm|title = Staten Island Boat Graveyard}}</ref> *[[Bikini Atoll]] was designated as a ship graveyard for the U.S. Pacific fleet; it later became known as a nuclear testing facility. *[[Mallows Bay]], Maryland.<ref name="2010CoastPilot">{{cite book |title=United States Coast Pilot |url=http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/coastpilot_w.php?book=3 |accessdate=May 5, 2010 |edition=43rd |volume=3 |year=2010 |publisher=National Ocean Service |location=Washington, D.C. |page=313}}</ref> *[[Green Jacket Shoal]], Rhode Island
===Oceania=== ====Australia==== {{see also|List of shipwrecks of Australia|Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database}} [[New South Wales]]: * Stockton Breakwater ([[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]]) * [[Homebush Bay]] Ships' Graveyard ([[Sydney]]) * Pindimar Bay Ships' Graveyard/The Duckhole ([[Myall Lakes]]) [[Northern Territory]]: * [[Darwin Harbour]] East Arm [[Queensland]]: * Bishop Island Ships' Graveyard ([[Brisbane]]) * Tangalooma Wrecks ([[Moreton Island]]) * The Bulwer Wrecks (Moreton Island) * [[Curtin Artificial Reef]] [[South Australia]]: {{as of|November 2020}} there are 19 ships' graveyards in South Australia.<ref name=dewgraveyards>{{cite web | title=Ships' graveyards of South Australia | website=Government of South Australia. [[Department for Environment and Water]] | url=https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/our-places/Heritage/maritime-heritage/visiting-shipwrecks/ships-graveyards | access-date=22 November 2020}}</ref> *Near '''Port Adelaide''', in the [[Port River]] and environs:<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/Heritage/Heritage_places_areas/Ships_graveyards/Locations/Port_Adelaide|title = Port Adelaide (Ships' Graveyards) | accessdate=12 June 2012| publisher=South Australian Department of Environment and Heritage}}</ref> {{div col|colwidth=20em}} **[[Angas Inlet]] **[[Broad Creek (South Australia)|Broad Creek]] **[[Mutton Cove Conservation Reserve|Mutton Cove]] **[[Jervois Basin]] **[[Garden Island (South Australia)|Garden Island]]<ref name="gardenislandbook">{{cite book|title =Garden Island, Ships's Graveyard |last =Hartell|first =Robyn |author2=Richards, Nathan |publisher =Heritage SA, Department for Environment and Heritage |year =2001 |isbn=0-7308-5894-4 |pages=1–6}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis|url=http://www.flinders.edu.au/ehl/fms/archaeology_files/dig_library/theses/NathanRichards1997.pdf|title=The History and Archaeology of the Garden Island Ships' Graveyard, North Arm of the Port River, Port Adelaide, South Australia|type=BA(Hons) thesis, Archaeology)|last=Richards|first=Nathan|pages=26–30|accessdate=13 June 2012|publisher=[[Flinders University]]|year=1997|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025833/http://www.flinders.edu.au/ehl/fms/archaeology_files/dig_library/theses/NathanRichards1997.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> {{div col end}} ;Others: {{div col|colwidth=20em}} *[[Ardrossan, South Australia|Ardrossan]] (the [[No 5 dumb hopper barge]]) *[[Cowell, South Australia|Cowell]] *[[Glenelg, South Australia|Glenelg]] *[[Nuyts Archipelago|Goat Island]] *[[Kangaroo Island]] *[[Port Augusta]] *[[Weeroona Island, South Australia|Port Flinders]] *[[Port Lincoln]] *[[Port Noarlunga, South Australia|Port Noarlunga]] *[[Port Pirie]] *[[Port Stanvac]] *[[Stenhouse Bay]] *[[Whyalla]] *[[Yankalilla Bay]] ([[HMAS Hobart (D 39)|HMAS ''Hobart'']]) {{div col end}} [[Tasmania]]: * Little Betsey Island Ships' Graveyard ([[Hobart]]) * East Risdon Ships' Graveyard (Hobart) * Strahan Ships' Graveyard ([[Strahan, Tasmania|Strahan]]) * Tamar Island Ships' Graveyard ([[Launceston, Tasmania|Launceston]]) [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]: * [[Barwon Heads]] Ships' Graveyard ([[Port Phillip Bay]]) [[Western Australia]]: * [[Careening Bay]] Ships' Graveyard * [[Rottnest ship graveyard|Rottnest Island Ships' Graveyard]] (off [[Rottnest Island]]) * Jervoise Bay Ships' Graveyard * Albany Ships' Graveyard ([[Albany, Western Australia|Albany]])
==See also== * [[Aircraft boneyard]] * [[Ghost ship]] * [[Derelict (maritime)]] * [[Marine debris]] * [[Marine pollution]] * [[Shipbreaking]] * [[Train graveyard]]
==References== {{reflist}}
* {{in lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20080526141141/http://philippe.malpertu.club.fr/cimbato.htm Ship graveyards] * {{in lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20081205022746/http://www.chateaubriand.com/CIMABATO/index.htm Ship graveyard on the Rance] * {{in lang|fr}} [http://perso.orange.fr/claude.peron/cibagv00.htm Ship graveyard at the port of Guilvinec-Lechiagat] * {{in lang|fr}} [http://cimetiere-de-bateaux.site.voila.fr/index.jhtml Ship graveyard at Magouër] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428072946/http://cimetiere-de-bateaux.site.voila.fr/index.jhtml |date=2009-04-28 }} * [https://maps.google.com/maps/mm?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=20.90793,-17.039387&spn=0.014272,0.022938&t=h&z=16 Google maps view of ships graveyard]
{{Vehicle graveyard}}
[[Category:Ship graveyards| ]] [[Category:Ship disposal]] [[Category:Shipwrecks]] [[Category:Waste]] [[Category:Vehicle graveyards]] [[Category:Maritime folklore]]