An underwater drone known as Hydrus has been used to explore a shipwreck that has been at the bottom of the Indian Ocean for over 100 years.

Developed by Advanced Navigation, Hydrus was sent to the Rottnest ship graveyard located in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of Western Australia.

After unloading its data, the team found that the drone had spotted a 64-metre shipwreck scattered across the seafloor.

The Rottnest ship graveyard rests between 50 and 200 metres below sea level and has been used for the disposal of obsolete ships since 1910. After the Second World War, the graveyard was also used for the disposal of Lend-Lease vehicles and aircraft. The wrecks of historically significant vessels are known to have been sunk there, although the majority have yet to be discovered due to their extreme depths, which often requires specialised equipment and training.

Peter Baker, a subsea product manager at Advanced Navigation, said: “Small enough to be deployed by a single person, Hydrus...