Mallows Bay is a small bay in Charles County, Maryland, on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. Mallows Bay is home to what is known as the "Largest Shipwreck Fleet in the Western Hemisphere." It is referred to as a ship's "graveyard."

Peaceful World

Mallows Bay is well-known for its 'Ghost Fleet,' which consists of hundreds of ships whose wrecks still lie in its relatively shallow waters. The term "Ghost Fleet" refers to the wrecks' tendency to disappear during high tide and reappear during low tide. Mallows Bay is home to the most wrecks in the Western Hemisphere. During World War I, the ships were built for the United States Emergency Fleet. The majority of the ships are wooden steamships, and their mission during the war was to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Due to the scarcity of steel, ships were built out of wood. Most of the ships were obsolete by the end of the war because the wood was not durable. 230 ships of the United States Shipping Board Merchant and Fleet Corporation were lost at sea. Because the US Navy did not need the ships, they were sold to the Western Marine and Salvage Company. After acquiring ships, the company relocated them to the Potomac River in Widewater, Virginia. The ships were towed to Mallows Bay in 1925. Mallows Bay is rich in history, wildlife, and outdoor recreation.

The Potomac River is important in American, Indian, and black history. At one point, the blacks lived there, much like African slaves who arrived on Maryland's ships. The area has a history of civil warfighting. The property's owner, Western Marine, declared bankruptcy. The ships were burned and abandoned in Mallows Bay. During WWII, Bethlehem Steel built a salvage basin to recover the metal from abandoned ships. The ships were abandoned in Mallows Bay to rot.

Mallows Bay Marine Sanctuary

The ships can be reached via Mallows Bay Park, which is managed by the county. Wilson Landing Road in Nanjemoy, Maryland is where you'll find it. To provide access to the Potomac River, a boat ramp and pier were constructed. The bay is threatened because the sheep form a reef that is home to a variety of wild animals. On April 24, 2015, Mallows Bay was designated as an archaeological and historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. In July 2019, it was designated as a National Marine Sanctuary. The S.S. Mallows Bay is the most noticeable ship in Mallows Bay. These wrecks now support diverse ecosystems teeming with marine life, attracting recreational fishermen and ecotourists to the area. Tourists can take virtual tours of the ghost ships using a computer or mobile device. This system provides two kinds of virtual tours: Riverview and bird's-eye view.