Shipwrecks from this period are exceedingly rare. Historical sources record how the ship sank in the summer of 1495, along with a large contingent of soldiers and Danish noblemen, although not the king himself, who was ashore at the time. The floating platform was busy with divers and archaeologists, here to explore what lies beneath the waves: the wreck of a ship called Gribshunden, a spectacular “floating castle” that served as the royal flagship of King Hans of Denmark more than 500 years ago. Guibert Gatesįor a few weeks in May, however, a new island intruded on this peaceful scene: A square wood raft topped with two converted shipping containers just a few hundred feet from Stora Ekon’s shoreward coast. For centuries, the spot was a popular anchorage point, but the waters are now mostly quiet the most prominent visitors, apart from the occasional pleasure boat, are migrating swans. Sprinkled with pine trees, sheep and a few deserted holiday cottages, the low-lying island is one of hundreds that shelter the coast from the storms of the Baltic Sea. At the southern edge of Sweden, not far from the picturesque town of Ronneby, lies a tiny island called Stora Ekon.
