Mallows Bay: The 'ghost fleet' graveyard where nature has risen from the dead

    By Matthew Knight, CNN

    Updated 2203 GMT (0603 HKT) June 28, 2016

    The ship graveyard in Mallows Bay, Maryland, is home to historic shipwrecks dating back to the American Civil War.
    Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
    The ship graveyard in Mallows Bay, Maryland, is home to historic shipwrecks dating back to the American Civil War.
    Hide Caption
    1 of 19
    The 185 documented vessels at Mallows Bay have become a nature haven for species including the great blue heron. Locals have nominated the area for national marine sanctuary status -- the U.S. has only 14 such protected areas.
    Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
    The 185 documented vessels at Mallows Bay have become a nature haven for species including the great blue heron. Locals have nominated the area for national marine sanctuary status -- the U.S. has only 14 such protected areas.
    Hide Caption
    2 of 19
    Nature has wrapped itself around the rotting hulls of many of the wooden steamships in Mallows Bay.
    Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
    Nature has wrapped itself around the rotting hulls of many of the wooden steamships in Mallows Bay.
    Hide Caption
    3 of 19
    Rare bird species like the osprey and bald eagle have flourished, making nests on board many of the ships.
    Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
    Rare bird species like the osprey and bald eagle have flourished, making nests on board many of the ships.
    Hide Caption
    4 of 19
    Populations of many bird species were severely depleted during the mid-20th century in the U.S. due to widespread use of the pesticide DDT. Only after it was banned in the early 1970s did the likes of bald eagles start to recover.
    Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
    Populations of many bird species were severely depleted during the mid-20th century in the U.S. due to widespread use of the pesticide DDT. Only after it was banned in the early 1970s did the likes of bald eagles start to recover.
    Hide Caption
    5 of 19
    Mallows Bay, a 14-square-mile site, lies in the Potomac River, 30 miles south of U.S. capital Washington D.C.
    Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
    Mallows Bay, a 14-square-mile site, lies in the Potomac River, 30 miles south of U.S. capital Washington D.C.
    Hide Caption
    6 of 19
    The area has huge historical maritime significance, and contains around 100 wooden cargo steamships built to aid the allied effort during World War I.
    Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
    The area has huge historical maritime significance, and contains around 100 wooden cargo steamships built to aid the allied effort during World War I.
    Hide Caption
    7 of 19
    The U.S. planned to build a thousand of the wooden ships in just 18 months and sail them to Europe carrying supplies for the fight against Germany.
    Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
    The U.S. planned to build a thousand of the wooden ships in just 18 months and sail them to Europe carrying supplies for the fight against Germany.
    Hide Caption
    8 of 19
    A military steel vessel during construction circa 1917. The photo illustrates the effort the U.S. went to during WWI. The image is taken on day 13 of a 17-day build.
    Photos: Abandoned boats bring new life
    A military steel vessel during construction circa 1917. The photo illustrates the effort the U.S. went to during WWI. The image is taken on day 13 of a 17-day build.
    Hide Caption
    9 of 19
    The sinking of the Cunard ocean liner Lusitania by a German U-Boat off the Irish coast in May 1915 illustrates the ruthless nature of Germany's "unrestricted submarine warfare." More than 1,200 people lost their lives, including 128 American citizens. The tragedy helped bring the U.S. into World War I.
    <