How A WWII Ship Turned Into A Floating Forest In Sydney

Homebush Bay, while beautiful now, was once a toxic dumping ground, according to Earthly Mission. It was used as a dump site for ships and for waste, both regular and toxic industrial waste, including Agent Orange, according to the site. The presence of so many contaminants in the water led to a fishing ban in much of Sydney Harbor. But in the 1980s, changes were made to rehabilitate the area and the bay began to heal. So much so that mangrove wetlands and salt marshes returned. And some of those mangroves wound up on the Ayrfield creating the Floating Forest.

While not as eye-catching as the Ayrfield, there are other abandoned ships in Homebush Bay. When the bay was still being used as a salvage yard for ships, many ships came in to be broken apart. After that operation ended, several ships and barges were just left anchored in the bay. The historic Shipwrecks Act of 1976, which protects vessels over 75 years old, says they can't be removed, according to Amusing Planet. And so, they sit in the bay, perhaps waiting for their own mangrove invasion.

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