70-Years-Old
After remaining underwater for over 70 years, the airplanes have deteriorated, becoming home to beautiful, vibrant ocean life. Their metal surfaces have transformed into colorful living statues. So you can see why Mueller wanted to capture the beauty of the sunken planes before it was too late – or before others spoiled it!
“They have been underwater for over seventy-years now and are beginning to deteriorate, so it sort of feels like I’m documenting them as they change. Eventually, there won’t be anything left of them,” Mueller said. “The ocean is amazing and resilient. It is a life force that we will probably never completely understand.” Thankfully, thanks to the woman’s incredible photos, historians quickly identified the underwater planes.