HMS Buffalo’s new digital life

A piece of sunken Coromandel history has been captured in a new 3D computer model, allowing people to see in striking detail the remains of a ship that was wrecked in Mercury Bay more than 180 years ago.

HMS Buffalo, a British naval store ship was blown ashore onto the Whitianga beach that would later bear its name in July 1840 during a hurricane strength gale.

While pieces of the wreck have sporadically reappeared over the years or been washed ashore in storms, the hull remnants lay completely submerged in around 3 metres of water.

While only about 50 metres off the popular summer holiday spot, tides and easterly swells constantly expose and rebury the hull remains and make for difficult diving conditions for researchers.

However, the fruit of a successful weekend documenting the wreck through thousands of pictures and an archaeological survey can now be seen in imagery that has been converted into an online 3D model. It allows people to virtually dive the wreck and view the remaining timbers online from any angle in high detail.

The work was done in 2021 by the HMS Buffalo Re-examination Project in partnership with the Mercury Bay Museum with maritime archaeologists Dr Kurt Bennett and Matthew Gainsford leading 12 volunteer divers.

To create a 3D digital model using photogrammetry requires taking photographs with approximately 60% overlap with each one. Bennett says over 14,000 images were taken during the weekend.

‘‘The high number is reflective of the challenging conditions faced with near zero visibility and a rolling swell while ensuring there was enough overlap with each photo’’.

Dr Arie Spyksma from New Zealand Geographic, with support from Live Ocean Foundation, processed the images and produced the 3D model.

Bennett who has studied the wreck previously, described the result as ‘‘fantastic’’.

‘‘The individual features of the ship, from bow to stern, can now be viewed in a wider context and from different angles. As such, our understanding about how these early-19th century vessels were constructed is greatly increased’’.

The model now forms an important record of the site’s condition and changes in the environment.

‘‘What this model shows is a snapshot in time. It is how the wreck looked in early 2021 and displays the site’s archaeological and environmental values,’’ says Gainsford.

The model will be used in a new Buffalo exhibition at the Mercury Bay Museum and be incorporated into virtual reality experiences for school groups.