National Geographic
Drain the Oceans - Gulf of Mexico
Disney+

Deep beneath the waters of the Gulf of Mexico lie many secrets from the past. Scientists have discovered that a giant asteroid hit the Gulf millions of years ago, causing the dinosaurs to go extinct all over the world. The impact left a huge crater on the seafloor that is still there today. More recently, in the early 2000s, researchers found an old German submarine called U-166 that sank during World War II. U-166 had been attacking ships in the Gulf, but was attacked itself by an American ship and destroyed. The wreck of U-166 was found just two miles from the ship it had sunk, the Robert E. Lee. The Gulf of Mexico has a long history of piracy and smuggling. In the early 1800s, ships carrying valuable goods and even slaves would try to sneak through the Gulf to avoid getting caught. Three of these old ships were recently discovered on the seafloor, giving us a glimpse into that dangerous time. By draining the water away, scientists can see these ancient wrecks and learn more about what happened in the Gulf's past. From dinosaurs to World War II, the secrets of the Gulf are finally being revealed.