Six miles off the coast of Deal in East Kent, England, lies one of the most treacherous stretches of sand in Britain. Lying in the middle of the English channel in the narrow Straits of Dover, close to one of the busiest shipping channel in the world, the sands present a great challenge to navigators. Since the first documented shipwreck on Goodwin Sands in 1298, more than 2,000 ships are believed to have wrecked here. Dozens of wrecks still lie underneath the waves.

The Goodwin Sands is about 10 miles long and 3 miles wide at its widest, but because of the tides and currents, the shoals are constantly sifting. Usually, the sand remains completely submerged between 8 to 15 meters beneath the surface, but as the tide falls, the sandbank break the surface and expose about a tenth of their total area. During these times, the sand is firm enough to walk upon.

Photo credit: www.dover-marina.com