Every artifact has a story. Chipped cups and tarnished silverware once sparkled under lights and sailors once peered through portholes, but eventually it all ended up on the ocean floor.

“New Jersey has more shipwrecks along its 127 miles of Atlantic coastline than any other state in the United States. One of the primary reasons for this is the proximity of the state with respect to the two major ports of New York and Philadelphia,” said New Jersey Maritime Museum President Deborah Whitcraft.

Whitcraft, a Beach Haven resident, has dedicated much of her life to researching New Jersey’s shipwrecks and displaying the artifacts at the New Jersey Maritime Museum. Visitors are welcome to study the 5,000 documented wrecks, though Whitcraft insists there are considerably more that were never recorded.

“Wrecks are ultimately identified by divers by their size, by their proximity to land, by their cargo, by what’s recovered from the vessel itself,” she said.

The lifelong Long Beach Islander is most intrigued by the Morro Castle wreck, which wasn’t discovered by divers. The $5.5 million vessel ran regular voyages from New York to Havana, Cuba.

“Unfortunately on this trip in September of 1934, it was its 171st voyage, and after leaving Havana, Cuba to return to New York it was set on fire when the ship was about 12 miles off Barnegat Light,” Whitcraft said.

It ran aground in front of Convention Hall in Asbury Park, says Whitcraft. Sadly, 137 people lost their lives.

“To me, it’s the most mysterious maritime loss off the Jersey Coast,” she said.

It’s why she co-authored a book on the wreck and continues her travels to Cuba for research. One of her favorite artifacts in the museum is a toilet recovered from the 1886 Oregon shipwreck. It was appraised for $3,500, though Whitcraft insists the historical value of items, including a diamond ring, is much greater than the monetary value. The majority of the pieces are donated by divers and their families.

The museum doesn’t charge admission. For Whitcraft, it’s not just about educating visitors about New Jersey’s shipwrecks; it’s about remembering the thousands of lost souls, including the many immigrants who died within sight of what would have been their new home. Whitcraft wants this museum to be a tribute to them all.