Curious locals explored a shipwreck after the Chinese vessel capsized off the coast of the Philippines during a super typhoon.

Footage shows two wooden fishing boats approaching the rusty vessel which was sticking out from the surface of the water in Palawan province on December 22.

The crew then climbed onto the vessel to check what was inside. They found thousands of fish had taken refuge inside the boat along with a new ecosystem of marine life.

They called it 'ocean exploring' like the 'urban exploring', or urbex, that has become popular with abandoned buildings.

In the video, the fisherman could be heard saying: ‘There were so many fish inside. It's just sad that someone died here during the typhoon.'

Fisherman Douglas Ebita, who was among those looking through the wreckage, said one person was reportedly killed when the boat capsized during the Super Typhoon in 2021.

He added: ‘It was owned by a Chinese businessman. They used it for seaweed farming and fishing until typhoon Odette hit.

'Is it a haunted ghost ship now? I don't know about that. There are definitely lots of fish living inside though.'

The dilapidated boat had the words ‘Maica One' painted on its exposed portion. Its interiors were seen destroyed and disintegrating.

Super Typhoon Rai swept through 11 regions and was the strongest to batter the Philippines in December 2021. At least 407 people were killed by the torrential weather, known locally as Typhoon Odette.