Mysterious Shipwreck Found Off Florida Is 3 Times Bigger Than Initially Described

A mysterious shipwreck that reportedly emerged off Daytona Beach, Florida, is about three times larger than what was initially described, per marine archaeologists.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum drew that conclusion by sending a team to scrutinize this wreck, which appeared on 20 April in the 3200 block of the Daytona Beach Shores.

Relevant Volusia County officials estimated that it might be a 25-30-foot vessel, but archaeologists have to say that a lot is hidden underneath the sand. The team of specialists included the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research.

Video Credits: FOX 35 Orlando / YouTube

There is about 75-feet-long exposed wreckage, so the wreck was possibly closer to almost 100 feet long, Chuck Meide, an archaeologist associated with the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program, said in an April 28 news release.

It boasts iron deck supports, introduced to wooden vessels in the 1830s and perhaps more common in the second half of the 1800s. The wood is well-preserved, and the hull’s lowermost portion seems to be preserved underneath the sand.

That indicates the vessel could date to the same time the original version of Daytona Beach was discovered in 1870.

Daytona Beach officials informed WESH that they’ve long known there was a debris field at the spot where the new wreck happened to be discovered. They didn’t know what resulted in it.

The wreck is one of the two that have emerged from the sands of Daytona Beach since December 2022, the officials explained. The other was checked by the museum and found to be a cargo vessel from the 1800s, officials mentioned.

Archaeologists say that extensive hurricane erosion in September and November resulted in the vessels being discovered.

References: AL.com, Yahoo!News

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