Shipwreck accidentally found in the Gulf of Mexico

An American government exploration ship stumbled on the wreck of a ship built nearly 200 years ago while testing underwater drones in the Gulf of Mexico more early this month. The National Oceanic Atmosphere Administration said the Okeanos explorer's crew recovered the sinking on May 16th.

The wreckage unexpectedly appeared on the sonar of a remotely operated vehicle, the Deep Discoverer, according to a summary of the discovery posted by the Ocean's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. ;agency. The Okeanos Explorer crew contacted marine archaeologists to watch a live stream of the wreckage.

The experts estimated that the vessel was about 124 feet long and was built in the mid-19th century, depending on the construction of the ship. The ship was a wooden sailboat with a copper sheath at the bottom of the hull.

The experts were not able to determine the nationality of the ship from what they saw. Although they were able to estimate the ship's build date, it could have been used for decades before sinking.

Some of the ship 's woods seemed charred, which, according to the agency, could mean that a fire almost ravaged the ship before it sank. This scenario could also explain why there was a lack of personal items and artifacts on the ship's decks, rigging and upper structures.

Nothing has been taken from the sinking for further analysis. The Okeanos explorer spent 12 days in the Gulf and docked in Florida on May 24th.