The wreckage of what is believed to be a more than 200-year-old whaling ship was discovered at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.
Researchers discovered last month the sunken remains of the vessel known as the Industry, which documents show had a diverse crew of blacks, Native Americans, whites, and multiracial people, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced in a statement.
“Today we celebrate the discovery of a lost ship that will help us better understand the rich story of how people of color succeeded as captains and crew members in the nascent American whaling industry of the early 1800s,” NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said in the statement.
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NOAA researchers conducted a survey of the wreckage in February by using a remotely operated vehicle on the seabed. Prior to this, the wreckage had been observed by an energy company in 2011 and then again in 2017, though it was “never fully examined,” the agency said.
Researchers determined the measurements of the wreckage lined up with those found in historical documents. It was also deduced that the location of the wreckage, 72 nautical miles from the last known location off the mouth of the Mississippi River, “could be attributed to the still-floating ship within the Gulf of Mexico’s Loop Current,” NOAA said.
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“The discovery reflects how African Americans and Native Americans prospered in the ocean economy despite facing discrimination and other injustices,” Spinrad said. “It is also an example of how important partnerships of federal agencies and local communities are to uncovering and documenting our nation’s maritime history.”
Built in 1815 in Westport, Massachusetts, the Industry served in the whaling business for 20 years across the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, in addition to the Gulf of Mexico. The ship sank after a storm snapped its masts and opened its hull to the sea May 26, 1836, NOAA said.
