Experts: Yep, Wreck Is Captain Cook's Endeavour

After years of debate, researchers have confirmed the final resting place of Captain James Cook's HMS Endeavour as Rhode Island's Newport Harbor. The Endeavour, famous for Cook's 18th-century Pacific voyages and for claiming Australia for Britain, had long been the subject of speculation. In 2022, the Australian National Maritime Museum said it had identified the wreck, but Rhode Island archaeologists called the claim premature and driven more by emotion than science. Now, after an additional three years of research, the museum stands by its conclusion that the Endeavour resides in Newport Harbor, where it was scuttled by the British in 1778 to block a French advance, per the London Times.

The museum's findings are based on 25 years of research, including underwater surveys and matching timber from the wreck to the ship's original plans, and come with recommendations for protecting the site as the wood is deteriorating after 250 years underwater. The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP), which has worked with Australian authorities since 1999, has not yet responded to the final report. Previously, RIMAP's director, Kathy Abbass, said there was still no indisputable proof and called for more scientific rigor. The museum indicated RIMAP was not ruling out other sites, but noted, "this final report marks our definitive statement on the project," per the Guardian. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)