Mystery Beneath the Waves: Could North Carolina’s Latest Find Be the Legendary Spanish Privateer Ship ‘La Fortuna’?
A Historic Discovery Made By Complete Accident
In a statement released by East Carolina University, archaeologists explained how the species of wood recovered from the shipwreck could indicate the vessel’s origins.
The wood samples collected from the site reveal that some of the wood used in the construction of the vessel was sourced either from Monterey cypress or Mexican cypress, trees that are native to southern California and Central America. This suggests the ship’s builders used raw materials from Spanish Caribbean colonies in the 18th century — and the only reported shipwreck of Spanish origin in the area was La Fortuna.
More work needs to be done to confirm this early theory, but there seems to be at least some evidence to support it. This is even more remarkable considering that the discovery was entirely serendipitous.
“My dive buddy, Evan Olinger, and I were taking width measurements of Wharf Four to help delineate the site,” said maritime studies graduate student Cory van Hees. “The visibility is consistently pretty low in the Cape Fear River. Evan attempted to find the Northern extent of the wharf but had become disoriented due to the conditions. We switched roles, and the same happened to me on my attempt.”
While lost in his search, however, van Hees stumbled upon some wooden frames jutting out of the clay mud. On the surface, he noticed barely visible signs of planking.
“I didn’t understand what I was looking at in that moment,” he said, “but I knew I should relay the wooden structure to faculty. Later that day, Dr. Jason Raupp was able to confirm this was a wreck, which may be La Fortuna. It was kind of overwhelming and a little emotional feeling once it set in.”
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