Call off the search! After 250 years and a whole lot of debate, the legendary ship Endeavour — yes, the one Captain James Cook sailed to Australia in 1770 — has officially been identified at the bottom of Newport Harbor.
The Australian National Maritime Museum just released its final report after 25 years of research, confirming that the wreck known as RI 2394 is, without a doubt, the Endeavour.
The ship began its life as the Earl of Pembroke, was renamed Endeavour for Cook’s famous voyage, then sold off and renamed Lord Sandwich. In 1778, the British deliberately sank it in Newport during the American Revolution to help block French forces from entering Narragansett Bay.
Researchers have spent decades combing through archives, diving into the harbor, and analyzing every inch of the wreck — from its white oak hull to repair marks that matched original ship plans.
The museum made a big announcement in 2022, but some U.S. archaeologists pushed back, calling it “premature.” Now, the Aussies have doubled down with the final word.
“It has involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe,” said museum director Daryl Karp. “This final report marks our definitive statement on the project.”
Not just a pile of old wood — this wreck is a lightning rod of history. Some see it as a symbol of the Age of Discovery. Others, of colonization and cultural destruction.
The museum acknowledged both sides of that legacy in its report.
Now comes the hard part: saving what’s left. Marine organisms are eating away at the wreck, and preservation efforts are urgently needed.
But now it’s official: the Endeavour rests beneath Newport Harbor — a vessel of immense historical significance that’s been lying unnoticed for centuries.
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