May 20, 2024 — In late 2011, technicians for the petroleum company Shell were surveying the Gulf of Mexico for potential drilling sites when they came across an anomaly.

About 274 miles south of Galveston, Texas, and roughly 4,300 feet below the surface, sonar illuminated a rare sight. It was the hull of an 84-foot long sailing ship, its masts broken and cast to the sides.

The techs reported their discovery to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, an agency within the Department of Interior which currently manages a database of around 4,000 shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico, plus thousands more on the East and West coasts. The agency partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to explore the shipwreck. Researchers ultimately found two more sunk ships in the vicinity, naming them Monterrey A, B and C.

The Monterrey shipwrecks are now among 13 sites nominated by the BOEM for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. Texas State University, which helped with Monterrey excavation, has called the find “one of the more significant shipwreck sites discovered in the Gulf.”

The BOEM last month published a series of videos showcasing the findings from each site — the result of a comprehensive study that was part of the nomination process. Authors hope their study will serve as a template for future nominations.

“Not all shipwrecks are created equal,” said James Delgado, an independent marine archaeologist who wrote the study. “They all have their own significance for their own reasons.”

Along with two other BOEM-nominated shipwreck sites, the Monterrey shipwrecks appear to be early 19th century ocean-going commercial traders.

Read the full article at the Courthouse News Service