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Authorized expedition in the Bahamas identified six shipwrecks in Nassau and surroundings, including three linked to the Golden Age of Piracy, with burned hull, cannons, ammunition, and remains associated with the real pirates of the Caribbean
Six shipwrecks were found in Nassau and the surroundings of the capital of New Providence, in the Bahamas, during an expedition that identified, for the first time, wreckage associated with the real pirates of the Caribbean. Three vessels are linked to the Golden Age of Piracy, a period when Nassau was the base of figures like Blackbeard, Calico Jack Rackham, Henry Avery, Benjamin Hornigold, and Anne Bonny.
(Image credit: Chris Atkins, © Wreckwatch TV)
Unprecedented find in the former center of the pirates of the Caribbean
The discovery was made by archaeologists, filmmakers, and divers linked to the New Providence Pirates Expedition and the Wreckwatch TV channel.
The team received authorization from the Bahamas Antiquities, Monuments, and Museums Corporation to dive in a closed zone of Nassau’s harbor.
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The work took place in September and October 2025. Until then, none of the ships associated with the pirate presence in the region had been excavated, despite historical records of vessels destroyed and sunk near Nassau.
At the height of the Golden Age of Piracy, in 1718, Woodes Rogers, governor of New Providence, sighted 40 shipwrecked, burned, and sunken ships by pirates off the coast of Nassau.
Burned hull reinforces tactic used to hide crimes
One of the shipwrecks was found in Nassau’s harbor and consists mainly of ballast stones. This material was used to stabilize vessels and appeared over submerged remains of a burned wooden hull.
According to the team report for the Bahamas Antiquities Authority, the remains include planks, caves, and wooden pegs.
The use of these pegs, similar to wooden nails, indicates that the vessel was built in the 18th century.
Michael Pateman, director of the Bahamas Maritime Museum in Grand Bahama, stated that pirates used to set ships on fire down to the waterline after removing cargo, cannons, and fittings. The practice served to erase traces of crimes in front of the authorities.
According to Pateman, the hull found in Nassau shows signs consistent with this pirate action. This information is important because it connects the discovery not only to an ancient shipwreck but to a practice described for the period.
(Image credit: Sean Kingsley, © Wreckwatch TV)
Cannon, ammunition, and absence of cargo draw attention
Another shipwreck linked to the Golden Age of Piracy was located about 35 kilometers east of Nassau. The vessel was likely an armed sloop from the early 18th century, with a single mast.
At the site, divers found a pile of ballast, a large deck cannon, and a rotating iron cannon.
A sharpening stone for swords, lead musket balls, and three cannonballs were also identified.
Sean Kingsley, marine archaeologist, co-director of the New Providence Pirates Expedition, and founder of Wreckwatch magazine, stated that the objects linked to warfare and the style of the rotating cannon suggest two possibilities.
The vessel could have been a pirate ship from the Golden Age or a maritime boat from the same era prepared to defend against attacks. The absence of cargo traces makes the pirate ship scenario more likely, according to Kingsley.
Third shipwreck appeared under old Nassau bridge
The third shipwreck was spotted after a report and is located under the old Nassau bridge. The report mentions that the area is inhabited by a bull shark described as very ill-tempered.
At the site, the team found two poorly preserved hulls. One of them was pierced by a modern pipeline, but it was still possible to identify rigging, glass bottles, hull planks, and kitchen bricks.
Kingsley reported that the ship likely sank after hitting an underwater sandbank during a storm. The team also found remains of containers and dozens of clay pipes with the British coat of arms.
These pipes were probably manufactured in London in the 1740s or 1750s. The ship was also likely English and arrived in New Providence shortly after piracy ceased to be a threat.
Expedition also investigated life in Nassau
In addition to the dives, the team studied ancient maps and 300-year-old documents. The researchers also investigated pirate caves, a plantation with enslaved people, and a watchtower where, according to rumors, Blackbeard may have lived.
Kingsley stated that Nassau in the Golden Age of Piracy did not resemble the Hollywood fantasy. To him, the pirate city was more like a mix between a small Old West town and an 18th-century summer camp.
Chris Atkins, explorer and filmmaker of the project, highlighted that Nassau’s harbor is huge and has dangerous currents caused by tides twice a day. He also mentioned the presence of shark groups as part of the expedition’s risk.
The preliminary results will be published by Wreckwatch magazine. Kingsley and Atkins also produced a documentary series for Wreckwatch TV about the discoveries made in the Bahamas.
This article was prepared based on information from Live Science, New Providence Pirates Expedition, Wreckwatch TV, and statements by Michael Pateman, Sean Kingsley, and Chris Atkins, with data, numbers, and statements preserved as per the consulted material.
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