ISTANBUL

The HMS Endeavour, the long-lost ship once helmed by renowned British explorer Capt. James Cook during his Pacific voyage, has been discovered off the coast of Rhode Island, bringing an end to a 250-year maritime mystery, the New York Post reported on Monday.

The Australian National Maritime Museum announced the discovery, which follows decades of underwater exploration and historical research.

The museum began its search for the Endeavour in 1999 and recently confirmed that a wreck in Newport Harbor, previously labeled RI 2394, is the famed vessel’s final resting place.

“This final report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel,” said museum director Daryl Karp, calling the announcement a “definitive statement.”

Cook’s Endeavour gained historical fame during his first Pacific voyage from 1768 to 1771, becoming the first European ship to reach eastern Australia and circumnavigate New Zealand.

After the expedition, the vessel was repurposed for military transport, sold to the shipping firm Mather & Co., and renamed the Lord Sandwich. It was scuttled in 1778 as part of a blockade during the American Revolutionary War.

Researchers confirmed the vessel’s identity by comparing RI 2394’s structure with the original 1768 survey plans of the Endeavour. Timber placements aligned with the positions of the ship’s main and fore masts, and all major measurements matched within millimeters.

“The stem scarf is identical, absolutely identical,” said archaeologist Kieran Hosty, describing the unique timber feature not found on other ships of the era.

Despite the museum’s confidence, it has faced criticism over its alleged discovery.

When the museum released its initial findings in 2022, its research partners at the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project rejected the announcement as “premature” and a “breach of contract.”

Australian National Maritime Museum archaeologist James Hunter argued that enough criteria have been met to confirm the wreck’s identity.

“You’ll never find a sign saying ‘Cook was here,’” said Hosty. “We’ve got a whole series of things pointing to RI 2394 as being … Endeavour.”

“And so far, we found lots of things that tick the box for it to be Endeavour and nothing on the site, which says it’s not,” he said.