Search continues for HMB Endeavour’s final resting place

In response to media reports this morning that James Cook’s HMB Endeavour has been found, the Australian National Maritime Museum can confirm that a team of US and Australian maritime archaeologists and volunteers from the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP), the Australian National Maritime Museum and Silentworld Foundation are currently undertaking fieldwork in Newport Harbour, Rhode Island as part of an ongoing search for James Cook’s ship HMB Endeavour.  

Research shows that Lieutenant James Cook’s ship HMB Endeavour, renamed the Lord Sandwich, was scuttled alongside 12 other vessels in Newport Harbour during the American War of Independence in 1778.

“An update on this year’s fieldwork in Newport Harbour will be shared at a press conference in Rhode Island on Friday evening (US time). I can say that early indications are that the team has narrowed the possible site for the wreck of HMB Endeavour to one site which is very promising,” said museum Kevin Sumption PSM, Director and CEO of the Australian National Maritime Museum.

“However now that RIMAP and the museum have narrowed the search to one site of interest, there is still a lot more detailed work, analysis and research that has to happen before we can definitively say we have found the remains of James Cook’s HMB Endeavour,” said Australian National Maritime Museum director and CEO.

The RIMAP/ANMM press conference will be held at 5.00pm on Friday 21 September 2018 (7.00am Sat 22 Sep 2018 AEST) at the Gurneys Resort on Goat Island, Newport, Rhode Island where imagery collected during the fieldwork will also be released.

All media inquiries, Shirani Aththas (02) 9298 3642; 0418 448 690