Exploration & Discovery

The Sextant, not unlike some other navigational instruments, takes its name from its shape - the sixth part of a circle. Sextants for use in astronomy had been around since the 16th century but the marine version was developed around 1756/57 by Captain John Campbell, with the help of a London instrument maker - John Bird. The difference between a sextant and an octant is the lenght of its scale - up to 120 degrees but both work after the same principle.  


"The Last Frontier Is Underwater" 


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OD's newest expedition will be the search for several Spanish Galleons from the late 16th Century, a timeframe in which „Sir Francis Drake" hunted Spanish ships in the "New World". This major documentary will be filmed in the southern Caribbean. More about this highly technical underwater adventure on our next update.



OD’s expeditions and discoveries bring to life the historical events and tragedies surrounding marine expeditions, sea battles, mutinies and lost trading and war ships. These attributes reveal facts and archaeological treasures, which characterize our documentaries. We at Oceans Discovery believe that it is important to stay ahead of the new era of science, technology and New Media. We have taken our productions to a new level, presenting our audience with high quality documentaries where serious deep-sea adventure programming and historical narration are combined with the genres of scientific reporting and nature documentaries.

 


OD's Major Discovery in 2004 - “Three of Sir Henry Morgan’s Ships located”
A worldwide campaign to protect a vital area of maritime history in the Caribbean is being launched in Jamaica following the discovery of three 17th Century English warships believed to be from the fleet of Henry Morgan. These ships were lost off the southern coast of Haiti off a picturesque tropical island. Morgan’s main base was at Port Royal, Jamaica, which was the key strategic centre in the New World during the 17th Century. The international expedition team discovered what appears to be the remains of 3 frigate class ships. An archaeological survey has to determine if one of these wrecks might be Morgan’s flagship the "HMS OXFORD" that fought so bravely in the famous 1665 "Battle of Lowestoft".




Artefacts from the ships discovered so far, fit the vintage of Morgan’s presence in the area. Initial forensic and archaeological research on small artefacts taken from around the fossilised ship and its cannons indicate that these wrecks are most likely the ones Morgan lost in 1669, before his most daring raid on the South American Port of Maracaibo. A major archaeological survey of the shipwreck site is planned in the near future. Oxford was destroyed in a cataclysmic blast January 2nd 1669. The result of an explosion believed to have been ignited by gunner error during a celebratory pig roast.



The 34-gun ship "Oxford" had been sent to Morgan by King Charles II following his appointment as Admiral in Chief of the Confederacy of Buccaneers. Having previously gained a fearsome reputation as a naval strategist and ruthless pirate operating against Britain’s enemies, Spain, France and Holland, Morgan eventually became Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. He died there in 1688.

Rick Haupt and Sylvia Krueger of Ocean Discovery (OD) and Bruce Leeming of Ocean Dreams led the team that discovered the three ships lying in relatively shallow water at 12 feet depth. In the best pirate tradition, the final clue which led them to the site was discovered hidden in an old chart. The team found several other cannon wrecks in 1999 during a filming expedition searching for another vessel, which lead them to search for the "OXFORD". 		 


The expedition team discovered the site in a methodical manner. Following extensive research they looked closely at the island of Isle A'Vache near Haiti, where the Oxford was anchored with other ships meeting for the next attack on the "Spanish Main". Since 1999 the team eliminated systematically all areas which would have been unsuitable for anchoring such a large fleet, finally locating three English shipwrecks, with one of them possibly being the Oxford. The dive equipment manufacturer MARES, OD's ongoing sponsor, provided all the special equipment needed to carry out all dive operations.

Research, and funding for the search, was partly undertaken by the co-production partners of a one hour documentary on the discovery, ITV-Wales, S4C and S4C International. The program, filmed back-to-back in English and Welsh, premiered with much success at MIP in Cannes and has been subsequently broadcasted in October 2004. OD is lobbying the United Nations to help with the establishment of a permanent Marine Park encompassing the area. For several years the team has made great efforts to educate the local population about the significance of their heritage and to encourage the development of a historical Marine Park around Isle A’Vache in order to better protect all wreck sites and to preserve this magnificent cultural heritage for the people of Haiti.


Some smaller parts found at the site have only been removed at the expressed wishes of the local authorities and will remain at the newly established library at Ka-koc Village. Several small samples (glass, ceramic and metal) have been taken from the site for forensic testing but they also remain the property of the people of Haiti and will be returned. As a whole all the sites discovered so far are in pristine archaeological condition, although the coral mounds encasing most artefacts are crumbling due to global warming thus exposing the artefacts more and more to the destructive forces of the wave action on the reef. GPS recorded locations together with a detailed report have been passed on to the Haitian authorities.  


Filmmaker Rick Haupt said: “The discovery of three 17th century frigates and possibly the HMS Oxford is an event of real historical significance, particularly to the Caribbean. It’s any divers dream coming true. While today the site resembles a large coral reef littered with cannons and thousands of artefacts, it’s still awe-inspiring. The next step is to safeguard the site and have experts undertake detailed archaeological examination, while ensuring minimal disturbance. “We don’t expect to find any of Morgan’s fabled treasure but there are a large number of artefacts such as cannons, drawer handles, muskets, musket balls and powder barrels that will help us accurately date the accident and provide the public with important historical information about 17th century ship building".



UNESCO said: “We welcome this important worldwide campaign to the extent that all project-related organizers and associates have committed themselves to full compliance with the 2001 UNESCO Convention and it’s Annex on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage.”

Owain Roberts of the University of Wales in Bangor, a leading Marine Archaeologist said: “This appears to be a significant archaeological site set in coral. It is vital that careful and detailed surveying begins soon, but it must be done in a way, which protects both the artefacts and the fragile coral. This was a Commonwealth ship and remains of these are very rare”. The coral encrusted mound - between 50 and 70 meters in radius has two cannons and concreted gunpowder barrels projecting from it – is the aft section of a major British warship and fits exactly what is expected to remain of the ship which lost its forward third when its powder magazine exploded.  


“Jamaica Merchant”, 1999, Haiti (Capt. Morgan)
In 1999, the team discovered what is very likely the “Jamaica Merchant” while filming a documentary about Canada’s most famous ship – “Bluenose”. Over the following years both discovered several other historically pertinent wrecks and have painstakingly mapped these wrecks in preparation for an archaeological documentation. The most notable wreck of early times recorded as hitting the Great East Reef in 1673, 1674? was the “Jamaica Merchant”. 		 


Three dates are recorded from different sources. The actual wreck date was most likely in 1676 as Sir Henry Morgan was knighted by Charles II on January 23, 1674 and it is reported: "He enjoyed a year in around London with his new status". The "Jamaican Merchant" was an English privateer ship operating out of Port Royal, Jamaica, the one and only English stronghold in the area at this time. It was noted as a “splendid vessel worthy of a returning hero”. It is also stated in several sources that the “Jamaica Merchant”, with Captain Knapmann in charge, was on route to Jamaica coming from London, England.
 


On board was the newly knighted Sir Henry Morgan, who was being brought to Jamaica to become the new Lieutenant Governor. The pilot of the “Jamaica Merchant” obviously made a navigational error and the ship wrecked February 25th 1676 on the east side of Isle A’Vache. It is also reported that only five or six days later another Jamaican privateer rescued everyone. The governor of Jamaica also sent two salvage sloops and recovered 20 large cannons and 212 cannon balls.
 


Other spectacular Expeditions & Discoveries

“Mystery Schooner”, 1998, Great Lakes
“British Freedom”, 1996, Approaches Halifax Harbor
“Erebus & Terror”, 1997, High Arctic
“Southwold”, 1999, Malta

“Mystery Schooner”, 1998, Great Lakes
Off Long Point in Lake Erie, sitting upright in 160 ft. of water lays one of the most beautiful shipwrecks in the world. The style of the vessel dictates that it sank between 1840 and 1860, at a time when schooners were the main form of transportation in the region. The team undertook several dives on the wreck, both with scuba gear and on board a submarine. The entire expedition has been carried out with the assistance of two Canadian scientific submarines on board the "HMS Cormorant". This vessel has become an important scientific research site for Steve Blasco, of the Geological Survey of Canada. His research, like before on the “Titanic”, requires that the vessel is to be identified and the exact date the sinking occurred. Rick Haupt and his team have been working with historians and archaeologists, in an attempt to identify the vessel through a careful exploration of this magnificent wreck. A scientific update on this wreck will be published shortly on this website. 		 


“British Freedom”, 1996, Approaches Halifax Harbor
W.W.II set the stage for the tragic sinking of the merchant vessel “British Freedom”. It was torpedoed by "U-1232" just outside Halifax harbour in 1945. Together with Canadian Navy experts Rick Haupt descended in the Canadian scientific submarine "SDL" to a shipwreck, which still had one unexploded depth charge somewhere on board. Finding this ship wreck has been only possible through the use of the Canadian developed bathymetric multi-beam sonar system. 		 


“Erebus & Terror”, 1997, Canadian High Arctic "Sir John Franklin" was the world’s most famous Arctic explorer. In 1846 he went out to search for the Northwest Passage - he was never heard of or ever seen again. His exact fate, and the fate of his men and vessels, remains one of the world’s greatest mysteries. Equipped with the Canadian Icebreaker “Sir Wilfried Laurier”, a helicopter, 3 1/2 tons of search equipment and two 32 ft launches, Rick’s team of 22 scientists and explorers embarked on one of their most dangerous missions - searching the high Arctic for remnants of the "Erebus" & "Terror". Canada’s Chief U/W Archaeologist, "Robert Grenier", has headed the archaeological team.  


“HMS Southwold”, 1999, Malta
The “HMS Southwold” was a British "Hunt Class" Destroyer, which sunk under heroic circumstances outside "Valletta Harbor" during WW II. The documentary about this discovery reiterates the story of this proud ship and its young crew who fought a loosing battle defending a convoy until running out of ammunition. The Oceans Of Mystery team traveled to Malta to explore a wreck in a depht of over 75 Meters, which proved to be the remains of the “HMS. Southwold”. The Maltese Government has supported this great expedition with several Coast Guard Vessels, two helicopters and their newest SAR boat.

  


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