EXPEDITIONS

Expedition Background
During the 18th century, many French and British ships leaving Hispañola bound for Europe were required to navigate the treacherous Turks Island Passage. A number of ships, like the H.M.S. Endymion, failed to clear a hidden reef south of Salt Cay, which guards the entrance to the passage. Though the Endymion came to rest in the shallows of the isolated reef, other vessels may have gone down in deeper, un-surveyed waters after striking the reef near Endymion Rock, so-named after the vessel that was first discovered there.

Photograph by Dominique Rissolo

Expedition Summary
The Waitt Institute for Discovery partnered with Ships of Discovery and the Turks and Caicos National Museum for this exploratory survey of the Endymion Rock area.  Leading the expedition as Principle Investigator was Dr. Donald H. Keith, a nautical archaeologist and trustee of the Turks and Caicos National Museum.
           
The goal of this two-week expedition was to document the current state of the H.M.S Endymion, as well as search the site for other shipwrecks. The WID team performed a side-scan sonar and magnetometer survey of a 12 nm2 area around and beyond the reef in an effort to locate any lost ships from the 1700s or any other time period. The research team also dove the site to survey and closely document the Endymion, as well as any other shipwrecks discovered at the site.

A further goal of this expedition was to create documentation of the current state of the site for future comparison, while also providing deeper insight into the history of the region. The possibility for discovery of unknown wrecks was also high.

WID expedition team studies an engine from the mystery wreck at Endymion Rock

Expedition Team Members
Dr. Donald Keith/Principle Investigator
Lead Archaeologist, Ships of Discovery

Dominique Rissolo, PhD/Expedition Coordinator
Executive Director, Waitt Institute for Discovery

Joe Lepore/Dive Safety Officer, Surveyor
Dive Safety Officer, Waitt Institute for Discovery

Mike Dessner/Logistics Coordinator, Surveyor
Director of Logistics, Waitt Institute for Discovery

Jeff Morris/Director of Survey Operations
Director, Azulmar Research, LLC

Mike Cameron/Sonar Technician, Surveyor
Director and Chief Pilot, Dark Matter, LLC

Steve Bilicki/Surveyor
Maritime Archaeologist, Azulmar Research, LLC

Lance Milbrand/Videographer
Director, Milbrand Cinema

In Collaboration With

Principle Investigator

Dr. Donald H. Keith
Lead archeologist, Ships of Discovery, Santa Fe, NM

Other WID Expeditions