Captain Cook's legendary ship finally identified near New England resort after 250 years

Maritime experts believe they've finally pinpointed the exact resting place of Captain James Cook's legendary ship - just off the coast of a beloved New England resort town.

A report about HMS Endeavour was published by the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) on June 3.

In 1778, the British intentionally sank the ship off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island, in a strategic move to block French and American attacks.

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While it has long been known that the 18th-century vessel lies off the coast of the Ocean State, its exact location has eluded marine historians.

But now experts are sure that a Rhode Island state archaeological site named RI 2394 is the final resting place of the ship - and they have decades of research to back it up.

Also known as the "Kerry" site, the shipwreck is between 39 and 43 feet underwater, the report says.

The site includes a "linear stone ballast pile, the eastern periphery of which features a line of partially exposed frame ends that are closely spaced and of substantial size," according to the report.

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"Four iron cannons are also present on the site," the report continues. "Two are largely exposed above the seabed and lie immediately adjacent to one another on the western side of the site."

The site also features remnants of floors, futtocks and a stanchion, which is a post that supported the ship's deck beams.

"By 2019, careful surface investigation of all shipwrecks located within the Limited Study Area determined RI 2394 was the most likely candidate for [the] ex-HMS Endeavour," the report said.

The site meets 10 criteria that experts previously agreed upon.

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These include a lack of American timbers, a European elm keel, and evidence of hull repairs matching what is known about HMS Endeavour.

The ship also has scuttling holes to prove it was intentionally sunk, and overall possessed "architectural features matching those of Endeavour."

The report concluded, "RI 2394 is the largest shipwreck site within the LSA and exhibits attributes that fulfill the criteria."

"Consequently, the preponderance of evidence supports this shipwreck site's identification as [HMS Endeavour] … and at the same time discounts any of the other investigated shipwreck sites as that of James Cook's renowned ship of exploration."

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The Endeavour holds great significance in Australian history as the first European vessel to reach the country's eastern coast.

After the ship sailed the world, it was sold to a private citizen in Feb. 1775 and renamed "Lord Sandwich" before it was scuttled.

Marine archaeologists across the world are actively discovering countless numbers of shipwrecks per year. 

Just last week, officials announced that they had discovered a 16th-century shipwreck at record depth in French waters.

Off the coast of Ireland, underwater archaeologists recently found an 18th-century vessel that is believed to be a long-lost treasure ship.