Historic discovery: Captain James Cook’s HMS Endeavour located off U.S. coast

ISTANBUL (AA) – The HMS Endeavour, the long-lost ship once helmed by renowned British explorer Captain 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, Anadolu news agency said.

“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.