A recent revelation from the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) has confirmed the identity of a shipwreck site known as RI 2394, located in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island. This site is the resting place of the ship formerly known as HM Bark Endeavour, which was famously captained by James Cook during his pioneering first voyage into the Pacific.
This significant discovery, detailed in a report released on June 4, 2025, comes after 25 years of extensive underwater exploration and historical research, involving both Australian and American archaeologists. The Endeavour, initially launched in 1764 under the name Earl of Pembroke, was renamed in 1768 by the British Royal Navy.
Under Captain Cook's leadership, the ship embarked on a remarkable expedition from 1768 to 1771, a journey that not only charted the coastlines of New Zealand but also mapped the eastern coastline of Australia, greatly enhancing European knowledge of the Pacific region.
After returning to England, the Endeavour was repurposed as a naval transport and later sold to private owners, who renamed her Lord Sandwich. This vessel was involved in transporting British troops to America during the War of Independence. In 1778, British forces intentionally sank the ship, along with twelve others, to create a blockade against American and French troops in Newport.
For years, the wreck lay undisturbed beneath the water until it became the target of a multinational search effort. The museum's recent report is the culmination of initiatives that began in 1999 when ANMM collaborated with the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) to investigate the sunken fleet. RIMAP had already laid claim to the wrecks, and U.S. Federal courts designated the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) as the governing body for protection and licensing.
Between 1999 and 2004, several expeditions employed remote sensing, diving surveys, and sample analysis to scrutinize various candidate wrecks. However, none matched the criteria of the Endeavour. A breakthrough occurred in 2016 when Dr. Nigel Erskine from ANMM uncovered archival documents that narrowed the search area to the northern side of Goat Island.
From 2017 to 2021, detailed underwater excavations focused on five wrecks, particularly RI 2578 and RI 2394, both of which showed promise. Ultimately, only RI 2394 met the agreed-upon standards for dimensions, ballast type, timber structure, and artifact evidence to be identified as Lord Sandwich.
RI 2394 measures 18.2 meters in length and 7.3 meters in width, featuring a linear stone ballast pile, substantial wooden frames, four iron cannons, and a lead scupper. These characteristics align closely with Royal Navy records from 1768, when the Endeavour was initially surveyed. The remains also reveal structural features like paired and tripled floor timbers, indicating where the ship's main and fore masts would have stood, along with a rare joint used in British shipbuilding known as a scarph.
Analysis of the timber indicated that European oak and elm were used in later repairs, which correspond with Endeavour's repair records from 1776, after it was decommissioned from naval service. Although no exotic wood from Australia or Indonesia was found, the European trees suggest the ship underwent repairs before its final voyage in America.
In 1999 and again in 2019, the museum and RIMAP established a list of criteria to officially determine the ship's identity. These criteria have now been met by a preponderance of evidence. While RIMAP continues to study other wrecks in the harbor, no findings in the past three years have contradicted the identification of RI 2394 as the Endeavour.
The museum asserts that this vessel holds profound historical and cultural significance for Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Pacific First Nations. Ms. Daryl Karp AM, Director and CEO of ANMM, described the report as a landmark achievement in maritime archaeology.
The report also acknowledges critical support from the United States Bicentennial Gift Fund, which funded fieldwork, along with contributions from numerous specialists, divers, and historians around the globe. Efforts are currently underway to ensure the highest level of legal and physical protection for the RI 2394 site, preserving this historic wreck for future generations.
