Nassau Harbour Yields First Confirmed Pirate Shipwrecks

Dr Sean Kingsley and Dr Michael Pateman secured the first permit to dive in Nassau harbour. They found six wrecks, three from the 1690s-1720s, including a charred hull, iron cannon, swivel gun, 25 lead musket balls, a grinding stone and 143 clay tobacco pipes bearing the English royal crest.

Shiver me timbers: evidence of the real pirates of Caribbean found in Bahamas

During the 1700s Nassau on New Providence was a pirate base for Blackbeard, Calico Jack Rackham and Henry Avery, who burned ships to hide evidence. The New Providence Pirates Expedition, with Wreckwatch TV and *Wreckwatch* magazine, performed the dives. Filmmaker Chris Atkins warned of strong currents and sharks; Kingsley, who has surveyed over 350 wrecks and founded *Wreckwatch*, co-directed.

The Guardian

The charred hull’s build resembles Avery’s flagship *Fancy*, but the identification is not confirmed. Swivel guns and an iron cannon match typical pirate armament. It yielded 25 lead musket balls, a grinding stone and 143 clay pipes bearing a unicorn, crown and English royal crest, indicating an English merchant ship.

Shiver me timbers: evidence of the real pirates of Caribbean found in Bahamas

The wrecks provide the first physical evidence of pirate activity in Nassau, confirming ship-burning tactics and heavy armament. The cargo of wine bottles and ornate pipes also shows the harbour’s transition to ordinary trade after the pirate era.

The Guardian

Kingsley called the finds a “tip of the iceberg” and noted the hull’s preservation. Pateman called burning ships to the waterline an “infamous tactic to hide felony” and highlighted the heavy swivel-gun armament. Atkins warned of currents and sharks; Kingsley added the English ship likely arrived after the pirate menace, signalling a post-piracy revival.

The Guardian

Scholars caution that linking the charred hull to Avery’s *Fancy* is speculative; the absence of distinctive artefacts prevents definitive identification. Several wrecks yielded no artefacts, limiting crew attribution.

National Geographic

• “There could very well be dozens more shipwrecks in and around the harbour.” — Dr Sean Kingsley, British marine archaeologist, co-director

Shiver me timbers: evidence of the real pirates of Caribbean found in Bahamas

• “Burning ships to the waterline was an infamous tactic to hide felony from authorities. The Nassau hull shows all the signs of pirate mischief.” — Dr Michael Pateman, co-director, ambassador for history, culture and museology, Bahamas

The Guardian

• “Tides flush dangerous currents through its waters twice a day. It’s home to notorious packs of sharks. This was a risky expedition with high chances of finding nothing.” — Chris Atkins, explorer and project filmmaker

The Guardian

• “The pirates of Hollywood fame are cartoon cutouts,” — Dr Sean Kingsley, British marine archaeologist

National Geographic

The discoveries appear in the mini-series *Mystery of the Pirate King’s Treasure* and the next *Wreckwatch* issue; further dives aim to locate more wrecks and confirm the hull’s identity.

The Guardian