Following over two decades of research, scientists at the Australian National Maritime Museum have asserted in no uncertain terms that they've located one of the most famous ships of maritime history — the HMS Endeavour. Sunk off the Newport, Rhode Island coast during the American War of Independence, the vessel formerly captained by James Cook and used to traverse the Pacific now rests broken and waterlogged under the Atlantic.
But instead of a moment of unifying triumph, the find has rekindled tensions between the Australian scientists and their American counterparts. The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP), a longtime collaborator in the search, accused the museum of violating protocols and letting “Australian politics or emotions” cloud an otherwise evidence-based process, reports The Guardian.
For RIMAP director Dr. Kathy Abbass, the evidence is suggestive, not definitive. “There are numerous questions that remain unanswered that could reverse such an identification,” she said.
In spite of the protest, Australians insist the sheer accumulation of structural, archival and archaeological evidence — such as timber matches, site overlays on original designs, and shipbuilding details — points directly at the wreck marked RI 2394 being none other than Endeavour, renamed Lord Sandwich in its final chapter.
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A Vessel That Carried Enlightenment — and Empire
First commissioned in 1764 as the Earl of Pembroke, the vessel was redesigned and renamed Endeavour by the Royal Navy in 1768, just in time for one of the most celebrated voyages of the Enlightenment period. Purportedly a scientific mission, the expedition's stated purpose was to observe the transit of Venus across the sun from Tahiti — a celestial event believed crucial to determining the sun’s distance from Earth.
Captain Cook’s voyages caused widespread devastation amongst indigenous populaces – most notably, in Australasia. (Archives New Zealand/CC BY 2.0)
But Cook’s true mandate included more imperial motives: the search for the fabled “Great Southern Continent.” He sailed to New Zealand, then mapped the east coast of Australia, where on August 22, 1770, he claimed sovereignty for the British Crown. From that moment would unfold a long colonial history and the systemic dispossession of Indigenous Australians, reports CBS News.
The Endeavour later faded into obscurity, sold off to private owners, and renamed Lord Sandwich. It was scuttled by the British in 1778 during the American Revolutionary War as part of an improvised naval blockade. It wasn't until the late 20th century that historians seriously considered that one of those Newport Harbor wrecks might be Cook’s lost ship.
Memory, Myth, Maritime Legacy: An Enduring Tale
Though only 15% of the wreck remains, its symbolic weight is far more intact. For some, the Endeavour is a symbol of Enlightenment ideals — reason, exploration, and scientific inquiry. For others, it is a harbinger of empire — the wooden vessel that signaled the start of centuries of cultural erasure, land seizure, and colonial control in the Pacific.
As the Australian National Maritime Museum’s Dr. Daryl Karp noted, the wreck is of global significance. “This ship’s use in exploration, astronomy and science doesn’t just apply to Australia, but also Aotearoa New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and First Nations peoples throughout the Pacific.”
Karp, also the director of the ANMM, noted that this was “the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel. It has involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe. This final report marks our definitive statement on the project.”
Captain James Cook's statue outside Australian Museum, Hyde Park, Sydney, 1885. (State Library of New South Wales/Public domain)
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Cook’s legacy, like his counterpart Columbus in the Americas, remains a contested legacy. Aboriginal settlers and great swathes of the settler populace both deem his voyages as the beginning of the dispossession of lands – a 200 year colonizing process that is still in continuum – to a certain extent. There’s been a push back to also change the date of his arrival, Jan 26th, celebrated as Australia Day, reports The Times.
Irregardless, the museum has called for urgent conservation, warning of the damage already done by marine life and time. But so long as its identity remains contested — its planks still under argument as much as water — the Endeavour floats again, not as a vessel, but as a symbol of empire’s enduring turbulence.
Top image: Painting by Samuel Atkins (1787-1808) of Endeavour off the coast of New Holland during Cook's voyage of discovery 1768-1771. Source: National Library of Australia/Public domain
By Sahir
References
Czachor, E.M. 2025. Captain Cook's HMS Endeavour confirmed to be in waters off Rhode Island after decades of research. Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/captain-cook-endeavour-ship-rhode-island-newport-harbor/.
Ludlow, M. 2025. Final resting place of Captain Cook’s HMS Endeavour confirmed. Available at: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/history/article/final-resting-place-of-captain-cooks-hms-endeavour-identified-bqwk3xmvl.
Shepherd, T. 2022. Row erupts over wreck in US waters identified as Captain Cook’s Endeavour. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/03/captain-cook-ship-endeavour-identified-confirmed-shipwreck-us-rhode-island.
Shepherd, T. 2025. Final resting place of James Cook’s Endeavour confirmed by National Maritime Museum. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/jun/04/final-resting-place-of-james-cooks-endeavour-confirmed-by-national-maritime-museum.
