We found a pirate ship, so exciting!!!

Disclaimer: The contents of this article are not true. The authors have written this article as an “April Fools” story and was published on 1st April. If you use this story, please link this article and also include this disclaimer. The authors claim no responsibility for any articles that have been published elsewhere, in print or online, as a result of this story.

When we picked up our last station, we stumbled across what appears to be a shipwreck lying at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. We noticed a strange magnetic anomaly, but we weren’t sure what to make of it. Then when we recovered the last of our OBMT instruments off the seafloor we found a gold doubloon wedged into the bottom of the frame. We immediately altered course and began a 3-D bathymetric and magnetometer survey.

We found a peculiar object in the bathymetric data and after closer inspection and processing, a 3-masted sailing vessel emerged from the seafloor! The ship appears to be a traditional wooden vessel. The magnetic readings may indicate the ship is laden with huge numbers of gold doubloons or other precious cargo and cannons.

A pirate ship lodged between the tectonic plates. The colors indicate shallower (red) and deeper (blue) depths. Inset: A gold doubloon that was found wedged into the bottom of the OBMT frame. Ship silhouette copyright: yyang / 123RF Stock Photo. 

Both exciting and grim, this discovery helps to explain the fate of many a seafarer lost to the locker of Captain Davy Jones.

The shipwreck is located about 2000 metres beneath the sea in a very remote area of the Atlantic Ocean. The ship was found at a special location where the tectonic plates are created, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The extreme topography and frequent volcanic eruptions could cause a serious hazard for ships, particularly those that are cargo laden such as pirate ships.

We were advised to keep the exact location secret until authorities have investigated further. We were warned that pirates operate in these waters, but thankfully this ship poses no threat to our safety or our scientific mission.