200-Year-Old Shipwreck Discovered in Mexico Believed to Have Passed Through the 'Nightmare Reef'

In the 1990s, a fisherman named Manuel Polanco discovered a shipwreck covered in corals off the coast of Mexico in the Quntana Roo region. Scientists believe that the sailing ship is around 200 years old and have made initial diving inspections this year. Hopefully, new insight can be gained for the continued protection and preservation of water ecosystems. 

A team from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have matched the wooden remains to the 18th or 19th century. In its degraded condition, the metal parts, anchor, pig iron ingots, and eight-foot canon remain intact.

Researches believe the vessel sank after passing through the Banco Chinchorro (Chinchorro Bank), also known as the Nightmare reef,  Sleep Depriver, or Dreamcatcher through the centuries for the horrors it did to sailors. Today, the Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve is protected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 

The Reserve contains four types of habitats: mangroves, sandy areas, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. Around 15 species of endangered flora and fauna are found here despite its small area.

Two prominent species found in the lagoon are the Queen conch and Spiny lobster, as the site allows controlled fishing techniques for both species. Migratory and local birds are also found in Banco Chinchorro who feed and rest in the area.

Shipwreck Collection

Since 2006, the Sub-Directorate of Underwater Archaeology of the INAH has been conducting studies to gain an understanding of how underwater ecosystems like Banco Chinchorro have formed and transformed. With sufficient data, archaeologists want to identify threats that affect the integrity of the site, as well as conditions for preservation. 69 sites have been identified as a result of accidents like shipwrecks, abandonment of nautical objects, and cargo relief.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Polanco found the remains of different shipwrecks, including two of the most iconic in Banco Chinchorro: '40 Cañones' and 'The Angel'. The Angel was a sailing ship who transported logwood, a source of purple dye, to Europe from Mexico.

Underwater shipwrecks are a common encounter for fishermen in the Caribbean since they navigate through it every day to make a living. They dive into the Chinchorro to find lobsters, fish, or conch to sell in nearby villages of Xcalak and Mahahual. 

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Protecting the Future 

Laura Carrillo Márquez, head researcher of the Banco Chinchoro Project, shared that the shipwreck 'lies directly on the reef barrier where the ocean current is strong. Only the solid elements remain, encrusted into the reef.'

The Banco Chinchoro Project's goal has been to 'obtain information on shipwrecks or maritime accidents in the area and to reconstruct the history of ships and the people who have played a role in the life and use of ships.'

Scientists from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, have been working to protect archaeological sites against oil and gas exploration as well as development. In doing so, they also protect historic shipwrecks and predict that the Gulf of Mexico has over 4,000 shipwrecks resting on its floor.

Marine archaeologist, Jack Irion, shared that his team is 'a bit like crime scene investigators trying to recreate what happened from what remains' revealing events from over 100 years ago. Their objective is to protect 'the future is by understanding the past.'

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