Christopher Columbus' Ship The Santa Maria May Have Been Found

"It's been missing for more than 500 years. But now there are reports that the Santa Maria, the largest ship among the trio that made Christopher Columbus' first expedition to North America, may be found. Undersea explorer Barry Clifford says he thinks he has found the ship in waters off of Haiti's coast."

"'All the geographical, underwater topography and archaeological evidence strongly suggests that this wreck is Columbus' famous flagship, the Santa Maria,' Clifford tells Britain's The Independent. 'The Haitian government has been extremely helpful — and we now need to continue working with them to carry out a detailed archaeological excavation of the wreck.'"

Clifford is a well-known wreck hunter, having found the pirate ship and former slave vessel the Whydah, which sank off the coast of Cape Cod in 1717. That discovery led to a project with National Geographic.