Survey Location: Endymion Rock, Turks & Caicos
Dates: November 28 - December 13, 2007

Principle Investigator
Dr. Donald Keith
Lead Archaeologist, Ships of Discovery

In Collaboration With
Ships of Discovery
Turks & Caicos Museum
Turks & Caicos Dept. of Environment and Coastal Resources 

Expedition Background
The Turks Island Passage has been well-traveled since Columbus and is one of the main avenues for ships of all nationalities moving between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. At the southern end of the passage lies Endymion Rock, a shallow reef named for HMS Endymion, a British Fifth Rate that wrecked there in 1790. It has long been rumored that other shipwrecks lie in the vicinity, perhaps in the deep-water passage only a few hundred meters to the West.

Photograph by Dominique Rissolo

Expedition Summary
The Waitt Institute for Discovery partnered with Ships of Discovery and the Turks and Caicos National Museum for this exploratory survey of the Endymion Rock area.  Leading the expedition as Principle Investigator was Dr. Donald H. Keith, a nautical archaeologist and trustee of the Turks and Caicos National Museum.

The goal of this two-week expedition was to document the current state of the H.M.S Endymion, as well as search the site for other shipwrecks. The WID team performed a side-scan sonar and magnetometer survey of a 12 square kilometer area around and beyond the reef in an effort to locate any lost ships from the 1700’s or any other time period. The research team also dived the site to survey and closely document the Endymion, as well as any other shipwrecks discovered at the site.

A further goal of this expedition was to create documentation of the current state of the site for future comparison, while also providing deeper insight into the history of the region. The possibility for discovery of unknown wrecks was also high.

WID expedition team studies an engine from the mystery wreck at Endymion Rock

Expedition Team Members
Donald Keith/Principle Investigator
Lead Archaeologist, Ships of Discovery

Dominique Rissolo/Expedition Coordinator
Executive Director, Waitt Institute for Discovery

Joe Lepore/Dive Safety Officer, Surveyor
Dive Safety Officer, Waitt Institute for Discovery

Mike Dessner/Logistics Coordinator, Surveyor
Director of Logistics, Waitt Institute for Discovery

Jeff Morris/Director of Survey Operations
Director, Azulmar Research, LLC

Mike Cameron/Sonar Technician, Surveyor
Director and Chief Pilot, Dark Matter, LLC

Steve Bilicki/Surveyor
Maritime Archaeologist, Azulmar Research, LLC

Lance Milbrand/Videographer
Director, Milbrand Cinema