Cryptic object discovered under one of Florida's most popular beach destinations
A mysterious sight was unveiled along the coast of Daytona Beach, Florida, after a series of high tides and thunderstorms.
A person looks at the object that recently appeared near Daytona Beach, Florida, following coastal erosion. (Facebook/Volusia County Beaches)
A new beachfront attraction has cropped up in Florida, one that has been revealed from its long-time resting place following spells of stormy weather.
Parts of an ancient shipwreck emerged from the sand at the 3200 Block of Daytona Beach Shores earlier this week, located about 5 miles south of downtown Daytona Beach, Florida.
"The ocean gives us another blast from the past with the remnants of this 25–30 foot ship," Volusia County Beaches posted on its Facebook page. "Florida archeologists will be out on Monday to map the wreck."
The section of the beach has faced significant erosion dating back to the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season. Recent thunderstorms and high tides have also contributed to the beach slowly crumbling into the ocean to reveal the remains of a ship.
The remnants of a shipwreck seen at Volusia County Beaches near Daytona Beach, Florida. (Facebook/Volusia County Beaches)
Officials had a hunch that something was buried under this section of beach for more than a decade, but this was the first time that they have seen something poke through the sand, according to WKMG-TV, an Orlando-based news station.
“It’s definitely the structure of a ship hull — the bottom and it looks really old,” said Shaun Purdue, who was one of the first people to alert authorities after spotting the object.
It is still unclear how long the shipwreck has been buried along Florida's Atlantic coast, but investigations by archeologists next week will help to determine some answers.
This is not the first time that a shipwreck has been unearthed along this portion of Florida's coast.
In late 2022, a mysterious shipwreck from the 1800s was spotted following coastal erosion from Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole. The ship is believed to have been a merchant seafaring vessel, but since the ship was in a delicate state, officials decided not to dig it up and remove it from the beach.
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As captivating as the recent discovery may be, the recent unearthing of an age-old shipwreck reflects the current status of the coast near Daytona Beach.
“It’s kind of cool to see these blasts from the past but unfortunately it’s due to the loss of sand,” Captain AJ Miller said, according to WKMG).
He added that people wanting a closer look could come to Daytona Beach to see the shipwreck, but they should not get too close to the object.
"It’s really cool to see Florida history but please don’t go in it. We don’t know if there’s any metal involved," Miller said. "It is a hazardous area."
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