An underwater explorer said he found the remains of a 15th century ship in the same location where Christopher Columbus' flag ship the Santa Maria was damaged during his journey to the New World some 500 years ago.
Barry Clifford believes the ship, found stuck on a reef off the coast of Haiti, is the actual Santa Maria, the remains of which have never been found since it ran aground in 1492, CNN reported.
Not only is the wreckage in the right location, but a 15th-century designed cannon found near the ship confirmed Clifford's belief it is the Santa Maria. The ship is also the right size, and stones found in the area are similar to ones found where the ship was built in Spain. The discovery, if confirmed, would be one of the greatest underwater finds in history, CNN reported.
"It is the Mount Everest of shipwrecks for me," Clifford, 68, told CNN. "This ship changed the course of human history."
Clifford and his team first found the wreckage, which lies 10 to 15 feet underwater, back in 2003. But the cannon, the biggest clue, was not originally thought to be from Columbus' time period. It wasn't until two years ago that further research revealed the cannon was from the 15th century.
The next step is to find a way to remove the ship, which has maintained most of its shape, from its resting place so it can "go through the whole archaeological process," Clifford said. He told CNN he hopes to meet with the Haitian government to plan the next move.
Columbus left Spain in August 1492 with three ships- the Santa Maria along with the Nina and the Pinta- in search of a route to India and China in the east by sailing west. But instead of arriving in India he ended up in the Americas, including Haiti, or the island of Hispaniola.
The Santa Maria was damaged when it ran aground off the coast of Haiti that December, according to CNN.