William Kidd - Quedah Merchant Found

Quedah Merchant Found

For years, people and treasure hunters have tried to locate the Quedagh Merchant. It was reported on 13 December 2007, that "wreckage of a pirate ship abandoned by Captain Kidd in the 17th century has been found by divers in shallow waters off the Dominican Republic." The waters in which the ship was found were less than ten feet deep and were only 70 feet (21 m) off of Catalina Island, just to the south of La Romana on the Dominican coast. The ship is believed to be "the remains of Quedagh Merchant". Charles Beeker, the director of Academic Diving and Underwater Science Programs in Indiana University (Bloomington)'s School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, was one of the experts leading the Indiana University diving team. He said that it was "remarkable that the wreck has remained undiscovered all these years given its location," and given that the ship has been the subject of so many prior failed searches. Beginning in June 2011, Captain Kidd's Cannon, an artifact from the shipwreck, will be displayed in The Children's Museum of Indianapolis as part of the National Geographic: Treasures of the Earth permanent exhibit.