Two U.S.–based researchers report that the Portuguese warship Nossa Senhora do Cabo, plundered by pirates in 1721, has finally been located near Nosy Boraha after years of archival sleuthing and underwater surveys.
The 700‑ton vessel, stripped of gold, silver and jewels while sailing from Goa to Lisbon, was deliberately sunk by its captors. Fresh evidence—including 3,300 artifacts and a hull matching 18th‑century plans—now confirms the wreck’s identity.
How archaeologists traced the lost Nossa Senhora do Cabo to Nosy Boraha
First came colonial logs and pirate testimonies. Then side‑scan sonar flagged a wooden outline buried in silt 130 feet down. Curious? So were local fishers who pointed the team to the “haunted” patch where anchors snagged nets.
Divers recovered porcelain shards, cannon fragments and a bronze bell stamped “1720,” a perfect match for the ship’s last voyage.
Why this pirate‑era discovery rewrites the map of Indian Ocean piracy
During the Golden Age of Piracy, Île Sainte‑Marie was, in one researcher’s words, “one of the baddest pirate lairs on Earth.” Pinpointing the Cabo gives historians a fixed marker in a murky timeline, letting trade‑route maps and hunter diaries be cross‑checked against a real site.
Better yet, the wreck stayed untouched by modern salvors, creating a pristine time capsule. Who benefits? Museum curators, maritime scholars and, ultimately, the public. What priceless cargo survived three centuries at the bottom of the channel? Before scuttling the ship, the raiders missed more than they knew. Key finds include:
- Gold coins with Arabic script
- Hand‑painted Ming‑style porcelain plates
- An ivory “INRI” plaque from a shipboard crucifix
- Trade textiles preserved in sediment pockets
The mix shows the Cabo’s role as a floating treasury linking three continents. Below is a concise voyage timeline for context:
| Year | Location | Key moment |
|---|---|---|
| 1721 (Jan.) | Goa | Cabo departs laden with treasure |
| 1721 (Apr. 8) | Réunion Island | Pirates Levasseur and Taylor seize the ship |
| 1721 (mid‑Apr.) | Toward Île Sainte‑Marie | Storm‑damaged, cannons jettisoned |
| 1721 (late Apr.) | Nosy Boraha channel | Vessel scuttled to hide evidence |
| 2025 | Nosy Boraha | Wreck officially identified after multi‑year survey |
The team plans minimal excavation to preserve the site, yet remote sensors may locate four companion wrecks rumored nearby. Ready for the next deep‑sea surprise?
The confirmed discovery of the Nossa Senhora do Cabo stitches together archival whispers, pirate lore and hard science in one dramatic find. For historians it is a milestone; for treasure‑hunters, a reminder that not every fortune can be carried off.