Human Interest Rare 207-Year-Old Whaling Shipwreck Found in the Gulf of Mexico: 'Critical Discovery' The newly discovered remains of the Industry will help illuminate the stories of the Black and Native American crew members who worked aboard By Natasha Dado Published on March 25, 2022 11:43AM EDT Photo: NOAA Ocean Exploration The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the findings of a fascinating discovery this week. The remains of a 19th century shipwreck have been identified as those of the Industry, a two-masted, 64-foot whaling ship that sank in 1836, NOAA revealed in a news release Wednesday. The remains were discovered about 70 nautical miles off the mouth of the Mississippi River in the Gulf of Mexico on February 25. According to the scientific agency, studies into the wreck will help shed light on the history of the Black and Native American crew members who worked on board. "Today we celebrate the discovery of a lost ship that will help us better understand the rich story of how people of color succeeded as captains and crew members in the nascent American whaling industry of the early 1800s," NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., said in a statement. "The discovery reflects how African Americans and Native Americans prospered in the ocean economy despite facing discrimination and other injustices," he continued. "It is also an example of how important partnerships of federal agencies and local communities are to uncovering and documenting our nation's maritime history." NOAA Ocean Exploration 107 Years Later, Explorer Ernest Shackleton's Sunken Ship Endurance Is Discovered 'Virtually Intact' Built in 1815, Industry was used to hunt for whales and sailed through the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. The wooden brig was lost at sea in 1836 when a storm snapped its double masts. Fortunately, the crew was able to escape when another whaling ship, the Elizabeth, picked them up and transported them to safety in Westport, Massachusetts, Robin Winters, a librarian at the Westport Free Public Library, told NOAA. "This was so fortunate for the men onboard," said James Delgado, Ph.D., who led the team of scientists that helped discover the shipwreck, per the release. "If the Black crewmen had tried to go ashore, they would have been jailed under local laws. And if they could not pay for their keep while in prison, they would have been sold into slavery." NOAA Ocean Exploration Cargo Ship Carrying Porsches, Lamborghinis and More Luxury Cars Sinks in Atlantic Ocean After Fire According to the agency, the Industry is the only whaling ship known to have been lost in the Gulf of Mexico between about 1780 and 1870. Moving forward, researchers and the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management hope to secure the site on the National Register of Historic Places. In other major shipwreck discoveries, explorer Ernest Shackleton's sunken ship Endurance was discovered in shockingly good condition earlier this month. About 107 years after the ship was crushed by ice while traveling to Antarctica in 1915, the vessel was found at a depth of almost 10,000 feet in the Weddell Sea. "The preservation is beyond imagination," Mensun Bound, director of exploration at the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust, told NBC News on March 9. "It is virtually intact."