Cape Cod - Index

Cape Cod - travel_guide_2008 - Index

A familiar pirate symbol points the way to the Whydah Museum
in Provincetown. SUSAN COLE KELLY
It was a voyage that began almost exactly where it
tragically ended, just off the coast of Eastham on what is now
Marconi Beach, which houses the remnants of Marconi’s
transatlantic communication towers. The Whydah
shipwrecked fewer than five miles shy of its return destination
after being away for more than two years, stealing from other
sea-faring vessels. While the Whydah sank with tons of gold
and silver, it was also carrying a treasure trove of historical
artifacts, which lay preserved just 30 feet below the water’s
surface about 500 yards from shore. Some 140 pirates were
aboard the ship when it sank, including John King, a boy of
not more than 11 who is believed to have been the youngest
member of the ill-fated crew. His leg bone, silk stocking and
shoe were found among the wreckage.
Clifford shares his thoughts about discovering the wreck of
the Whydah in 1984: “In the beginning, sure, when we first
found the Whydah, we were all gung-ho and thought of
ourselves as treasure hunters, but we quickly changed our tune
as we started unearthing these wonderfully preserved
historical items. I couldn’t help but think, ‘Wow, here is
something so unique, and I am the only one seeing these
things’…it just didn’t seem right.”
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Cape Cod Travel Guide Annual 2008
Above right: When the bell was discovered, it provided the final
confirmation that the wreck site was indeed that of the Whydah, which
sank in 1717. Above left: The ring recovered from the wreck site of the
Whydah has been the subject of much conjecture. Some believe the
cryptic letters are the abbreviation for a Welsh “good luck” wish. Others
speculate that they may be of African origin. Another theory has it that
the ring once belonged to a Royal Navy seaman named Teye, who later
turned pirate. The bell and the ring will be part of a new National
Geographic exhibition, “Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah
from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship.” PHOTOS BY KENNETH GARRETT ©2007 NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC
As more and more artifacts were retrieved from the ocean
floor and their historical significance became clearer, Clifford
started seeing the real treasure not in the many gold and silver
coins—which to date are believed to be valued at nearly $400
million dollars—but more so in the untold stories buried beneath
the ocean floor. Clifford and his crew continue to mine the wreck
for answers.
The discovery of the Whydah has stirred interest in all areas