Where was the Whydah built?

London, United Kingdom
Whydah Gally/Places built

Is the Whydah a real pirate ship?

Discovered off the coast of Wellfleet, MA, the Whydah Gally is the world’s only authenticated pirate ship. The pirate ship Wydah Gally sank off the coast of Cape Cod on April 26, 1717, prompting sailors and landlubbers alike to ponder the mysteries of its wreck.

How did the Whydah become a pirate ship?

After a three-day chase, Prince surrendered his ship near the Bahamas with only a desultory exchange of cannon fire. Bellamy decided to take Whydah Gally as his new flagship; several of her crew remained with their ship and joined the pirate gang.

How did the Whydah sink?

Bellamy was sailing his own ship, the Marianne, and the captured Whydah home to Cape Cod in April of 1717 when he encountered one of the worst Atlantic storms of the eighteenth century. In the grip of the powerful nor’easter, the Whydah slammed into a sandbar off Wellfleet and sank.

Did the Whydah sink?

The only authenticated pirate wreck in the world, the Whydah boasts a storied history. As Kristen Young wrote for the Cape Cod Times in 2018, the ship sank off the coast of Wellfleet during an April 26, 1717, nor’easter, killing all but two of the 146 people on board.

How much is the Whydah treasure worth?

The Whydah and its booty of gold, silver, ivory and jewels is now buried off Wellfleet in 10 feet of sand, 30 feet below the ocean’s surface, where it was discovered in 1984. Its value has been placed as high as $400 million.

Who was the captain of the Whydah Gally?

Sam Bellamy
Sam Bellamy, captain of the Whydah, was linked to such important pirates of the “Golden Age of Piracy” (c. 1690-1725) as William Kidd, Blackbeard, Bart Roberts, William Condon, Ben Hornigold, Henry Jennings, Olivier ”La Buse” Levasseur (“the Buzzard”) and others.

What happened to the Whydah treasure?

However, it was never confirmed whether or not the large bounty of treasure that the pirates gloated about truly existed. Once six out of the seven surviving pirates were sentenced to death and executed in Boston, the Whydah remained buried under 30 feet of water for over 250 years.

How much gold was found on the Whydah?

The ship was said to have had four and a half tons of gold and silver on board, and Bellamy was believed to have been the world’s richest pirate, with a fortune worth an estimated $120 million in modern dollars.

Can you dive the Whydah?

While visitors to the recently opened Whydah Pirate Museum in West Yarmouth can’t quite experience a nerve-wracking dive itself, as great white sharks hover nearby, they can literally interact with the newest treasures inside an expansive laboratory that makes learning fun for children to grandparents.

Has the Whydah treasure been found?

However, it was never confirmed whether or not the large bounty of treasure that the pirates gloated about truly existed. That is until 1984 when underwater explorer and Massachusetts native, Barry Clifford, found the ship’s remains and the Whydah became the first authenticated pirate ship wreck in North America.