Pirate Skeletons Discovered In 1717 Shipwreck Off Cape Cod Coast

YARMOUTH, MA — At least six pirate skeletons were discovered in a shipwreck off the coast of Cape Cod, investigators with the Whydah Pirate Museum in Yarmouth said.

The remains were found from the wreck site of the Whydah, a legendary ship once captained by the infamous pirate Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy. The ship went down in 1717 off the coast of Wellfleet. Its wreckage was discovered in 1984 and has been the subject of several excavations over the last few decades.

Researchers told WHDH News Boston the skeletons were found in several large concretions and are being examined by underwater explorer Barry Clifford and his team of archeologists.

"We hope that modern, cutting-edge technology will help us identify these pirates and reunite them with any descendants who could be out there," Clifford told WHDH. "This shipwreck is very sacred ground. We know a third of the crew was of African origin and the fact they had robbed the Whydah, which was a slave ship, presents them in a whole new light. Their benevolent captain, the legendary Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy and crew were experimenting in democracy long before the so-called civilized societies had considered such a thing."

According to Forbes, Bellamy is the highest-earning pirate ever, plundering about $120 million worth of treasure in a little over a year.

The concretion holding the remains of the original Whydah pirate discovered is on display at the Whydah Pirate Museum on Cape Cod.

Patch called the Whydah Pirate Museum for more information and will update this story if we hear back.