Tampa shipwreck explorer maps buried vessel

TAMPA — Seafarer Exploration Corp., a Tampa-based company that explores and recovers historic shipwrecks, says it has compelling evidence that a ship is buried in a compact area near Lantana Beach.

The company now seeks digging permits to locate artifacts and try to identify the ship, off Florida's east coast. The firm conducted a mapping survey of the site after it received a permit from state officials for its first phase, according to a release from the company. Seafarer used underwater video to learn more about the wreck, which is believed to be a French or Spanish ship from the 1600s, although the origin has not yet been verified.

Seafarer has begun collaborating with paleographer John de Bry, director of the Center for Historical Archaeology in Melbourne Beach, in its attempt to identify the ship. The site is one of the most interesting that Seafarer (Symbol: SFRX; recent price: $0.03) has explored, according to CEO Kyle Kennedy.