Mysterious Object Found on Florida Beach Is Likely a Shipwreck from the 1800s, Archeologists Say

The mysterious item that recently appeared on a Florida beach could be a shipwreck from more than 200 years ago, according to experts.

Beachgoers came across the enormous object — which is believed to be 80 and 100 feet in length — on Daytona Beach Shores over Thanksgiving weekend, according to the Associated Press. County officials have said the object was unearthed, in part, due to erosion caused by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, which hit the state within two months of each other earlier this fall.

Initially, Volusia County Beach Safety spokeswoman Tamra Malphurs said officials were unsure of what they had on their hands. Now, experts like Maritime archaeologist Chuck Meide believe the object is a shipwreck dating back to the 1800s.

"Whenever you find a shipwreck on the beach it's really an amazing occurrence," said Meide, per the AP. "There's this mystery, you know. It's not there one day, and it's there the next day, so it really captivates the imagination."

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Meide and an archeological team from St. Augustine descended upon the beach this week to assess the object, according to the news agency.

And on Tuesday, archaeologists uncovered about 20 feet of the wreck, CBS affiliate WKMG-TV reported.

So far, pieces of the ship's frame, including ribs and ceiling planks, have been found among the wreckage, per NBC affiliate WESH.

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Meide said finding wrecks like this is "a rare experience," but that it's becoming more frequent due to climate change and increasingly "intense" hurricane seasons, per the AP.

Some residents, like Dean Coleman, see the wreck as a silver lining amid the devastation, according to WESH. "If something good could come out of those two horrible hurricanes we had, I'll take it — and it's history," Coleman told the outlet.

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However, the archeological team plan doesn't anticipate uncovering the entire length of the ship, according to the AP. The wreck likely will not be moved, either, as it is well protected in its current position.

"We will let Mother Nature bury the wreck," remarked Meide. "That will help preserve it. As long as that hull is in the dark and wet, it will last a very long time, hundreds of more years."