17th century pirate ship discovered off Morocco

A 17th century pirate ship wreck has been discovered off the coast of Morocco. This ship, dating from the Barbary periods, would have left North Africa to operate in the Mediterranean. It is the first time a wreck of this type has been found near the Barbary coast, a region encompassing the Maghreb and Ottoman areas from the 16th to 19th centuries, known for its pirates who attacked European ships.

The wreck was accidentally found during research on the HMS Sussex, an English flagship lost in 1694.

In 2005, Odyssey Marine Exploration (OME), a Florida-based company specializing in the research and exploitation of wrecks, discovered an intriguing small vessel of approximately 14 meters in international waters between Morocco and Spain .

A discovery kept secret until an article in the summer 2024 issue of Wreckwatch magazine, dedicated to piracy. For good reason, the boat opens a fascinating window on the so-called “Barbary” pirates who, like those in the Caribbean thousands of kilometers away, left their mark in their time on the maritime history of their region, the Mediterranean.

Located in the Strait of Gibraltar, halfway between Morocco and Spain, the wreck is described as an armed Algerian corsair, which was heading towards the Spanish coast. To disguise its identity, the ship carried items made in Algiers, such as pots and pans. First discovered in 2005 by Odyssey Marine Exploration (OME), the wreck lies approximately 830 meters deep.

Research by Sean Kingsley and Greg Stemm reveals that the ship, a 14 meter tartane, was equipped with numerous cannons and muskets. He is identified as a Barbary corsair, typical of piracy in the Strait of Gibraltar, where pirates intercepted a third of the maritime prizes of the time. The wreck also includes exotic objects such as glass bottles and tea bowls, suggesting a rich and complex maritime origin.

This discovery highlights the historical impact of Barbary corsairs, active in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, and illustrates the piracy and slave trade which characterized the region in the 17th century. Morocco, in particular, was the birthplace of the short-lived but feared Republic of Salé, founded by pirates and known for its piracy and slave trading activities.