By Tim Binnall
A peculiar mystery has gripped a Canadian coastal community in the form of a rather sizeable shipwreck that inexplicably appeared off shore a few days ago. The weathered wooden vessel was reportedly first spotted last week by Gordon Blackmore when he was walking along the beach in the town of Cape Ray, Newfoundland and noticed something unusual out in the shallow water. Word of the weird discovery quickly spread throughout the community with many residents understandably curious about the origins of the shipwreck and wondering how it ultimately wound up where it came to rest.
With regards to the latter question, an expert from the Shipwreck Preservation Society of Newfoundland and Labrador theorized that the vessel has likely become dislodged from its prior resting place as a result of ocean swells and coastal erosion. As for its background, a cursory examination of the shipwreck's construction suggests that it is probably from the 1800s. Depending on the wood used to build the vessel, experts will reportedly be able to determine whether it is was a local ship or if it arrived in the area from somewhere in Europe.
Researchers have been dispatched to the site in the hopes of collecting more information about the vessel as well as determining if it can be preserved. To that end, local officials have urged residents to simply observe the shipwreck from afar rather than tampering with it in pursuit of souvenirs. That said, the mystery surrounding the vessel is something of a race against time as inclement weather has prevented a closer examination of the debris and many fear that it could soon wash back out to sea taking its secrets with it.