A large section of the possible La Fortuna shipwreck sits on a North Carolina beach. (Image credit: ECU Program in Maritime Studies) via livescience
Archaeologists in North Carolina have found four shipwrecks from the 1700s near Brunswick Town on the Cape Fear River. They believe one of them is the Spanish privateer La Fortuna, which exploded and sank in 1748 during a failed raid on the English settlement there. The wreck includes 47 large wooden timbers, pieces of Spanish pottery, and wood traced to Central America, all pointing to the ship’s Spanish origin. La Fortuna is also the only Spanish ship recorded to have sunk in that area. The discovery was made in very muddy waters, where visibility is low, and a student first noticed the remains by accident while diving. This discovery will help tell the story of colonial battles and Spanish raiding, and also Brunswick Town’s importance as a busy port.
Reference: Killgrove, K. (2025, August 13). Archaeologists locate 'La Fortuna,' a Spanish ship that exploded in 1748 along North Carolina's coast. Live Science https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/archaeologists-locate-la-fortuna-a-spanish-ship-that-exploded-in-1748-along-north-carolinas-coast