Dominican Republic

Indiana University's Underwater Science program is involved in on-going investigations in the Dominican Republic. The research includes not only underwater archaeology, but also land-based archaeology and water quality analysis. Through the combined efforts of numerous Dominican Republic organizations, university departments, professors, students, and other individuals, the Underwater Science program hopes to bring to light some exciting new discoveries regarding the impact of Columbus's arrival in the New World.

  

Research Sites

Enriquillo

The Enriquillo was built as ATA-193 in 1944. In July 1948, the ATA-193 was renamed the USS Stallion and remained decommissioned until 1949. The ship was decomissioned and eventually transfered to the Dominican Republic in 1970 under the Security Assistance Program. The Dominican Navy renamed the Stallion to the Enriquillo (RM-22). The Enriquillo was retired by the Dominican Navy in 2006 and sunk as an artificial reef.

Lost Ships of Columbus

The Marigalante, Columbus’s flagship, and several other vessels are documented to have sunk while at anchor during a hurricane outside of the bay of La Isabela, the 1494-1496 first European settlement in the New World.

Living Museums in the Sea

Over the past few decades the Center for Underwater Science at Indiana University has been working diligently to protect and preserve historic shipwrecks and maritime heritage by establishing Living Museums in the Sea. Living Museums in the Sea is a holistic approach to resource management, protecting submerged cultural resources and the associated biological resources.

Guadalupe Underwater Archaeological Preserve

The 1724 Guadalupe Underwater Archaeological Preserve (GUAP) is the the Dominican Republic's first underwater shipwreck museum. Created during the summer of 2004 by IU students and faculty, the preserve is adjacent to Viva Dominicus Beach and Viva Dominicus Palace in Bayahibe.

Morales Underwater Archaeological Preserve

The Morales Underwater Archaeological Preserve is located on Guarango Reef in the Dominican Republic. The site was established inaugurated as a Living Museum in the Sea in 2011.

Captain Kidd's Quedagh Merchant

Captain Kidd's ship the Quedagh Merchant was abandoned and sunk in 1699. It was rediscovered in 2007 and identified by Indiana University. The site has been continuously researched and documented by IU, and established as a protected Living Museum in the Sea.

East National Park

East National Park is located in the southeastern corner of the Dominican Republic. This park contains some of the most fascinating Taino sites ever discovered as well as one of the most unique flooded caverns ever found.

Punta Cana Shipwrecks

Indiana University is currently partnered with the Grupo Puntacana to create a regional network of Living Museums in the Sea near Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. IU researchers are currently working on an underwater shipwreck park known as the Coliseum, the former US Navy vessel Enriquillo (aka USS Stallion), and an unidentified 16th century Spanish merchant ship.

La Caleta de Caucedo

La Caleta is a beach on the south side of the Dominican Republic. The beach is home to the site of the shipwreck of the Nuestra Señora de Begoña, which sank just offshore in a storm in 1725.