New archaeological evidence proves that an 18th-century British vessel is in South Florida. HMS Tyger was discovered in 1993 in Dry Tortugas National Park, but it has now been properly identified, giving it further protection under the 2004 Sunken Military Craft Act. International agreements give the British Government ownership of HMS Tyger and accompanying items.
"This discovery highlights the importance of preservation in place as future generations of archeologists, with more advanced technologies and research tools, can reexamine sites and make new discoveries," said maritime archeologist Josh Marano, who led the discovery team.
The 1647-built HMS Tyger ran aground on the Dry Tortugas reefs in 1742 while patrolling in the War of Jenkins Ear between Britain and Spain, according to the National Park Service. Historical study led Dry Tortugas National Park, Submerged Resources Center, and Southeast Archeological Center archaeologists to explore the site in 2021. Five cannons were found 500 yards from the wreck.
The NPS found a mention in the old logbooks to how the crew "lightened her forward" after running aground, momentarily refloating, then sinking in shallow water.
Researchers identified the guns as British six- and nine-pound cannons thrown overboard when HMS Tyger ran aground after evaluating their size, characteristics, and location. The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology recently revealed the facts that convinced archaeologists that the 1993 wreck was HMS Tyger.
"Archeological finds are exciting, but connecting those finds to the historical record helps us tell the stories of the people that came before us and the events they experienced," Park Manager Crutchfield said. Perseverance and survival are the themes of this story. National parks preserve unknown stories as they emerge."
The NPS states that President Franklin D. Roosevelt created Fort Jefferson National Monument under the Antiquities Act in 1935 to protect the Dry Tortugas Islands and Fort Jefferson.
It was expanded by Congress in 1983 and renamed Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992 "In order to preserve and protect for the education, inspiration, and enjoyment of present and future generations nationally significant natural, historic, scenic, marine, and scientific values in South Florida."
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