WEST YARMOUTH, Mass. — A Massachusetts museum is analyzing DNA collected from a 300-year-old pirate ship wreck in an effort to identify whether human remains belonged to an infamous pirate captain.
The Whydah Galley wrecked off Wellfleet, Massachusetts in 1717 during a nor’easter and human remains found on board were believed to be that of Captain Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy.
The wreck, along with an estimated $120 million in treasure, was found in 1984 by explorer Barry Clifford.
“The Whydah site is the maritime equivalent of King Tut’s Tomb,” said author and journalist Casey Sherman. “Clifford and his divers continue to find Bellamy’s astounding treasure and now there’s a strong chance that we’ve located the remains of the Pirate Prince himself.”
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Sherman helped researchers locate descendants of the pirate Black Sam Bellamy in the United Kingdom and obtained a DNA sample from one.
Professor Timothy Palmbach is working with a team to examine the DNA extracted from a femur recovered at the crash site with the DNA sample from Black Sam Bellamy’s relative.
The group is hoping they can identify the remains of Black Sam Bellamy and return them to England for burial.
The results are expected to be announced later this month at the Whydah Pirate Museum.
Black Sam Bellamy is estimated to have plundered $120 million over the course of his career, according to Forbes Magazine.
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