Wreck of only sunken Gulf whaler discovered 190 years later

By JAY REEVES
Associated Press

Researchers say they’ve found what’s believed to be the wreck of the only whaling ship known to sink in the Gulf of Mexico. A NOAA exploration in February documented remains of what’s believed to be the whaling ship Industry, about 70 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River. The ship sank in a storm in 1836, and its crew of 15 men was returned safely to Westport, Massachusetts. While the Gulf was a rich hunting ground for whaling ships, experts say many vessels had mixed-race crews and the threat of enslavement at Southern ports posed a risk.