Ship wreckage may be Columbus' Santa Maria

By Kim Young-jin

An underwater explorer believes he’s discovered the remains of Christopher Columbus’ flagship, the Santa Maria, off the coast of Haiti, reports say.

A team lead by explorer Barry Clifford told media Monday that it founds the wreckage of the boat, which Columbus used during his first voyage to the Americas, on a reef off Haiti’s northern coast.

Clifford said the “smoking gun” proving the ship is the Santa Maria is a cannon featuring 15th century design, CNN reported.

"It is the Mount Everest of shipwrecks for me," Clifford was quoted as saying. "This ship changed the course of human history."

The explorer said archaeologist must study the wreckage to confirm it is the Santa Maria.