Archaeologists discover three 1559 shipwrecks off Pensacola coast

Researchers have identified three shipwrecks off the coast of Pensacola dating back to 1559, offering new insights into one of the earliest European expeditions to reach Florida.

The wrecks are tied to the ill-fated voyage of Tristán de Luna y Arellano, according to reporting from Yahoo News. De Luna's fleet originally consisted of 11 ships carrying approximately 1,500 people, making it one of the largest colonization attempts in the region during the Spanish colonial period.

The discovery adds to the historical record of early European exploration along the Gulf Coast and underscores Pensacola's role in that era. The wrecks could provide valuable archaeological evidence about 16th-century maritime technology, supplies, and the fate of de Luna's expedition, which ultimately failed to establish a permanent settlement.