Hannah M Bell

On April 4, 1911, the 315-foot Hannah M. Bell ran aground approximately six miles off the coast of Key Largo, Florida. Laden with coal and bound for Veracruz, Mexico, the ship had been constructed in England in 1893. Over the years, it had undertaken frequent transatlantic voyages, connecting Europe with the East and Gulf coasts of the United States, the Caribbean, and South America. Remarkably, no lives were lost during the wreck, but by May, relentless weather and powerful waves had disintegrated the vessel. For decades, both local residents and curious visitors explored the mysterious shipwreck without knowledge of its name or backstory. It wasn’t until 2012 that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuary, in collaboration with the National Association of Black Scuba Divers, officially confirmed the ship’s identity. So, how was this century-old enigma unraveled? In the 1980s, Mike Butler, a dive boat operator based in Key Largo, brought attention to the dive site, which eventually became known as ‘Mike’s Wreck.’ This site served as the final resting place not only for the unidentified ship but also for an array of marine life, including fish and coral. However, it wasn’t until 2009 that Matthew Lawrence, a maritime archaeologist affiliated with Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in Massachusetts, explored the site during a dive, initiating the quest to uncover the shipwreck’s history. The unknown vessel lay near the wrecks of the USS Arkansas and the City of Washington, close to what is now known as Elbow Reef. The shallower reefs in this area, along with the ships they have claimed over time, have contributed to numerous groundings and wrecks. In fact, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary estimates that there are approximately 1,000 shipwrecks scattered throughout the Florida Keys. For nearly three years, Lawrence, assisted by volunteers from the National Association of Black Scuba Divers and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, meticulously combed through newspaper archives, shipping records, and historical documents. By comparing these findings with photographs of the wreck site, they pieced together the sunken ship’s past. Finally, on November 20, 2012, the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries officially announced the confirmation of the wreck’s identity: it was indeed the Hannah M. Bell.