Gordon Blackmore was out hunting seabirds early in the morning on Cape Ray beach on the southwestern tip of Newfoundland, Canada when he saw the capsized wreck of a large wooden ship that had washed ashore in shallow water.

Neil Burgess, president of the Shipwreck Preservation Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, suspects the ship was freed by a combination of coastal erosion and the force of post-tropical storm Fiona, which destroyed homes in the region last year.

Large ocean swells last week may finally have nudged the wreck free, pushing it towards the shore, he told the CBC.

“This is perfect,” he said. “This is a great, great event.”

The consensus is that the unidentified shipwreck dates to the 19th century. Photographs of the wreck on social media show trunnels, wooden dowels used as fasteners, and copper pegs that were commonly used in 1800s wooden shipbuilding. And the size – at least 24 meters – suggests the vessel was larger than a schooner.

The provincial government has sent a team to visit the wreck, with the hopes of identifying and possibly preserving what remains of the ship. But the same tides and weather that have long determined a ship’s fate will also dictate how soon experts can visit the site.

The community’s Facebook page has transformed into a forum for speculation and research into the wreck’s possible origins, with local residents trawling through old records and family knowledge of fatal voyages.

A mysterious shipwreck appeared on the Newfoundland coast

Thanks to Alaric Bond for contributing to this post.