A new discovery on a West Australian beach has added another layer of intrigue to the mysterious fate of a group of shipwreck survivors who disappeared 360 years ago.
In 1656, the Vergulde Draack (Gilt Dragon) was en route from Texel, in the Netherlands, to Batavia (now Jakarta), when it was wrecked near what is now Seabird, north of Perth.
Despite the Dutch East India Company sending rescue boats to search for the 68 survivors over the years, no trace was ever found.
"We know that survivors came onshore," said Flinders University marine archaeologist, Wendy Van Duivenvoorde.
"About a week later, a group of survivors sailed to Batavia to get help — 68 people stayed behind on the WA coast, including the captain.
"But then we've never heard of those 68 people and they've completely vanished."
'Pouring out of the beach'
Dr Van Duivenvoorde said the survivors may have been able to collect rainwater or dig wells to reach brackish water, but her team had also discovered fresh water aquifers.
"In that area where the waves break onto the beach and they retract … there is fresh water springs that are pouring out of the beach and that is totally potable water," she said.
"We tested that water, we drank from it, it's very palatable but of course we don't know whether they were able to find those beach springs.
"If they did find them, whether they were able to get enough water out of them to make sure 68 people wouldn't die of thirst [is another question]."
She said the beach offered at least some water resources for a survivor's camp, only adding to the mystery of their fate.
