Court Order: http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/florida/flmdce/8:2007cv00614/197978/104/
On April 11th 2008, Odyssey files a Motion for Protective Order concerning the two remaining shipwrecks contested by Spain. There has long been speculation that the Black Swan is the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes and the Land's End site is that of the Merchant Royal.
Judge Pizzo today denied Odyssey's motion and in doing so ordered that Odyssey's answers to the courts interrogatories be made public. Within his order, Judge Pizzo revealed that Odyssey believes the Black Swan could be the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes and the Land's End arrest could be that of the Merchant Royal.
From today's order:
"In 8:06-cv-1685-T-23MAP, Odyssey’s interrogatory response states that “certain characteristics of the site . . . appear to correspond positively with the loss of the Merchant Royall (British Merchant vessel Captained by John Limbrey and lost in 1641).”
"Likewise, Odyssey has already released to the media the vessel name it provides in response to the “working hypothesis” interrogatory in 8:07-cv-614-T-23MAP. Odyssey states in its interrogatory response that “one vessel Odyssey has considered which may be related to the site is the ‘Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes y las Animas’ . . ., a Spanish vessel which had been assigned to transport mail, private passengers and consignments of merchant goods and other cargoes at the time of its sinking in 1804.”