The site has been officially filed as Nimetu (Nameless) 367 and is one of many wrecks that dot the seas around Saaremaa and Estonia's coastal waters more widely.

It is now thought likely to be the wreck of the Worde of Devon, a British coaling ship which sank in 1860.

While steam power and iron cladding were already in use by the time of the Worde of Devon's demise, that ship, and the wreck itself if it is of another vessel, was a wooden-hulled sailing ship of the kind often used to ferry coal from the northeast of England to London and beyond.

Speaking to "Terevisioon," Estonian Maritime Museum researcher Priit Lätti said: "At the moment, we would venture to say, very cautiously, what its name might be. It could be Worde of Devon, an English ship which sank in Saaremaa's coastal waters in 1860."

"Often these verified wrecks remain just a point on the map which we know very little about, but in this case, somehow an opportunity arose to dive there."

One particular challenge facing researchers is telling the difference between damage to the vessel dating to the time of its sinking, and damage incurred later, for instance by trawlers, Lätti added.

The wreck's construction, remaining cargo, and ship-type-specific details support the Worde of Devon hypothesis.

"This is a completely ordinary cargo ship, but even just looking at the photos, there are several features that still raised an eyebrow," Lätt noted.

The wreck is well preserved (see gallery) with its complement, coal, a fairly run-of-the-mill cargo for the time, still in situ, while the dive has helped with putting together a picture of what happened in the ship's final hours.

It appears the sinking was the result of storm damage, though the vessel did not go down immediately, remaining afloat for some time while crew members apparently went to great efforts to keep it so.

It may have shed some of its cargo while breaking up, ironically meaning it stayed on the surface longer, as it became lighter, until drifting further and finally sinking.

The crew of the Worde of Devon, at least, so far as is known, made it off the stricken ship once all was lost, and were rescued and later taken to Kuressaare, then also known as Arensburg.

"We believe that the crew did manage to get away and took their personal belongings with them too," Lätti added.

At the same time, there is none of the typical debris field or sail tackle surrounding the wreck, though this may relate to damage caused subsequently.

Modern trawling, a serious issue for marine archaeologists in the Baltic Sea, has, in any case, caused damage to the wreck, with the stern particularly affected.

This in fact has hindered the immediate identification of the ship, either through its name or other markings, which would normally be located on the stern, hence it not being certain whether this is the Worde of Devon or not.

The wreck lies 66 meters down, beyond the reach of recreational divers using air, but Swedish technical divers using trimix or similar have been able to lend a helping hand.

No plans are in place to raise the wreck, but surveys will continue, and may involve taking wood samples and other analyses.

"The contemporary understanding is that the wreck is best left where it is. That's its place," Lätti concluded, "though what we do want is to study it a little further."

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