The experts announced in Malindi on December 26 that following three years of underwater research, they come across the vessel 14 nautical miles off Ngomeni village in Magarini district, Kilifi County.
And yesterday, a Kenyan archeologist Ceasar Bita predicted that it could take between one and three years to study and bring the vessel to the surface from the seabed.
“It is a very expensive venture to bring it to the surface,” said Bita who disclosed that due to the huge financial implications and lack of local expertise in underwater archeology were the main challenges.
According to Bita, one of the very few Kenyan archeologists trained in underwater archeology, experts believe the vessel measures about 40 metres wide. Experts believe it was a Chinese vessel because Chinese porcelain from the middle ages had been recovered from it.