MIAMI — A dugout canoe that emerged on Florida’s Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian may not be North American in origin, experts say.

The norm is for ancient dugouts found in southern Florida to be linked to ancestors of the Calusa, the Seminole or the Miccosukee, according to the Florida Division of Historical Resources.

But this canoe differs from the hundreds of others found submerged in rivers and lakes across Florida. “The canoe’s form is highly unusual in Florida and research is still ongoing to determine its origin,” the division wrote in a Sept. 12 Facebook post.

For the full article, please visit miamiherald.com Originally Published: September 15, 2025 at 11:45 AM EDT

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