The recent news story regarding the Clotilda being seen above water is inaccurate and the wreck visible in the video footage is in fact another historic wreck that the Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) has documented and identified as the Lake Ellijay. The Lake Ellijay is a steel-hulled steamer built in World War I and was left in Mobile for scrapping and can be seen in the video footage shared online. 

Under the federal mandate set forth in the Abandoned Shipwrecks Act of 1999, the AHC is charged with the management and guardianship of the maritime archaeological sites abandoned and embedded in Alabama waters, including the Clotilda. With that, the AHC should be the first resource for any questions or information regarding Clotilda and its circumstances. 

For additional information about the Clotilda, please view AHC’s resources on our website here.