Jacob Levenson (@JacobLevenson) drew my attention to an expected discovery on a Belizean beach yesterday…a car-sized, remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

The ROV was found on on a reef in front of Ambergris Caye. It measures almost 12 feet long by 6.6 feet wide and 7 feet high. Both Andrew Thaler (@SFriedScientist) and I managed to confirm the make and model of the ROV as a Quantum XP ROV. The distinctive characteristic for me was the replicated diagonal supports on the frame.

I have followed up on Facebook with a colleague and ROV pilot who is well connected into the community. He mentioned that the model is common throughout the oil industry although the white foam pack, as opposed to yellow, red, or orange, was pretty distinctive. But most interesting was this ROV was purchased for near $5 million and that is a conservative amount. Today my friend is following up with several industry contacts. Stay tuned for updates as they come in.