An amateur archaeologist claims to have discovered the ruins of an ancient civilization beneath the waters off Louisiana’s coast, featuring a massive underwater pyramid and hundreds of mysterious granite structures dating back 11,700 years—though mainstream scientists remain skeptical of the extraordinary claims.

Decades of Underwater Research

For 50 years, researcher Gelé has been capturing sonar images of submerged structures near the Chandeleur Islands, a chain of uninhabited barrier islands located approximately 50 miles east of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico. The mysterious buildings reportedly number in the hundreds and rest 30 feet below the water’s surface, buried underneath an additional 100 feet of sediment. Gelé has personally funded and executed over 40 underwater research expeditions in the region since 1974, documenting what he believes represents a lost metropolis he calls Crescentis.

The Pyramid and Strange Phenomena

The centerpiece of this alleged ancient city is a 280-foot pyramid rising from the ocean floor. Gelé claims the structure emits a powerful electromagnetic signature that disrupts electronics on passing boats. Local shrimper Ricky Robin, who transported Gelé to the site on numerous occasions, reported that his boat equipment behaved strangely when passing over the pyramid’s location. Robin stated that all electronics malfunction as if entering the Bermuda Triangle, and other fishermen have retrieved unusual square rocks in their nets from the area.

Gelé bases his theory on granite stones found beneath Chandeleur Sound composed of material not naturally occurring in Louisiana. He believes ancient people transported these stones down the Mississippi River and assembled them offshore. The researcher claims these aquatic remnants are geographically related to the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. He theorizes the civilization thrived 11,700 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age before rising seas submerged the coastal settlement.

Scientific Skepticism Remains

The discovery has not been published in any peer-reviewed journals, and professional archaeologists offer alternative explanations. In 2011, archaeology professor Rob Mann suggested the granite could be remnants of an artificial reef construction attempt from the 1940s. Mann stated that underwater searches would not yield additional answers supporting the ancient civilization theory. Despite mainstream scientific skepticism, Gelé remains convinced the stone formations represent deliberate architecture rather than modern ballast, pointing to grooves in the rocks he interprets as ancient rain gutters.