NEW: Drilling Begins At ‘Noah’s Ark’ Site After Researches Uncover Biblical Details

Researchers have begun drilling into a mysterious boat-shaped formation in eastern Turkey as a new expedition searches for physical evidence that could shed light on one of the Bible’s most enduring mysteries.

The Durupinar formation, located near Mount Ararat, has drawn believers, skeptics, geologists and archaeologists for decades because of its unusual shape and dimensions.

Members of the Noah’s Ark Scans expedition believe the site could be connected to the vessel described in Genesis and have now moved beyond surface scans into core drilling and underground exploration.

“Good morning from the outer rims of Noah’s ark,” the project’s marketing and fundraising director, divisive Christian activist Lauren Witzke, wrote in a Tuesday update.

“Core drilling has begun and the big bang evolutionists are already in damage control mode,” she continued.

The project says it has Turkish government approval and is working with researchers from universities, including Project Director Dr. Cenker Atila of Sivas Cumhuriyet University.

Witzke made clear she believes the expedition could have sweeping implications.

“When we are done, university curricula will need to be rewritten, and Darwinism will be dismantled.”

“This is the place where creation began anew,” she enthused.

Today, Noah’s Ark Scans begins core drilling at the Durupinar boat-shaped formation, long studied as a possible Noah’s Ark site, under official Turkish permits.

Core samples will be taken and the GOPHER drone sent in later this week to examine the interior.

This is the first… pic.twitter.com/dCnJqeFe8o

— Noahs Ark Scans (@noahsarkscans) September 21, 2026

The formation has been studied repeatedly since it was identified in an aerial image taken by a Turkish Army captain in 1959.

Early investigators dug into the site and even used explosives but reported finding no archaeological remains, leading many geologists to conclude that Durupinar is a natural geological formation shaped by erosion, faults and volcanic activity.

That conclusion has remained the prevailing view among geologists, although the latest expedition argues that newer technology warrants another look.

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The team says recent ground-penetrating radar and other subsurface surveys have identified linear features, voids and possible chamber-like areas beneath the surface.

According to the project’s fundraising materials, researchers have “already mapped what looks like corridors and chambers under the surface, including one hallway that runs more than 250 feet.”

The current drilling effort is designed to collect physical core samples for laboratory testing and create narrow access points for a custom-built underground robot known as Gopher.

The project says researchers plan to “drill narrow cores down into those spaces and send in Gopher, an underground robot built to go where a person cannot.”

Gopher is equipped with a high-resolution camera and is designed to collect images and samples from areas too small or unstable for people to enter.

Australian engineer Dr. Robert Ross, who designed the machine, said it was adapted from earlier robots he created to explore animal burrows.

“The robot was basically repurposed based on a robot that I originally built for wildlife ecologists to explore wombat burrows (WomBot) and Armadillo Burrows in French Guiana (ArmaBot),” Dr Ross told news.com.au.

The site’s dimensions have fueled speculation for years.

Researcher David Fasold measured the formation at roughly 164 meters long, close to interpretations of the 300-cubit length given for Noah’s Ark in Genesis.

Fasold also pointed to large carved stones found in the area that he believed could have served as ancient sea anchors, although skeptics have argued the stones are more likely old memorial markers or tombstones.

Fasold later publicly rejected the idea that Durupinar was Noah’s Ark, calling it “absolute BS.”

The latest expedition is now trying to settle the argument with direct samples rather than radar images alone.

Core drilling underway this week is expected to provide researchers with soil, sediment and organic material that can be analyzed in laboratories over the winter.

The team is racing against colder weather, which could freeze the ground and halt field work until next year.

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