Santa Maria Discovered?

Recent news outlets have trumpeted the possible discovery of Christopher Columbus's flagship the Santa Maria off the coast of Haiti.  According to a report by USA Today, explorer Barry Clifford claims to have found the vessel after originally eliminating the site as the proper one in 2003. Clifford returned to the site, which is located off the north coast of Haiti, after reevaluating photographs of the initial survey done by his team.  He was studying fifteenth-century ordinance at the time and came to the conclusion his son had photographed a lombard (ships ordinance/cannon) during the initial survey.  After determining he had found the correct resting place of the Santa Maria during the initial survey, he and his team returned to Haiti in order to conduct a more thorough investigation. Unfortunately, the wreck was looted, with the lombard and several other pieces (wheels used to maneuver the piece and a rudder mechanism) missing from the site when Clifford's team returned. Despite the missing artifacts, Clifford believes he has the correct site based on a field of ballast stones which correspond to the length of the Santa Maria (40 feet long and 20 feet wide) and the his photographs of the lost items.
Although Clifford is extremely optimistic that he has found Columbus's ship, other experts are cautioning against early conclusions and warn that the ship will "tell its own story," according to a article from The Independent, which first reported on the discovery.  Clifford is a polarizing figure within the marine archaeological community, having been accused of unsavory methods during excavations of both the Whydah (a slave/pirate vessel) and Fiery Dragon (Pirate Christopher Condent's flagship).  In both cases Clifford was accused of using too much publicity and questionable techniques in order to entice investors to his projects.  This resulted in a high turn-over rate among his archaeologists, who were uncomfortable with his methods.
While Clifford has his detractors, he also has his supporters.  He has worked with National Geographic on numerous documentaries and is a listed speaker for the organization.  He is the author of numerous books that detail his adventures and his Whydah exhibition  met with a good deal of success.  He currently runs Whydah Group Inc.  If the wreck in Haiti proves to be the Santa Maria, it will ensure his reputation and provide the world with its first real archaeological evidence of Columbus in the New World.