[1] HMS Sapphire (also spelled Saphire, and called Zephyr by the French[2]) was designed and built by Sir Anthony Deane at Harwich in 1675, at a cost of £4,175.

In 1677, Sapphire was the first command of Cloudesley Shovell, who later became Admiral of the Fleet and eventually died in the Scilly naval disaster of 1707.

[6]Historian John Oldmixon described the battle thusly,On the 11th September, the whole French Squadron came down upon the Saphire, and fir' d with the utmost Fury; Captain Cleasby made a brave Defence for 2 hours, and hall' d most of the Ship's Guns on her side next the Enemy; the French at the same time made a Descent, and having driven the Men that were ashore into the Woods, attack' d the Saphire on al l sides; the Captain finding 'twas impossible to maintain the Ship any longer, set her on fire, and retir' d with his Officers and 35 Men to the Woods.

"[8] A contemporary newspaper reported:On Thursday at 11 a clock, was held a Court Martial, on board His Majesty's ship the Monmouth, riding at the Buoy in the Nore, Captain John Mundon President, for the tryal of Captain Thomas Clesby, for burning his Majesty's Ship the Saphire at the Bay of Bulls in Newfoundland, and upon a full hearing, he was honourably acquitted, and the Court was pleased to tell him, that he deserved a reward and preferment, for his courage and conduct in that Action.

[12] The original discoverer is believed to have been Ernest "Ernie" Power, who discovered the cannons in 1969 and recovered an intact grey stoneware chamber pot from the site.

[14] In response to looting, the Newfoundland Marine Archaeology Society (NMAS) performed the first initial excavation and survey on the wreck in 1974; over 300 artifacts were retrieved including examples of late seventeenth century glass and ceramics.

[15] A National Film Board documentary about the site was produced by Ted Remerowski in 1979,[16] which chronicles a 1977 underwater archeological expedition led by Robert Grenier of Parks Canada to recover artifacts from the wreck.