As part of the Victorian Seniors Festival, Deakin University Honorary Associate Professor Dr John Sherwood will dive into the history of the Mahogany Ship.

Many believe the Mahogany, a Portuguese caravel, crashed into rocks near The Cutting in Killarney, with the search for its ruins capturing the public's imagination for many years. The Mahogany Ship pre-dated English settlement.

Moyne Shire Council will partner with U3A Port Fairy to present an address from Dr Sherwood that asks the question "The Mahogony Ship: Is it Warrnambool's Loch Ness Monster?"

The address will take place at the Reardon Theatre in Port Fairy on October 2.

President of U3A Port Fairy Kate Donelan said landing Dr Sherwood as a guest speaker was exciting.

"We encourage all seniors in the shire to attend this talk and for those who haven't attended one of our sessions before, stay and find out more about U3A," Mrs Donelan said.

"U3A Port Fairy is a voluntary group with the aim of keeping the brain active through learning and social engagement. We have a wide range of courses and lectures and its fantastic to see how quickly we've grown since our launch last October."

Moyne Shire Mayor Mick Wolfe said the seniors festival was a valuable community celebration and the Mahogany Ship an intriguing subject.

"The annual Seniors Festival celebrates the more than one million senior Victorians who make such a valuable contribution to our communities," Cr Wolfe said.

"The talk on the Mahogany Ship will be a fascinating look at one of our local mysteries and how comparisons are drawn to the search for the infamous Loch Ness Monster in Scotland.

"Searches for the Mahogany Ship have included some of the most sophisticated scientific techniques, however its location remains as elusive as ever.

"This is yet another great event initiated by the dedicated team at U3A."

RSVPs are required for DR Sherwood's presentation and can done at u3aportfairy@gmail.com or phone 0460 328 524.