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Diving for buried treasure has been a dream of many divers since early childhood. It has always been the big adventure. It has intrigue. It has romance. It has panache. And it has always been just a dream. Until now. A unique opportunity has arisen in Palm Beach, Florida. A major Dive operator has teemed up with a school for Marine Archeology, and has successfully obtained all the necessary permits to uncover, explore and salvage several very significant Spanish Galleons which sank in these waters during the 1600's. If your a diver, this may be the adventure and dive trip you've been looking for. |
Re-creation from the Log of the Spanish Galleon, Maravilla, 1600
"The night was dark and starless. Our fleet had been sailing for several hours, attempting to navigate under impossible conditions. Many hours remained before we would obtain a real fix on our position, with the light of day. Increasingly nervous over the danger of shallow reefs and sandbars, the lead ship (the Maravillas) fired a cannon shot as a warning prior to coming about. Unfortunately our sister ship behind us was less than vigilant, and they rammed into the Maravilla amidships, crippling her...." The Captain of the Maravillas decided to burn the ship in the fifteen foot depth of water found just off the Bahama Banks, to prevent its capture and looting by the Portugeese or pirates. The plan would be to bring a slave ship next year, to salvage the cargo of over one billion dollars in gold (today's value). In fact, the following year a spanish slave ship did come to salvage the Maravillas. It brought slaves from Africa who would be bound around the chest with rope, and lowered into the water with heavy ankle weights on. When the slave was able to grab something of value, he could be pulled back up to the surface. Slaves unable to to bring up valuable cargo after several attempts would not be pulled back up--a powerful inducement toward effective salvage. Background history of the Maravillas and how her sinking doomed SpainGo to Divers World options page to find a program good for you [Table Of Contents for Dive Journal ] (C) 1994 South Florida Dive Journal, CyberBeach Publishing, and CyberGate Inc. |