Treasure Hunting For Sunken Treasure
Posted: Tuesday, April 15, 2008
by David Cowley
dfc investment team
If you grew up dreaming of searching for sunken treasure, you're not alone. Many young men and women have had dreams just like that, of searching the ocean floor for remnants of some sunken ship that was loaded down with gold coins and gem encrusted goodies. That elusive treasure chest of priceless riches is everyone's dream prize, and whether or not you need to fight off some pirates to get it is yet another matter. But in all seriousness, if you are truly interested in finding some sunken treasure, where can you go?
These organized tours for sunken treasure are not as fruitless as you might immediately assume. Many have reported that their tourists have recovered actual treasure that can be traced back to sunken Spanish ships and merchants that ran trade routes from Europe to the Americas. Most companies that operate sunken treasure tours are very careful to check historic records of the routes of these ships and any known records of their location when they sunk. They check these against ocean current directions and weather reports and make maps of possible locations where the ship's treasures would now be located. Of course there are no guarantees that you'll ever find sunken treasure when you go on such a tour, but their guides are hoping that their tourists will find something - this is good for repeat business, of course.
Hunting for sunken treasure means knowing how to scuba dive. Most tour companies will give you lessons, but if you're serious about making treasure hunting a hobby, you may want to consider taking classes near your home. You can typically find a class that is offered out of your local high school or YMCA, or anyplace with a pool. This way you can get very skilled at diving and won't need to rely on just a quick intro course. And of course if you have the money at your disposal, you may want to search for your own sunken treasure and simply hire a boat to take you to your desired location. This can get costly as you invest in sonar equipment and diving apparatus, but this is your decision to make of course.
One of the more popular treasure hunting enterprises is run by the decedents of Mel Fisher out of Key West Florida. If you are willing to invest in the business they will allow you to dive on the Nuestra Senora De Atocha and Santa Margarita Spanish galleons that were sunk by a hurricane on September 6, 1622. All treasure uncovered during the year are shared by all investors of that year.
Not many people actually get rich from finding that elusive sunken treasure, but it can be a fascinating hobby that will keep you occupied for years to come.
Happy Treasure Hunting.
David Cowley has created numerous articles on Treasure Hunting. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to Treasure Hunting. Visit http://www.treasure-hunting-team.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)Yes I would love to but what about all those big fishes? I sort of think if I were down there looking they might be as well only for that Big Mac and I just might fit the bill? Interesting article. RTM
hi david, this was a well written, interesting article, that had me picturing finding buried treasure in the depths of the sea. thank you for sharing with us, best regards, sue thom
David-Interesting topic! I guess I might need to get over that fear of scuba diving!
Scuba diving is something I always wanted to learn and never did. Can you believe there was a scuba diving school in the foothills of Colorado where I grew up? I'd pass the place and think about stopping in and never did. Who knew years later I'd live near the Gulf of Mexico! Thanks for sharing your info. I just might do this yet.
looking for sunken treasure? how about in the Bermuda Triangle?
Hi David. Great article. Unfortunately, the thought of scuba diving scares me. My best hope of finding sunken treasure is reaching underneath the sofa cushions. :-). You did have me dreaming there for a second. Blessings to you. Teresa
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