The Spanish Colonial Treasure Shipwrecks

  In the century following Columbus’ dramatic discovery in 1492, the riches of her New World colonies helped make Spain the most powerful nation in Europe.  Taxes of 20% payable to the King of Spain, the “Royal Fifth” on all goods shipped from the New World, enabled Spain to defend its Western Hemisphere claims against the English, French, and Dutch, and extend its empire halfway around the world into the South Pacific.  From 1530 to 1800 an estimated 8-10 billion dollars in gold, silver, precious gems and other riches, were mined in Spain’s New World colonies, then transported by the famous Spanish Armadas across the oceans to the motherland.

Florida Shipwrecks

  Florida is considered a world center for underwater treasure shipwreck exploration and salvage. According to famed author and maritime historianRobert Marx, “more work has been done on Florida shipwrecks than throughout the rest of the Western Hemisphere”. The Florida east coast and Keys have off-lying reefs and shoals which the Spanish Armadas had to pass as they departed the New World capital, Havana, and turned northeast through the Bahamas Channel on the journey home. Hundreds of ships have been lost in the Florida Keys, and throughout the Caribbean. Many have been found and salvaged. Others have never been found, or only partially studied and salvaged.