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Our Treasure
Shop
The Atocha
Treasure
Collection
Some History
Atocha News!
The Fisher family has announced the discovery of the sterncastle portion of the Atocha, and potentially millions of dollars of additional treasure. Read the Associated Press article.
1715 Fleet
The story of the Shipwrecks of the 1715 Fleet and their sunken treasures really starts with Felipe V, who was recognized as the King of Spain under the conditions of the Treaty of Utrecht ending the war of Spanish Succession and to Spain’s exclusive hold over the West Indies.
As a result of the war, Spain’s economy was in ruins. During wartime it had been impossible to continue the bringing of treasure from the New World to repay Spain’s growing debts, and the situation was steadily growing more desperate
In 1714, the Spanish Queen had died. Felipe V chose
Elizabeth Farnesse, Duchess of
Parma as the new Queen. She would not marry
the King, however, until a large dowry of jewels from the New World had
arrived.
A Plan was devised to send two separate fleets: the Galeones de Tierra Firme and the New Spain Flota. The Galeones, commanded by General Don Antonio de Echeverz y Zubiza, was to go to Cartagena to load "Pieces of Eight" from Bogotá, Columbian emeralds from the Muzo mines and gold jewelry from Peru. Meanwhile the Flota, under the command of General Don Juan Esteban de Ubilla, would proceed to Vera Cruz to pick up silver and gold ingots from Mexico City and trade goods from Acapulco, including silks, ivory and Chinese porcelains from Manila and Canton. The two fleets would meet in Havana and then proceed together back to Spain.
The Galeones Armada was the first to arrive in Havana, while the Flota was delayed in Vera Cruz waiting for the pack mules from Acapulco. Finally Ubilla arrived in Havana the first week in May combining their fleets into one Spanish Armada.
Private Merchants were waiting in Havana to get the cargos aboard, exerting every influence available to them (including bribery) to get their cargoes included, in spite of the lack of cargo space. The governor of Havana chartered the French warship "Grifon" captained by Antoine Dare, to carry his own cargo.
The Spanish Armada was further delayed by last minute orders from Felipe V for additional gems and jewelry for additional gifts for the Duchess. She finally agreed to go ahead and marry him, but would not consummate the marriage until the Fleet had arrived with her dowry. Eight chests of gold, silver and jewelry were finally loaded into Ubilla’s personal stateroom.
The combined fleet of this Spanish Armada finally left Havana on July 24, with calm seas and a steady wind. By noon, July 29, the wind died and even the sea birds disappeared. The next day the sun never seemed to rise. By noon the ships were called to close station. Visibility became so bad that lanterns were lit on the poop decks. The wind started picking up, and by nightfall was gusting at 100 knots. The sound of the breakers on the Florida reefs was the only sound heard above the winds. Terrified men tried desperately to free the lifeboats.
Meanwhile, Captain Antoine Dare, believing his warship had nothing to fear of pirates and the English, had separated himself from the rest of the fleet, steering more eastward. This, it turned out, gave the room he needed to ride out the storm. By dawn of the 31st, his was the only ship left.
Eleven ships went down that night, and nearly half of the 2500 crew lost. Wreckage and bodies were scattered over 30 miles of the uninhabited Florida Coast. One of the damaged lifeboats was eventually repaired and two of the survivors sailed to Fort Augustin, 120 miles north. A ship was immediately sent to rescue the other survivors.
The Spanish mounted salvage attempts almost immediately, but the wreckage was spread over too wide an area. The constant attacks by sharks and barracuda on the divers under the water, and by pirates and Indians above, forced the Spanish to give up any hope of recovering the treasure, and four years later abandoned the search.
Records say that only about 30% of the treasure was recovered.
Shipwreck Treasures
237 Old San Carlos Blvd.
Ft. Myers Beach, FL. 33931
1-800-972-1622
Any Comments or suggestions? Send them to webmaster@shipwrecktreasures.com