1 00:00:01,233 --> 00:00:04,800 This is the only confirmed pirate treasure ever discovered. 2 00:00:06,100 --> 00:00:09,166 [man] The first heist they made was 30,000 pieces of 8, 3 00:00:09,166 --> 00:00:11,166 and they took over 50 ships. 4 00:00:11,166 --> 00:00:12,233 Right. 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:14,800 And you know where the main wreck is? 6 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:16,667 Your team is excavating? 7 00:00:16,667 --> 00:00:17,867 You want to see what's out there? 8 00:00:17,867 --> 00:00:19,500 I would love to see what's out there. 9 00:00:22,100 --> 00:00:22,967 Everybody hang on. 10 00:00:25,567 --> 00:00:27,367 I thought this was supposed to be easy. 11 00:00:27,367 --> 00:00:29,200 This is what we call Black Bellamy's Curse. 12 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,200 -Yeah? -Yeah, the closer you get, the further you are. 13 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:33,300 Sounds about right. 14 00:00:36,300 --> 00:00:37,600 Permission to come aboard? 15 00:00:39,100 --> 00:00:40,600 Hey, Brandon, suit up! 16 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:49,767 Wait. There are coins sticking out of this everywhere. 17 00:00:49,767 --> 00:00:51,900 -And is this gold? -[man] That's part of a gold bar. 18 00:00:51,900 --> 00:00:53,767 -Look out! Look out! Look out! -Whoa, whoa, whoa! 19 00:00:53,767 --> 00:00:55,000 Yes. Look at that. 20 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,166 That's $10,000 worth of gold right there. 21 00:00:57,166 --> 00:00:58,600 Hey, Barry, I think we got a white shark. 22 00:00:58,600 --> 00:00:59,967 It's starting to head into the area. 23 00:00:59,967 --> 00:01:01,400 Diver one, diver two. 24 00:01:14,767 --> 00:01:18,100 Welcome to Boston, my hometown, 25 00:01:18,100 --> 00:01:20,567 not to mention the home of the American Revolution, 26 00:01:20,567 --> 00:01:22,867 the Red Sox, Dunkin Donuts, 27 00:01:22,867 --> 00:01:24,900 and, surprisingly, pirates. 28 00:01:24,900 --> 00:01:27,467 Now, every kid who grows up here learns that Boston 29 00:01:27,467 --> 00:01:30,667 was once the largest and wealthiest city in the colonies. 30 00:01:30,667 --> 00:01:32,667 But what I do not remember learning 31 00:01:32,667 --> 00:01:35,100 is that in the spring of 1717, 32 00:01:35,100 --> 00:01:37,900 the waters of the Bay State were visited by none other 33 00:01:37,900 --> 00:01:40,133 than Captain "Black Sam" Bellamy. 34 00:01:41,500 --> 00:01:44,700 Bellamy and his motley crew sail through New England, 35 00:01:44,700 --> 00:01:47,367 transporting the largest stolen fortune 36 00:01:47,367 --> 00:01:49,400 in the golden age of piracy. 37 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,500 Bellamy was an English sailor turned swashbuckler, 38 00:01:52,500 --> 00:01:54,900 famous for capturing more than 50 ships 39 00:01:54,900 --> 00:01:56,867 through the threat of force, 40 00:01:56,867 --> 00:02:00,100 but even more famous for not actually using it. 41 00:02:00,100 --> 00:02:03,600 His pirate fleet terrifies enemies into surrender. 42 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,767 But Bellamy shows mercy to those he captures. 43 00:02:06,767 --> 00:02:10,266 He also offers equal shares of the profits to his crew, 44 00:02:10,266 --> 00:02:13,100 which even includes freed slaves. 45 00:02:13,100 --> 00:02:15,300 This earns Sam another nickname, 46 00:02:15,300 --> 00:02:17,600 "The Prince of Pirates." 47 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,300 It's a great story. But is it true? 48 00:02:20,300 --> 00:02:22,900 Was Bellamy antihero or villain? 49 00:02:22,900 --> 00:02:25,667 Model leader or incorrigible scoundrel? 50 00:02:25,667 --> 00:02:28,166 And then there's the real mystery, 51 00:02:28,166 --> 00:02:31,667 the lost location of his incredible stolen fortune, 52 00:02:31,667 --> 00:02:34,767 which Bellamy took to a watery grave. 53 00:02:34,767 --> 00:02:37,567 It happens aboard the mighty Whydah Gally, 54 00:02:37,567 --> 00:02:39,900 a lethally-armed former slave ship, 55 00:02:39,900 --> 00:02:44,000 loaded with more than £20,000 of gold and silver, 56 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:47,400 along with massive gems, ornate jewelry, 57 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,367 weapons, and some decent Spanish wine. 58 00:02:50,367 --> 00:02:53,567 In short, it's an eye-patch- popping-sum of money 59 00:02:53,567 --> 00:02:57,867 amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars today. 60 00:02:57,867 --> 00:03:01,166 Unfortunately for Bellamy, he'll never get to enjoy it. 61 00:03:01,166 --> 00:03:04,567 That's because, while navigating about 50 miles east of here 62 00:03:04,567 --> 00:03:06,367 along the edge of Cape Cod, 63 00:03:06,367 --> 00:03:09,133 the Whydah sails into an eerie fog. 64 00:03:11,700 --> 00:03:14,266 The Whydah is caught in a savage nor'easter, 65 00:03:14,266 --> 00:03:17,066 where gale force winds and 40-foot waves 66 00:03:17,066 --> 00:03:19,467 throw her into the rocky shoals. 67 00:03:19,467 --> 00:03:21,567 The gally is dashed to pieces, 68 00:03:21,567 --> 00:03:24,600 and more than 180 men, Bellamy among them, 69 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:26,200 are lost to the sea, 70 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,667 while the Whydah's treasure is strewn 71 00:03:28,667 --> 00:03:30,600 across the sandbars of Cape Cod. 72 00:03:32,100 --> 00:03:33,867 For more than 250 years, 73 00:03:33,867 --> 00:03:36,567 the Bellamy story was a local curiosity, 74 00:03:36,567 --> 00:03:39,266 his treasure seemingly lost forever, 75 00:03:39,266 --> 00:03:42,300 that is until someone decided to find it. 76 00:03:44,767 --> 00:03:47,767 Welcome to Boston's magnificent Public Library. 77 00:03:47,767 --> 00:03:49,166 -[man shushes] -Sorry! 78 00:03:49,166 --> 00:03:52,200 Within the archives of this historic institution 79 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,767 is something you rarely find outside the world of fiction, 80 00:03:55,767 --> 00:03:57,500 an actual pirate map. 81 00:04:02,166 --> 00:04:05,100 This long-forgotten document was originally drawn 82 00:04:05,100 --> 00:04:07,900 by cartographer Captain Cyprian Southack, 83 00:04:07,900 --> 00:04:10,967 who was dispatched to Cape Cod shortly after the wreck 84 00:04:10,967 --> 00:04:13,100 to recover Bellamy's treasure. 85 00:04:13,100 --> 00:04:15,100 And while he didn't find the loot, 86 00:04:15,100 --> 00:04:17,100 he did locate something else. 87 00:04:17,100 --> 00:04:20,000 Here, just off the east coast of Cape Cod, 88 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:21,200 he made a note, 89 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:23,934 "The pirate ship Whydah lost." 90 00:04:25,767 --> 00:04:29,500 The map got filed away and forgotten until the early '80s, 91 00:04:29,500 --> 00:04:32,900 when underwater explorer Barry Clifford rediscovered it 92 00:04:32,900 --> 00:04:36,767 and used it to locate the remains of the infamous wreck. 93 00:04:36,767 --> 00:04:39,667 But despite almost four decades of excavation, 94 00:04:39,667 --> 00:04:44,200 just a mere fraction of the Whydah's legendary treasure has been recovered. 95 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,467 Now Clifford's team is following a newly-found debris trail 96 00:04:49,467 --> 00:04:51,567 that may lead to the stern castle, 97 00:04:51,567 --> 00:04:53,266 the rear section of the ship, 98 00:04:53,266 --> 00:04:55,467 which has never been found. 99 00:04:55,467 --> 00:04:58,367 This is a place that could contain unimaginable riches. 100 00:04:58,367 --> 00:05:02,300 And who knows? Perhaps even the remains of Bellamy himself. 101 00:05:03,100 --> 00:05:04,900 There's pirate treasure to be found, 102 00:05:04,900 --> 00:05:07,667 and for once, we know exactly where it is. 103 00:05:07,667 --> 00:05:09,400 Next stop, Cape Cod. 104 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:11,066 After a quick stop at Dunkin's. 105 00:05:11,066 --> 00:05:13,000 Always caffeinate before an adventure. 106 00:05:16,066 --> 00:05:18,367 The past is all around us. 107 00:05:18,367 --> 00:05:20,233 Oh, this is crazy. 108 00:05:20,767 --> 00:05:22,600 A world of mystery... 109 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:24,734 -This is a plane. Ha ha! -Yeah. 110 00:05:25,166 --> 00:05:25,867 ...danger... 111 00:05:25,867 --> 00:05:27,800 We are about to be underwater. 112 00:05:27,867 --> 00:05:29,100 Wow! 113 00:05:29,967 --> 00:05:31,100 ...and adventure. 114 00:05:33,467 --> 00:05:35,000 It's just straight down! 115 00:05:36,467 --> 00:05:38,300 [exclaiming] 116 00:05:39,567 --> 00:05:42,500 I travel to the far corners of the Earth 117 00:05:42,500 --> 00:05:45,133 to uncover where legends end 118 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:47,700 and history begins. 119 00:05:47,700 --> 00:05:49,266 Let's punch it. 120 00:05:49,266 --> 00:05:54,533 I'm Josh Gates, and this is Expedition Unknown. 121 00:05:59,867 --> 00:06:02,500 My search for the Whydah's treasure feels personal. 122 00:06:02,500 --> 00:06:05,900 After all, this is an adventure in my own backyard. 123 00:06:05,900 --> 00:06:07,767 So I head south of Boston 124 00:06:07,767 --> 00:06:10,400 on the way to New England's summer playground. 125 00:06:11,367 --> 00:06:13,867 All right, well, we are on the road, 126 00:06:13,867 --> 00:06:17,367 and we are about to cross over the famous Sagamore Bridge, 127 00:06:17,367 --> 00:06:19,400 which connects mainland Massachusetts 128 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,800 with the peninsula of Cape Cod. 129 00:06:25,667 --> 00:06:30,367 Cape Cod is Massachusetts distilled down to its essence. 130 00:06:30,367 --> 00:06:34,166 Equal parts quaint, touristy and posh. 131 00:06:34,166 --> 00:06:35,700 Oh, and the oysters are wicked good. 132 00:06:37,100 --> 00:06:40,000 But it's not all smooth sailing around here. 133 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,867 The waters off the Cape are notoriously violent during storms, 134 00:06:43,867 --> 00:06:45,200 and over the last few decades, 135 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,100 the great white population here has exploded, 136 00:06:48,100 --> 00:06:51,467 'causing some beaches to close to swimmers in the summer. 137 00:06:51,467 --> 00:06:54,333 For more on this issue, see a little film called Jaws. 138 00:06:57,166 --> 00:06:59,100 But as I pull into the town of Yarmouth, 139 00:06:59,100 --> 00:07:02,400 I'm focused on another ocean predator. Pirates. 140 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,900 Which are well documented in a remarkable local museum. 141 00:07:06,967 --> 00:07:10,800 Inside, I'm greeted by a replica of the pirate ship Whydah 142 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:12,567 and even a working lab, 143 00:07:12,567 --> 00:07:16,867 which is here to conserve the jaw-dropping and ever-expanding collection 144 00:07:16,867 --> 00:07:20,000 of artifacts from the wreck of Bellamy's ship. 145 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:21,367 But the biggest prize, 146 00:07:21,367 --> 00:07:24,367 the ship's stern castle, has yet to be found. 147 00:07:24,367 --> 00:07:27,100 Amidst the booty I meet, the man who found it, 148 00:07:27,100 --> 00:07:30,166 explorer Barry Clifford and his son, Brandon. 149 00:07:30,166 --> 00:07:32,867 Let's go back to the beginning of this journey. 150 00:07:32,867 --> 00:07:36,600 The Whydah was obviously an incredible prize for Black Sam Bellamy. 151 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:38,667 Why was it an incredible prize for you? 152 00:07:38,667 --> 00:07:40,500 Why did you want to find this ship? 153 00:07:40,500 --> 00:07:43,667 Well, it was a legend that I grew up with as a kid, 154 00:07:43,667 --> 00:07:46,867 and my uncles used to sit around the old fish house 155 00:07:46,867 --> 00:07:50,266 and tell yarns of the old days. 156 00:07:50,266 --> 00:07:52,567 -Yeah. -And my Uncle Bill, 157 00:07:52,567 --> 00:07:55,400 who my other uncles referred to as "Uncle Bull"... 158 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,166 -[laughs] The storyteller. -...would tell the story 159 00:07:58,166 --> 00:07:59,200 of Sam Bellamy 160 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,600 and all the treasure that was lost on the Whydah. 161 00:08:03,100 --> 00:08:06,567 [Josh] Bellamy was born in Devon, England, in 1689. 162 00:08:06,567 --> 00:08:08,567 The story goes that in his mid-20s, 163 00:08:08,567 --> 00:08:10,500 after sailing for the British Navy, 164 00:08:10,500 --> 00:08:12,900 young Bellamy finds himself on the Cape 165 00:08:12,900 --> 00:08:15,066 and head over heels with a young beauty 166 00:08:15,066 --> 00:08:17,166 named Maria Goody Hallet. 167 00:08:17,166 --> 00:08:19,266 Her father, though, won't allow his daughter 168 00:08:19,266 --> 00:08:21,400 to marry a penniless seafarer, 169 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,266 so Bellamy sets out to make something of himself. 170 00:08:24,266 --> 00:08:26,834 And that something turns out to be a pirate. 171 00:08:28,266 --> 00:08:30,467 Learning from the likes of Benjamin Hornigold 172 00:08:30,467 --> 00:08:33,500 and Edward Teach, AKA "Blackbeard," 173 00:08:33,500 --> 00:08:37,000 Bellamy begins an extraordinarily profitable reign, 174 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,400 pillaging ships in the Caribbean. 175 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:41,266 But Bellamy shuns violence, 176 00:08:41,266 --> 00:08:45,066 with no record of him ever killing any of his victims. 177 00:08:45,066 --> 00:08:46,600 Through sheer intimidation, 178 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,867 he manages to assemble a fleet of captured vessels, 179 00:08:49,867 --> 00:08:54,400 including a massive slave galley known as the Whydah. 180 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:56,166 The Whydah is state of the art, 181 00:08:56,166 --> 00:08:58,000 the rocket ship of her day. 182 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:02,100 With a 300-ton hull and 28 cannons on a hair trigger, 183 00:09:02,100 --> 00:09:05,166 she's still faster than anything else on the water. 184 00:09:05,166 --> 00:09:07,367 Yet Bellamy takes her without a shot, 185 00:09:07,367 --> 00:09:09,367 liberates the poor souls aboard, 186 00:09:09,367 --> 00:09:11,567 and loads her with the combined treasure 187 00:09:11,567 --> 00:09:13,100 from dozens of ships, 188 00:09:13,100 --> 00:09:17,300 a fortune in gold, silver, jewels and textiles. 189 00:09:19,300 --> 00:09:22,266 It is thought that he is returning home to his true love, 190 00:09:22,266 --> 00:09:23,266 Goody Hallet, 191 00:09:23,266 --> 00:09:25,967 and, who knows, maybe a wealthy retirement, 192 00:09:25,967 --> 00:09:28,867 when, on April 26th, 1717, 193 00:09:28,867 --> 00:09:31,467 the Whydah is driven into Cape Cod's 194 00:09:31,467 --> 00:09:33,634 unforgiving eastern cliffs. 195 00:09:34,166 --> 00:09:36,000 The ship is dashed to pieces, 196 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,300 and the Atlantic consumes Bellamy, 197 00:09:38,300 --> 00:09:40,700 his crew and his fortune. 198 00:09:41,967 --> 00:09:43,166 It is Shakespearean. 199 00:09:43,166 --> 00:09:45,467 It's incredible, an incredible story. 200 00:09:45,467 --> 00:09:48,266 How could you not-- any kid not be interested in that? 201 00:09:48,266 --> 00:09:50,166 And I imagine the same is true for you. 202 00:09:50,166 --> 00:09:51,467 You must have been just a kid 203 00:09:51,467 --> 00:09:52,500 when he went looking for the Whydah. 204 00:09:52,500 --> 00:09:55,100 So this was a story you heard as well as a kid. 205 00:09:55,100 --> 00:09:57,266 Yeah, my whole life, I grew up with it. 206 00:09:57,266 --> 00:09:58,467 It's always been there. 207 00:09:58,467 --> 00:10:00,266 And in terms of finding the wreck, 208 00:10:00,266 --> 00:10:02,066 you did have something of a leg up 209 00:10:02,066 --> 00:10:04,867 in that you found this old map that I just saw. 210 00:10:04,867 --> 00:10:06,800 -Yes. -Where was that map when you found it? 211 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:11,567 It was at the Harvard Map Room and, um, John Kennedy Jr., 212 00:10:11,567 --> 00:10:15,166 who was my dive assistant on Martha's Vineyard, 213 00:10:15,166 --> 00:10:17,700 and John got us in there somehow. 214 00:10:17,700 --> 00:10:20,700 Somehow. He may have had a couple of strings he could pull 215 00:10:20,700 --> 00:10:22,567 to get you into the Harvard archives, probably. 216 00:10:22,567 --> 00:10:25,200 They wouldn't let me mow the lawn there. 217 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:26,266 But you got into the archives. 218 00:10:26,266 --> 00:10:28,100 And when you first saw that map, 219 00:10:28,100 --> 00:10:29,867 where you just giddy? 220 00:10:29,867 --> 00:10:34,367 Yeah, it was "Pirate ship Whydah lost" right on the map. 221 00:10:34,367 --> 00:10:36,200 You know, X marks the spot. 222 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,867 What year did you first identify the wreck? 223 00:10:39,867 --> 00:10:44,266 -Well, in '85, we found a massive concretion. -Okay. 224 00:10:44,266 --> 00:10:47,700 And something was coming out of the side of it. 225 00:10:48,166 --> 00:10:49,367 Would you like to see it? 226 00:10:49,367 --> 00:10:51,000 -I would love to see it. -Let's go. 227 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:52,567 Please. 228 00:10:52,567 --> 00:10:54,467 [Josh] Concretions occur when minerals 229 00:10:54,467 --> 00:10:57,500 build up around sunken relics over centuries, 230 00:10:57,500 --> 00:11:01,000 hiding treasures inside blocks of natural cement. 231 00:11:02,266 --> 00:11:03,600 This is what we found. 232 00:11:05,367 --> 00:11:07,166 -[Josh] The bell. -The ship's bell. 233 00:11:07,166 --> 00:11:08,567 The ship's bell. 234 00:11:08,567 --> 00:11:09,900 It's right on there, 235 00:11:09,900 --> 00:11:13,500 "The Whydah Gally, 1716." 236 00:11:13,500 --> 00:11:16,166 This makes it indisputable. 237 00:11:16,166 --> 00:11:19,867 It's the only fully-confirmed pirate ship 238 00:11:19,867 --> 00:11:21,700 that's ever been discovered. 239 00:11:21,700 --> 00:11:23,367 And that means the treasure... 240 00:11:23,367 --> 00:11:25,266 And the treasure here... 241 00:11:25,266 --> 00:11:28,634 is the only confirmed pirate treasure in the world. 242 00:11:29,300 --> 00:11:31,800 Period. Right here at this museum. 243 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:35,300 [Josh] The museum is filled floor to ceiling 244 00:11:35,300 --> 00:11:37,000 with recovered artifacts, 245 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,867 including a pirate pistol 246 00:11:38,867 --> 00:11:42,000 and a fragile silk ribbon said to have been a gift 247 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,867 from Goody Hallet to Black Sam himself. 248 00:11:44,867 --> 00:11:48,100 And then there are the coins, thousands of them, 249 00:11:48,100 --> 00:11:50,700 including silver Spanish 8 Reales, 250 00:11:50,700 --> 00:11:53,367 popularly known as pieces of 8. 251 00:11:53,367 --> 00:11:55,300 Yet with all the treasure they found, 252 00:11:55,300 --> 00:11:58,100 the Cliffords haven't sold a single piece, 253 00:11:58,100 --> 00:12:00,266 keeping the entire collection together 254 00:12:00,266 --> 00:12:02,967 as a historical record of the Whydah. 255 00:12:02,967 --> 00:12:05,767 But since Bellamy looted over 50 ships, 256 00:12:05,767 --> 00:12:08,767 this is a mere fraction of what's still out there, 257 00:12:08,767 --> 00:12:09,700 including... 258 00:12:09,700 --> 00:12:11,800 A casket of East Indian jewels. 259 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:14,166 -That'd be nice. -A hen-egged-sized ruby. 260 00:12:14,166 --> 00:12:16,266 A hen-egg-sized ruby? 261 00:12:16,266 --> 00:12:18,400 -I mean... Amazing. -One of the rumors, yes. 262 00:12:20,066 --> 00:12:22,667 [Josh] The rear of the ship, known as the stern castle, 263 00:12:22,667 --> 00:12:24,800 contained the most valuable treasures, 264 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,400 including the personal possessions of Black Sam Bellamy, 265 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:30,567 but it has yet to be found. 266 00:12:30,567 --> 00:12:32,900 Now the Cliffords have been using sonar 267 00:12:32,900 --> 00:12:36,900 and following a newly-discovered debris trail like a rainbow, 268 00:12:36,900 --> 00:12:40,066 one that hopefully leads to a pot of gold. 269 00:12:40,066 --> 00:12:42,166 You guys are out there excavating right now? 270 00:12:42,166 --> 00:12:43,467 You want to see what's out there? 271 00:12:43,467 --> 00:12:45,567 I would love to see what's out there. 272 00:12:45,567 --> 00:12:47,367 Turn your pockets inside out. Let's go. 273 00:12:47,367 --> 00:12:48,767 I promise I won't take anything. 274 00:12:48,767 --> 00:12:49,567 Come on, let's go. 275 00:12:51,867 --> 00:12:53,567 The next morning, Barry goes ahead 276 00:12:53,567 --> 00:12:55,800 to prepare the team's research vessel, 277 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:58,000 while Brandon and I board a support boat 278 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:00,300 for a ride to the wreck of the Whydah 279 00:13:00,300 --> 00:13:02,934 and hopefully untold treasures. 280 00:13:05,166 --> 00:13:08,266 The trip is far from a straight line, though. 281 00:13:08,266 --> 00:13:12,166 It's like navigating through a maze of sand bars. 282 00:13:12,166 --> 00:13:13,133 [Brandon] It really is. 283 00:13:13,133 --> 00:13:15,467 It's like you make a little bit of an error, 284 00:13:15,467 --> 00:13:17,600 you're going to be up on the sand bank. 285 00:13:19,467 --> 00:13:21,767 To get to the Whydah, Brandon has to navigate 286 00:13:21,767 --> 00:13:24,166 the unique back streets of Cape Cod, 287 00:13:24,166 --> 00:13:27,100 winding channels that lead to the open ocean. 288 00:13:30,967 --> 00:13:32,100 That's a little sketchy. 289 00:13:32,100 --> 00:13:33,800 These breakers are rolling in 290 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,400 from the untamed waters of the Atlantic. 291 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:39,266 Everybody hold on. 292 00:13:39,266 --> 00:13:42,867 These heavy waves disguise the very same rocks and shoals, 293 00:13:42,867 --> 00:13:44,667 which, 300 years ago, 294 00:13:44,667 --> 00:13:47,867 turned the Whydah into nothing more than a debris trail. 295 00:13:47,867 --> 00:13:50,033 Now, we may be next. 296 00:13:50,367 --> 00:13:51,500 Everybody hang on. 297 00:14:02,166 --> 00:14:04,500 Okay. Just keep a hand on something. 298 00:14:05,700 --> 00:14:08,567 [Josh] I'm crashing through the rough breakers of the Atlantic Ocean 299 00:14:08,567 --> 00:14:10,900 off Cape Cod with Brandon Clifford 300 00:14:10,900 --> 00:14:12,667 as we make our way to the wreck 301 00:14:12,667 --> 00:14:14,467 of the pirate ship Whydah. 302 00:14:14,467 --> 00:14:17,166 We're hoping to locate her missing stern castle, 303 00:14:17,166 --> 00:14:20,967 which once held treasure worth untold millions. 304 00:14:20,967 --> 00:14:25,033 That is, if we can survive these dangerously choppy waters. 305 00:14:27,867 --> 00:14:28,867 Up and over. 306 00:14:28,867 --> 00:14:29,934 There we go. 307 00:14:31,266 --> 00:14:32,767 All right, we're out. 308 00:14:32,767 --> 00:14:34,767 I thought this was supposed to be easy. 309 00:14:34,767 --> 00:14:36,800 And this is what we call Black Bellamy's Curse. 310 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,700 -Yeah? -Yeah. The closer you get, the further you are. 311 00:14:39,700 --> 00:14:40,934 That sounds about right. 312 00:14:42,667 --> 00:14:43,834 The ocean calms down 313 00:14:43,834 --> 00:14:47,266 as we approach the Cliffords' main research vessel. 314 00:14:47,266 --> 00:14:48,967 Permission to come aboard? 315 00:14:48,967 --> 00:14:50,900 [Brandon] Permission to come aboard. 316 00:14:50,900 --> 00:14:52,800 [Josh] This is the Vast Explorer, 317 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:55,400 currently anchored above where Barry believes 318 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,500 Black Sam Bellamy's stern castle might be waiting. 319 00:14:59,867 --> 00:15:01,333 Welcome to the nest explorer. 320 00:15:01,333 --> 00:15:04,667 Happy to be here. This is a pretty incredible ship you've got here. 321 00:15:04,667 --> 00:15:06,166 Tell me about this vessel. 322 00:15:06,166 --> 00:15:09,166 This vessel was designed for the heart of our operation, 323 00:15:09,166 --> 00:15:10,600 which is to dig down 324 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:12,467 and find artifacts from the Whydah. 325 00:15:12,467 --> 00:15:13,767 Right. And people need to understand, 326 00:15:13,767 --> 00:15:15,300 this ship is not just sitting on the bottom. 327 00:15:15,300 --> 00:15:17,300 It's under 10 to 30 feet of sand. 328 00:15:17,300 --> 00:15:19,967 -Right. -So how do we get down to the Whydah? 329 00:15:19,967 --> 00:15:22,467 We have a deflector on the on the stern. 330 00:15:22,467 --> 00:15:24,300 [Josh] The Vast Explorer is outfitted 331 00:15:24,300 --> 00:15:26,900 with a massive propwash deflector, 332 00:15:26,900 --> 00:15:28,266 which directs the force 333 00:15:28,266 --> 00:15:30,867 generated by the ship's propellers downward, 334 00:15:30,867 --> 00:15:33,600 gently pushing decades of built-up sand 335 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:35,467 away from the ocean floor 336 00:15:35,467 --> 00:15:38,266 without damaging any artifacts. 337 00:15:38,266 --> 00:15:41,300 The ship is dialed into place by satellite tracking 338 00:15:41,300 --> 00:15:44,000 and stabilized by large anchors. 339 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:45,266 So are we in the spot here? 340 00:15:45,266 --> 00:15:47,300 We have seven anchors out right now. 341 00:15:47,300 --> 00:15:49,367 And we have a GPS here. And with that, 342 00:15:49,367 --> 00:15:51,667 we're able to maneuver our way exactly 343 00:15:51,667 --> 00:15:54,367 over where we want to dust. 344 00:15:54,367 --> 00:15:56,266 Okay, well, let's see what's down there. 345 00:15:56,266 --> 00:15:57,600 -All right. -Let's do it. 346 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,000 Using powerful hydraulics, 347 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,000 Barry and the team lower the deflector into place 348 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:06,900 in front of the ship's propellers, 349 00:16:06,900 --> 00:16:08,900 then spin up the engines. 350 00:16:08,900 --> 00:16:11,700 [Barry] Okay. I'm gonna give it a little bit more juice here. 351 00:16:13,266 --> 00:16:15,800 [Josh] Thanks to seven anchors, we don't move, 352 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,166 but the sand beneath us does. 353 00:16:18,166 --> 00:16:20,700 An underwater camera positioned below the boat 354 00:16:20,700 --> 00:16:22,934 shows us the action on the bottom. 355 00:16:23,867 --> 00:16:25,000 So we've got this drop camera 356 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,367 that's pointed straight down here, 357 00:16:26,367 --> 00:16:27,133 and the hope is what? 358 00:16:27,133 --> 00:16:29,467 That we see a hard bottom here? 359 00:16:29,467 --> 00:16:31,500 Yeah. We're pretty close. 360 00:16:31,500 --> 00:16:34,467 [Josh] We watch on the monitor as hundreds of years of sand 361 00:16:34,467 --> 00:16:36,700 is blown from the sea floor. 362 00:16:37,467 --> 00:16:39,000 We got it. We got hard bottom. 363 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:40,867 -Here we go. We're on it. -All right. 364 00:16:40,867 --> 00:16:42,266 We're in it. 365 00:16:42,266 --> 00:16:43,700 Hey, Brandon, suit up! 366 00:16:46,166 --> 00:16:47,133 Let's do it. 367 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,367 Before we can get in the water, though, 368 00:16:50,367 --> 00:16:53,567 there's the not-so-small matter of the sharks. 369 00:16:53,567 --> 00:16:57,066 That's because the increased seal population off Cape Cod 370 00:16:57,066 --> 00:17:00,767 has led to a massive increase in the number of great whites. 371 00:17:00,767 --> 00:17:04,900 Nearly 800 of them have been cataloged here over the last decade. 372 00:17:07,166 --> 00:17:10,100 So Matt, from the Clifford's team, sends up a drone 373 00:17:10,100 --> 00:17:12,900 to make sure we can dive without becoming dinner. 374 00:17:13,567 --> 00:17:14,900 Once we get the all clear, 375 00:17:14,900 --> 00:17:17,734 we suit up and cautiously splash in. 376 00:17:22,700 --> 00:17:23,800 [Brandon speaking] 377 00:17:25,066 --> 00:17:27,233 [Josh speaking] 378 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:30,266 We follow a shot line from the boat, 379 00:17:30,266 --> 00:17:32,266 making our way to the pit in the sand 380 00:17:32,266 --> 00:17:34,367 created by the prop deflector. 381 00:17:34,367 --> 00:17:35,767 And while it isn't deep, 382 00:17:35,767 --> 00:17:38,900 I quickly learn that there are other challenges. 383 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:41,700 What's the visibility like? 384 00:17:51,667 --> 00:17:53,767 It comes and goes with the tide. 385 00:17:53,767 --> 00:17:57,000 [Josh] Mung is a fine brown algae that can take over 386 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:59,900 entire sections of the ocean off the Cape. 387 00:17:59,900 --> 00:18:02,867 You might say this is a-mung the worst visibility 388 00:18:02,867 --> 00:18:04,367 I've ever experienced. 389 00:18:04,367 --> 00:18:06,667 And it's not doing wonders for my confidence 390 00:18:06,667 --> 00:18:08,533 in spotting great white sharks. 391 00:18:11,467 --> 00:18:13,000 [Brandon speaking] 392 00:18:35,300 --> 00:18:36,233 [Josh] The deflector up top 393 00:18:36,233 --> 00:18:38,767 has created a depression in the sand, 394 00:18:38,767 --> 00:18:40,867 which we hope has revealed a cache 395 00:18:40,867 --> 00:18:43,233 of historic treasures from the Whydah. 396 00:18:43,767 --> 00:18:45,400 We swim down inside, 397 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,033 scanning as we go with a metal detector. 398 00:19:26,367 --> 00:19:29,500 We bag the spoon and keep moving into the pit. 399 00:19:29,500 --> 00:19:31,567 At the bottom, we see that we've exposed 400 00:19:31,567 --> 00:19:34,333 a layer hidden deep beneath the sand. 401 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:54,500 [Josh speaking] 402 00:19:56,266 --> 00:19:59,667 Using a metal-detecting probe, I'm able to prod the bottom 403 00:19:59,667 --> 00:20:02,900 to search for anything buried just below the sand. 404 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:06,333 [Brandon speaking] 405 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:46,467 [Josh] A double-struck piece of 8 406 00:20:46,467 --> 00:20:50,767 is an amazing find, rare and potentially valuable. 407 00:20:50,767 --> 00:20:52,967 But more importantly, it's a clear sign 408 00:20:52,967 --> 00:20:55,500 that we're on top of some Whydah treasure, 409 00:20:55,500 --> 00:20:58,500 possibly even the stern castle we're looking for. 410 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:02,000 [Brandon speaking] 411 00:21:04,567 --> 00:21:06,900 [Josh speaking] 412 00:21:19,567 --> 00:21:21,166 At the time this coin was struck, 413 00:21:21,166 --> 00:21:22,667 the Salem witch trials were happening 414 00:21:22,667 --> 00:21:24,867 right up the road from Cape Cod. 415 00:21:24,867 --> 00:21:26,166 And here's a fun fact. 416 00:21:26,166 --> 00:21:29,767 Cotton Mather, the man who prosecuted these so-called witches, 417 00:21:29,767 --> 00:21:32,867 would later try and convict the only two men 418 00:21:32,867 --> 00:21:35,066 that survived the wreck of the Whydah, 419 00:21:35,066 --> 00:21:38,166 hanging them on a dock at the entrance of Boston Harbor 420 00:21:38,166 --> 00:21:40,433 as a warning to ships passing by. 421 00:21:41,500 --> 00:21:44,400 As for us, we keep searching and finding. 422 00:21:45,367 --> 00:21:46,834 [Brandon speaking] 423 00:21:48,867 --> 00:21:51,033 [Josh speaking] 424 00:22:03,667 --> 00:22:04,700 [Josh] High in the Andes, 425 00:22:04,700 --> 00:22:08,300 Potosi, Bolivia, sits on a mountain of silver. 426 00:22:08,300 --> 00:22:09,634 In the colonial era, 427 00:22:09,634 --> 00:22:12,967 it was one of the largest mints for Spain in the New World. 428 00:22:12,967 --> 00:22:15,266 And they would ship pure silver coins 429 00:22:15,266 --> 00:22:17,100 back home through the Caribbean 430 00:22:17,100 --> 00:22:18,266 in treasure fleets, 431 00:22:18,266 --> 00:22:21,300 which became rich targets for pirates. 432 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,567 While we're rolling in the money, 433 00:22:25,567 --> 00:22:28,900 40 feet above us, the team keeps their eyes on the water. 434 00:22:28,900 --> 00:22:30,433 And thank God for that. 435 00:22:31,967 --> 00:22:34,567 Oh. Hey, Barry, we got a white shark here. 436 00:22:34,567 --> 00:22:36,166 It's starting to head into the area. 437 00:22:36,166 --> 00:22:36,934 Topside. 438 00:22:37,767 --> 00:22:39,600 Diver one, diver two, come back. 439 00:22:42,367 --> 00:22:43,767 We've got to pull you to the surface. 440 00:22:43,767 --> 00:22:45,600 We've got a shark sighting up here. 441 00:22:52,166 --> 00:22:53,967 Guys, we've got to pull you to the surface. 442 00:22:53,967 --> 00:22:55,934 We've got a shark sighting up here. 443 00:23:03,100 --> 00:23:04,867 [Josh] The murky waters off Cape Cod 444 00:23:04,867 --> 00:23:07,266 are called "the graveyard of the Atlantic." 445 00:23:07,266 --> 00:23:11,200 It was true 300 years ago for the pirate Black Sam Bellamy, 446 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,767 and it's possibly true today as well. 447 00:23:13,767 --> 00:23:15,567 It turns out we're in the water 448 00:23:15,567 --> 00:23:16,834 with a great white shark. 449 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:28,867 -We have a shark? -[Matt] Yeah, we got a shark in the water. 450 00:23:28,867 --> 00:23:30,066 Get out! Get out! Get out! 451 00:23:30,066 --> 00:23:31,000 [Josh] Is it close to the boat? 452 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:32,700 Yes, there's sharks. 453 00:23:33,700 --> 00:23:36,800 [Josh] I don't think I've ever gotten out of the water this quickly. 454 00:23:37,467 --> 00:23:38,867 We scrambled back on board 455 00:23:38,867 --> 00:23:40,567 so that my production team and I 456 00:23:40,567 --> 00:23:42,700 can see what we just escaped. 457 00:23:43,567 --> 00:23:44,634 There's a shark? 458 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:47,233 Oh, look at that. 459 00:23:48,166 --> 00:23:49,800 That's between us and the beach. 460 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:51,400 -[Matt] Yup. -That is a great white? 461 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:53,300 Yeah, that looks like a 12-footer. 462 00:23:53,300 --> 00:23:54,667 A good-size shark. 463 00:23:54,667 --> 00:23:55,867 Definitely. 464 00:23:55,867 --> 00:23:58,567 [Josh] I mean, how... How do you work here 465 00:23:58,567 --> 00:24:00,100 with this in the water with you? 466 00:24:00,100 --> 00:24:01,800 Just try not to think about it too much. 467 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:02,800 That's the approach? 468 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,066 Yeah, yeah. It's nice when Matt's not around, 469 00:24:05,066 --> 00:24:06,800 so then we don't really know. 470 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:08,567 Matt, I appreciate you being here. 471 00:24:08,567 --> 00:24:09,433 -For the record. -No problem. 472 00:24:09,433 --> 00:24:11,467 [Brandon] It looks pretty well fed. 473 00:24:11,467 --> 00:24:12,800 Yeah, I'm pretty well fed, too, Brandon. 474 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:14,500 I can still go out for dessert. 475 00:24:18,767 --> 00:24:21,100 After a while, the shark is gone. 476 00:24:21,100 --> 00:24:22,133 Probably. 477 00:24:22,133 --> 00:24:24,500 Honestly, it would take a ship full of treasure 478 00:24:24,500 --> 00:24:26,333 to get me back in the water-- Oh, wait. 479 00:24:27,100 --> 00:24:29,300 Okay. Time to get back to work. 480 00:24:31,066 --> 00:24:33,467 After all, we're in a target-rich area here 481 00:24:33,467 --> 00:24:36,734 that has already produced several historic finds. 482 00:24:39,567 --> 00:24:41,900 We waste no time returning to the area 483 00:24:41,900 --> 00:24:43,567 where we found the coins, 484 00:24:43,567 --> 00:24:46,500 hoping we're on a significant debris trail. 485 00:24:54,367 --> 00:24:57,100 Over the years, Brandon and the team's archeologists 486 00:24:57,100 --> 00:24:59,467 have painstakingly mapped the location 487 00:24:59,467 --> 00:25:01,800 of every find aboard the Whydah. 488 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:06,767 [Josh] To do that, they use a grid 489 00:25:06,767 --> 00:25:09,834 which we can methodically search square by square. 490 00:26:13,567 --> 00:26:16,166 [Josh] A pistol was clearly a personal item, 491 00:26:16,166 --> 00:26:19,100 something no pirate would willingly part with. 492 00:26:19,100 --> 00:26:21,600 And in this case, it appears they didn't. 493 00:26:52,100 --> 00:26:54,166 [Josh] These bracelets, called Manilas, 494 00:26:54,166 --> 00:26:55,867 were not only decorative, 495 00:26:55,867 --> 00:26:58,467 but used as currency in West Africa, 496 00:26:58,467 --> 00:27:01,266 where they were traded for human lives. 497 00:27:01,266 --> 00:27:03,367 They would likely have been brought aboard the Whydah 498 00:27:03,367 --> 00:27:06,300 in its former incarnation as a slave ship 499 00:27:06,300 --> 00:27:09,433 before it was captured and repurposed by Bellamy. 500 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:29,900 [Brandon] 501 00:27:33,567 --> 00:27:37,700 [Josh] We keep scanning the grid, and in no time we have another find. 502 00:27:39,467 --> 00:27:40,700 [detector beeping] 503 00:27:41,967 --> 00:27:43,133 [Brandon] 504 00:27:46,367 --> 00:27:47,900 [Josh] 505 00:27:48,367 --> 00:27:49,600 [Brandon] 506 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:53,100 [Josh] While they often look like rocks, 507 00:27:53,100 --> 00:27:56,600 mineral conglomerates contain more than meets the eye. 508 00:28:03,266 --> 00:28:04,500 [Brandon] 509 00:28:04,500 --> 00:28:06,166 [detector beeping] 510 00:28:06,166 --> 00:28:07,333 [Josh] 511 00:28:12,667 --> 00:28:14,233 [Brandon] 512 00:28:19,467 --> 00:28:22,700 [Barry] Yeah, we got weather coming. Um, it's time to get back. 513 00:28:22,700 --> 00:28:25,667 So we'll send the basket down, just be careful bagging it 514 00:28:25,667 --> 00:28:27,500 and we'll bring it to the surface. 515 00:28:27,500 --> 00:28:28,700 [Josh] 516 00:28:29,767 --> 00:28:30,900 [Barry] 517 00:28:37,500 --> 00:28:39,100 [Josh] 518 00:28:42,100 --> 00:28:43,834 [Brandon] 519 00:28:48,700 --> 00:28:49,900 [Josh] 520 00:29:05,700 --> 00:29:07,667 We return to the deck of the Vast, 521 00:29:07,667 --> 00:29:10,100 but there's no time to celebrate our finds, 522 00:29:10,100 --> 00:29:12,367 a storm is moving towards us. 523 00:29:12,367 --> 00:29:15,000 And surprisingly, our boat isn't moving away. 524 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,500 -[crew member] One hole. -[Josh] The crew seems concerned. 525 00:29:17,500 --> 00:29:19,100 [crew member] One hole for the-- 526 00:29:19,100 --> 00:29:24,000 [bleep] loosen up on the bows, so we loosen these up and then we can unclip 'em. 527 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,667 So, talk to me. Where we at? What's happened here? 528 00:29:26,667 --> 00:29:29,867 -Our generator just let go. -Okay. 529 00:29:29,867 --> 00:29:32,367 [Barry] And with weather coming in, 530 00:29:32,367 --> 00:29:33,900 we have to be able to get the deflector up 531 00:29:33,900 --> 00:29:36,500 because we can't get out of here in an emergency. 532 00:29:36,500 --> 00:29:38,467 [Josh] So, the deflector's in the down position, 533 00:29:38,467 --> 00:29:40,700 the Vast can't navigate with that, right? 534 00:29:40,700 --> 00:29:42,800 -'Cause the props are being blocked by the deflector? -Yep, yep. 535 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:46,367 -So if a storm hits in this position, that's bad? -Bad. 536 00:29:46,367 --> 00:29:48,567 [Josh] Can the deflector be winched up manually? 537 00:29:48,567 --> 00:29:50,800 Yes. We're gonna try to do that now. 538 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:52,700 We have to get the hell out of here. 539 00:29:54,066 --> 00:29:57,066 [Josh] The crew frantically tries to raise the deflector, 540 00:29:57,066 --> 00:30:02,600 using the emergency generator to power the winch and drag it up against its will. 541 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:04,500 Okay, Barry, hit the winch. 542 00:30:07,367 --> 00:30:10,667 [crew member] Go, go, go, go, go, go, go. 543 00:30:10,667 --> 00:30:12,166 [Barry] Watch your hands. 544 00:30:12,166 --> 00:30:13,600 Look out, look out, look out. 545 00:30:14,567 --> 00:30:16,300 [thunder rumbling] 546 00:30:20,900 --> 00:30:22,867 Out of the way, I can't see. 547 00:30:22,867 --> 00:30:24,433 [crew member] Now, now. 548 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:26,200 Keep going. 549 00:30:27,300 --> 00:30:29,166 [Josh] Above the wreck of the Whydah, 550 00:30:29,166 --> 00:30:31,767 flagship of the pirate Black Sam Bellamy, 551 00:30:31,767 --> 00:30:35,767 we've recovered incredible artifacts and intriguing concretions. 552 00:30:35,767 --> 00:30:38,266 But a storm is now bearing down on us 553 00:30:38,266 --> 00:30:40,500 and we can't move out of the way. 554 00:30:40,500 --> 00:30:43,300 -Hold. -[Barry] That's it. 555 00:30:43,300 --> 00:30:47,767 [Josh] The emergency generator has raised the deflector, but only halfway. 556 00:30:47,767 --> 00:30:50,900 -[Barry] It's not going anywhere. It's stuck. -It's not going? 557 00:30:50,900 --> 00:30:54,467 [Josh] If we're going to escape this storm, it has to be fully up, 558 00:30:54,467 --> 00:30:57,734 so the crew moves on to an old-fashioned plan B. 559 00:30:59,166 --> 00:31:01,233 They tie ropes to the deflector 560 00:31:02,567 --> 00:31:04,467 and then pull. 561 00:31:04,467 --> 00:31:07,367 Come on. All right. Come up on it. 562 00:31:07,367 --> 00:31:10,233 -Come up on it. Come up. -[Barry] Come on. Heave. 563 00:31:11,367 --> 00:31:12,667 [thunder rumbling] 564 00:31:12,667 --> 00:31:14,934 [crew member singing] ♪♪ Oh-we-oh, we-oh-oh♪ 565 00:31:15,367 --> 00:31:16,634 Hold! That's it. 566 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:19,467 [Josh] The deflector is up, 567 00:31:19,467 --> 00:31:22,500 so we raise the seven anchors holding us in place, 568 00:31:22,500 --> 00:31:25,600 before racing the storm to port. 569 00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:29,667 After a soggy ride, we finally make it past the breakers 570 00:31:29,667 --> 00:31:32,600 and into the calm waters of the channel. 571 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:37,467 Once safely back in port, we dry off and bring our finds to the Clifford's lab, 572 00:31:37,467 --> 00:31:39,367 where archaeologist Andrew Barker 573 00:31:39,367 --> 00:31:41,000 will preserve and catalog 574 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:43,367 everything we've pulled up today. 575 00:31:43,367 --> 00:31:45,367 Fortunately, we have had a successful dive 576 00:31:45,367 --> 00:31:48,166 and we've brought you a couple concretions stacks. 577 00:31:48,166 --> 00:31:49,200 Excellent. 578 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:51,600 So looks like we have a lot of concretions here. 579 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:56,500 How many would you say there are that have yet to be fully investigated? 580 00:31:56,500 --> 00:31:57,900 Uh, hundreds. Give or take. Yeah. 581 00:31:57,900 --> 00:31:59,200 -Hundreds? Okay. -[Andrew] Yeah. 582 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,600 So people might be looking at this saying, 583 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:04,000 "Why are these artifacts back in the water?" 584 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:07,400 [Andrew] We have to keep them in the water until we can properly conserve them. 585 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:11,166 So the process involves slowly leeching the salt out of the concretions, first. 586 00:32:11,166 --> 00:32:12,667 That's step number one. 587 00:32:12,667 --> 00:32:14,500 And then, and only then, can we clean them up further. 588 00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:17,767 How long will some of these items sit in water? 589 00:32:17,767 --> 00:32:20,200 Uh, it all depends on the size and what's inside. 590 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,266 But it can be weeks, months, even years. 591 00:32:22,266 --> 00:32:25,367 For large objects like canons, they've gotta stay in the water for years. 592 00:32:25,367 --> 00:32:27,266 -Years? Wow. -[Andrew] Years. Yeah. 593 00:32:27,266 --> 00:32:28,900 This is kind of maddening, right? 594 00:32:28,900 --> 00:32:31,767 Because it's so exciting out on the ocean to make these discovers. 595 00:32:31,767 --> 00:32:34,467 -You find something and you feel like "We did it!" -Yeah. 596 00:32:34,467 --> 00:32:36,400 And you still can't tell what it is, right? 597 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:39,100 I mean, they come back here and these things are still a mystery. 598 00:32:39,100 --> 00:32:40,300 Total mystery. 599 00:32:40,300 --> 00:32:42,467 So you have to wait for this whole process to take place 600 00:32:42,467 --> 00:32:44,000 before you can see what's inside of them? 601 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:47,200 Actually, there is a way that we can see inside of them. 602 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:48,667 -Now? -[Brandon] Now. 603 00:32:48,667 --> 00:32:50,000 By using X-ray. 604 00:32:50,266 --> 00:32:51,100 X-ray. 605 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,700 The concretions we just discovered 606 00:32:53,700 --> 00:32:57,000 need to soak for a long time before being examined. 607 00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:59,266 But Brandon has a very special find 608 00:32:59,266 --> 00:33:02,800 from the same area we explored that's ready for a close-up. 609 00:33:03,266 --> 00:33:05,100 An extreme close-up. 610 00:33:05,100 --> 00:33:07,667 [Brandon] This is a really exciting concretion for us to scan. 611 00:33:07,667 --> 00:33:09,300 -[Josh] Okay. -Let's take a look at it. 612 00:33:09,300 --> 00:33:10,467 [Josh] Okay. 613 00:33:10,467 --> 00:33:12,300 So what makes this so exciting? 614 00:33:12,300 --> 00:33:15,100 Wait. I can see what makes this special. There are coins? 615 00:33:15,100 --> 00:33:16,200 [Brandon] Those are coins. 616 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:17,700 There's literally coins-- 617 00:33:17,700 --> 00:33:19,967 Wait. There are coins sticking out of this everywhere. 618 00:33:19,967 --> 00:33:21,300 And is this gold? 619 00:33:21,300 --> 00:33:23,266 [Andrew] That is gold. That's part of a gold bar. 620 00:33:23,266 --> 00:33:25,400 And you can see right here where it's been broken. 621 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:27,333 [Josh] That is insane. 622 00:33:28,266 --> 00:33:29,800 And these holes? 623 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,300 -[Andrew] Pistol barrels. -[Brandon] Pistol barrels. 624 00:33:32,300 --> 00:33:33,767 -[Josh] Two pistol barrels? -[Andrew] Yeah. 625 00:33:33,767 --> 00:33:34,967 [Josh] So the iron has rotted away, 626 00:33:34,967 --> 00:33:36,266 and we're left with the barrels? 627 00:33:36,266 --> 00:33:37,600 [Andrew] Exactly. It's a cast of the barrels. 628 00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:39,767 And one of the reasons we know they were pistols, 629 00:33:39,767 --> 00:33:40,967 aside from the size and shape, 630 00:33:40,967 --> 00:33:42,867 is the fact that they were still loaded. 631 00:33:42,867 --> 00:33:44,266 There was still a lead shot inside 632 00:33:44,266 --> 00:33:45,967 even though the barrel is gone. 633 00:33:45,967 --> 00:33:47,400 [Josh] That's crazy. 634 00:33:47,967 --> 00:33:49,000 But it hasn't been X-rayed yet? 635 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:50,000 Correct. It has not been X-rayed. 636 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:51,900 [Josh] Okay. Should we see what's inside of it? 637 00:33:51,900 --> 00:33:54,567 -[Andrew] Absolutely. -Let's do it. Come on. 638 00:33:54,567 --> 00:33:59,166 The man who's going to make this 300-year-old chunk of minerals say cheese 639 00:33:59,166 --> 00:34:01,667 is X-ray tech Bruno Cores. 640 00:34:01,667 --> 00:34:04,100 We just need to back up six feet away and... 641 00:34:04,100 --> 00:34:05,200 -[Josh] Six feet? -Six feet. 642 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:06,667 Okay, guys, get... keep moving. 643 00:34:06,667 --> 00:34:08,767 Keep going. Further away. Let's do ten feet, huh? 644 00:34:08,767 --> 00:34:10,700 There's no reason we need to stay close. 645 00:34:11,467 --> 00:34:13,400 [Bruno] I'm ready. Everybody ready? 646 00:34:14,567 --> 00:34:15,734 Okay. Fire in the hole. 647 00:34:16,567 --> 00:34:18,333 [machine beeping] 648 00:34:20,100 --> 00:34:21,300 -That's it? -That's it. 649 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:23,200 And there's the first shot. 650 00:34:24,100 --> 00:34:25,567 -[Josh] Whoa! -[Bruno] Whoa. 651 00:34:25,567 --> 00:34:27,800 [Josh] Loaded with coins. Look at this. 652 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:29,567 Okay. Can we do a quick coin count here? 653 00:34:29,567 --> 00:34:33,567 One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, 654 00:34:33,567 --> 00:34:35,667 nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, 655 00:34:35,667 --> 00:34:37,700 fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty... 656 00:34:37,700 --> 00:34:39,800 -twenty five-ish coins? -At least. 657 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:41,200 Oh, come on. 658 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:43,600 And where's that gold bar? Is that this piece? 659 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:45,166 The gold bar is right there. 660 00:34:45,166 --> 00:34:47,700 You see how it's rounded on one edge and broken on those two? 661 00:34:47,700 --> 00:34:48,800 [Josh] Oh, yes, that's the gold bar. 662 00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:49,900 [Andrew] Yes, that's the gold bar. 663 00:34:50,367 --> 00:34:51,400 [whispers] Wow. 664 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:53,467 [in normal voice] That's awesome. 665 00:34:53,467 --> 00:34:57,266 A photogrammetry scan of the concretion is also processed, 666 00:34:57,266 --> 00:35:00,567 which allows the team to digitally preserve the artifacts 667 00:35:00,567 --> 00:35:02,567 in their original positions. 668 00:35:02,567 --> 00:35:07,166 It'll take many more months of soaking to completely dissolve this concretion. 669 00:35:07,166 --> 00:35:09,567 But with everything, this X-ray is revealing, 670 00:35:09,567 --> 00:35:11,467 Brandon wants to attempt to extract 671 00:35:11,467 --> 00:35:15,767 some of its valuable contents now so they can be conserved. 672 00:35:15,767 --> 00:35:18,500 This is a delicate process because it's critical 673 00:35:18,500 --> 00:35:21,266 to extract the objects without damaging them. 674 00:35:21,266 --> 00:35:25,100 Here to help us is project archeologist, Mark Agostini. 675 00:35:25,100 --> 00:35:26,700 -Hey, Mark, nice to meet you. -Great to meet you, Josh. 676 00:35:26,700 --> 00:35:29,600 [Josh] So, Mark, how do we de-concrete this concretion? 677 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:30,600 We use pneumatic tools. 678 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:32,500 -So we're gonna use a Dremel here. -[Josh] Yep. 679 00:35:32,500 --> 00:35:34,166 [Mark] Uh, uh, dental tools. 680 00:35:34,166 --> 00:35:36,100 And when we get into removing them, 681 00:35:36,100 --> 00:35:37,400 we're gonna use even toothpicks 682 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:40,467 'cause, obviously, wood is not as hard as the precious metals. 683 00:35:40,467 --> 00:35:42,967 This is like historic surgery right here. 684 00:35:42,967 --> 00:35:45,367 Yeah, a surgery 300 years in the making. 685 00:35:45,367 --> 00:35:47,900 Yeah. All right. Well, should we scrub in? 686 00:35:48,367 --> 00:35:49,533 -Let's do it. -Let's do it. 687 00:35:54,567 --> 00:35:56,233 All right, Mark, stage is yours. 688 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:00,800 Mark begins gently cutting into the concretion 689 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:04,000 around one of the coins protruding from inside. 690 00:36:05,200 --> 00:36:08,500 We hold our breath hoping the procedure is successful. 691 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:16,867 -Is that loose? -[Mark] Yep. This one's loose. 692 00:36:16,867 --> 00:36:18,133 [Josh] Ooh, look at that. 693 00:36:19,100 --> 00:36:21,066 [chuckles] Unbelievable. 694 00:36:21,066 --> 00:36:22,700 -[Barry] Can I see it, Mark? -[Mark] Yeah. 695 00:36:23,667 --> 00:36:27,066 -Yeah, that's that looks like a two-real. -[Mark] Two-real, yeah. 696 00:36:27,066 --> 00:36:30,266 [Josh] The two-real coin, much like the one we found underwater, 697 00:36:30,266 --> 00:36:32,166 is in surprisingly good condition 698 00:36:32,166 --> 00:36:36,367 for having been encased in minerals for the past 300 years. 699 00:36:36,367 --> 00:36:37,533 -They're real? -[Mark] Carrying on. 700 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:40,867 [Josh] Mark returns to the drill, 701 00:36:40,867 --> 00:36:45,133 and in quick succession we extract two more silver coins. 702 00:36:45,867 --> 00:36:47,433 [whispers] Look at that. 703 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,166 [in normal voice] But as we get deeper into the concretion, 704 00:36:50,166 --> 00:36:53,800 we find something very different, but just as valuable. 705 00:36:54,300 --> 00:36:56,567 That's shiny. Is that glass? 706 00:36:56,567 --> 00:37:00,066 [Mark] It could be glass. Maybe that's from a bottle of wine or rum. 707 00:37:00,066 --> 00:37:02,734 This is why you don't drink and drive even a pirate ship. 708 00:37:05,166 --> 00:37:06,700 -Looks like, uh-- -Thought it was bone. 709 00:37:06,700 --> 00:37:09,000 -Is that bone? No. -[Mark] It's a pipe fragment. 710 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:10,166 [Josh] Oh, this is... So this is clay? 711 00:37:10,166 --> 00:37:11,867 [Barry] Part of a bowl... bowl of a pipe. 712 00:37:11,867 --> 00:37:14,467 [Josh] This is part of a pipe? Like, a personal smoking pipe? 713 00:37:14,467 --> 00:37:17,700 This would be a really common personal object among the pirates. 714 00:37:17,700 --> 00:37:19,667 This is really the most personal thing we've seen yet. 715 00:37:19,667 --> 00:37:21,767 You know, this is something that belonged to an individual. 716 00:37:21,767 --> 00:37:24,066 They probably, you know, really held dear, right? 717 00:37:24,066 --> 00:37:26,467 This was their... This is their daily pipe. 718 00:37:26,467 --> 00:37:31,000 The pipe and glass fragments are discoveries that weren't visible on the X-ray, 719 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:34,400 but the team's next target is one we've been looking forward to 720 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:36,567 since we first saw it. 721 00:37:36,567 --> 00:37:39,900 So, we're trying to get this gold ingot, this gold piece out now. 722 00:37:39,900 --> 00:37:43,100 This is really delicate work because this gold is really soft. 723 00:37:43,100 --> 00:37:45,834 Easy to damage. This is high stakes here. 724 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:48,500 [Mark speaking] 725 00:37:48,500 --> 00:37:50,400 -[Josh] Wait, it does look loose. -That's just about right 726 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:51,867 Ooh, that's gonna come out. 727 00:37:51,867 --> 00:37:53,934 -[Mark] Yeah. We got it -Yes! Look at that. 728 00:37:59,900 --> 00:38:01,500 Yes! Look at that. 729 00:38:01,500 --> 00:38:02,667 [Mark chuckles] 730 00:38:02,667 --> 00:38:04,800 [Josh] Oh, my word. That is pure gold. 731 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:06,467 In the lab of the Whydah Museum, 732 00:38:06,467 --> 00:38:11,767 explorer Barry Clifford's team is opening a concretion from the fabled pirate ship 733 00:38:11,767 --> 00:38:16,867 that has already produced silver coins and now, solid gold as well. 734 00:38:16,867 --> 00:38:18,500 Barry, what do you think? What's that weigh? 735 00:38:20,500 --> 00:38:21,600 Three or four ounces. 736 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:23,867 -Three or four ounces of pure gold? -[Barry] Yeah. 737 00:38:23,867 --> 00:38:27,500 That's $10,000 worth of gold right there. I mean, that's outrageous. 738 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:30,800 So let's talk about this... this concretion, 739 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:32,767 because it's really strange, right? 740 00:38:32,767 --> 00:38:37,800 We have all of these different coins, these pistols, 741 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:40,967 parts of a pipe, glass and gold ingots, 742 00:38:40,967 --> 00:38:43,400 all in this incredibly compact space. 743 00:38:44,166 --> 00:38:45,767 What... what is this, do you think? 744 00:38:45,767 --> 00:38:47,500 In archaeology we call this an assemblage, 745 00:38:47,500 --> 00:38:49,166 which means an assortment of artifacts... 746 00:38:49,166 --> 00:38:51,066 -Right. -...that are all closely in one spot. 747 00:38:51,066 --> 00:38:52,600 We are getting organic material. 748 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:54,767 Oh, look at that. Is that like fiber? 749 00:38:54,767 --> 00:38:56,900 [Mark] Yeah, fiber. It's definitely organic. 750 00:38:56,900 --> 00:38:58,367 It might be hemp or burlap. 751 00:38:58,367 --> 00:39:00,300 And so, Barry, what does that tell you? 752 00:39:00,300 --> 00:39:05,300 All of these coins side by side, beside a rum bottle, 753 00:39:05,300 --> 00:39:09,467 beside a smoking pipe beside a big chunk of gold. 754 00:39:09,467 --> 00:39:11,166 Did they all fall into the ocean 755 00:39:11,166 --> 00:39:12,767 and happen to land on each other? 756 00:39:12,767 --> 00:39:14,066 -Right. -No. 757 00:39:14,066 --> 00:39:16,367 The math says they were in something. 758 00:39:16,367 --> 00:39:21,200 The pirates said the money was kept in bags in chests between decks. 759 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:26,000 So what you're saying is this could be a pirate's share, a pirate's bag of treasure. 760 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:30,066 This is definitely 100% a pirate's share of treasure. 761 00:39:30,066 --> 00:39:33,266 So if that's true, that is a one of a kind. 762 00:39:33,266 --> 00:39:35,367 There's nothing like it in the world. 763 00:39:35,367 --> 00:39:39,800 [Josh] We're holding the personal belongings of a pirate, his footlocker. 764 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:42,767 Since these bags were likely stored in the stern hold, 765 00:39:42,767 --> 00:39:46,400 it's our first indication that we might have been in the vicinity 766 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:49,100 of the Whydah's fabled stern castle. 767 00:39:49,100 --> 00:39:51,667 And it isn't just valuable monetarily. 768 00:39:51,667 --> 00:39:54,900 Historically, this find speaks volumes. 769 00:39:56,166 --> 00:40:01,000 There are all of these stories about Bellamy, as you know, 770 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:06,467 not this bloodthirsty pirate, but this egalitarian, kind of democratic leader. 771 00:40:06,467 --> 00:40:11,100 And seeing how rich this share is, really backs that idea up. 772 00:40:11,100 --> 00:40:14,200 -That these pirates are doing well out there. -Yeah. 773 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:16,700 [Josh] Even more remarkable is that the pirate's share 774 00:40:16,700 --> 00:40:19,166 also applied to the former slaves 775 00:40:19,166 --> 00:40:22,367 who were fully vested members of Bellamy's crew. 776 00:40:22,367 --> 00:40:26,867 A shocking display of equality, in a most unexpected place. 777 00:40:26,867 --> 00:40:29,100 A third of the Whydah crew were of African origin, 778 00:40:29,100 --> 00:40:31,266 -most of whom were former slaves. -[Josh] Right. 779 00:40:31,266 --> 00:40:33,700 This is not a story I remember learning in school. 780 00:40:33,700 --> 00:40:37,567 [Barry] Black pirates were experimenting in democracy with Europeans 781 00:40:37,567 --> 00:40:41,367 50 years before George Washington began his experiment. 782 00:40:41,367 --> 00:40:44,367 When you see this as a single pirate share, 783 00:40:44,367 --> 00:40:46,467 how does it make you think of Bellamy, the man? 784 00:40:46,467 --> 00:40:48,467 I have a lot of respect for Bellamy, 785 00:40:48,467 --> 00:40:51,500 and I often go down to the cliffs and talk to him. 786 00:40:51,500 --> 00:40:52,867 -[chuckles] -Yeah. Does he talk back? 787 00:40:52,867 --> 00:40:54,300 This is talking back right here. 788 00:40:54,300 --> 00:40:57,100 This is a pirate's share of treasure. 789 00:40:57,100 --> 00:40:59,000 Pirates held these coins. 790 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:01,667 Thousands of coins and gold. 791 00:41:01,667 --> 00:41:05,500 But the real treasure of the Whydah is the story. 792 00:41:05,500 --> 00:41:09,567 This is precious, precious history that we've uncovered here. 793 00:41:09,567 --> 00:41:12,867 And Brandon and all of our crew have dedicated their lives 794 00:41:12,867 --> 00:41:16,200 to preserving this history and bringing it to light. 795 00:41:16,767 --> 00:41:18,100 Barry, Brandon, the whole crew, 796 00:41:18,100 --> 00:41:20,000 you guys still have a lot of work to do out there, 797 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:21,467 -right? -We... We do. 798 00:41:21,467 --> 00:41:23,667 So what do you think? Is Bellamy's curse lifting here? 799 00:41:23,667 --> 00:41:25,667 Um, not so fast. You know... 800 00:41:25,667 --> 00:41:26,433 -We're taking it-- -One day at a time? 801 00:41:26,433 --> 00:41:27,967 We're taking it one day at a time. 802 00:41:27,967 --> 00:41:29,567 Thank you so much, Barry. What a pleasure. 803 00:41:29,567 --> 00:41:30,867 -Oh, no. With the hook. -Oh, the hook. Right. 804 00:41:30,867 --> 00:41:32,166 -Sorry. Arr. -Arr. 805 00:41:32,166 --> 00:41:33,767 Hey, Mark, thank you so much. 806 00:41:33,767 --> 00:41:36,000 -Brandon, thank you. This has been awesome. -Thank you. 807 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:38,100 A pirate's share. How about that? 808 00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:46,367 It's difficult to call any pirate a hero. 809 00:41:46,367 --> 00:41:50,066 After all, criminality is baked right into the job description. 810 00:41:50,066 --> 00:41:52,367 But Sam Bellamy seems to come closer 811 00:41:52,367 --> 00:41:54,800 than any I've looked at before. 812 00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:57,667 His sailors tasted freedom and equality 813 00:41:57,667 --> 00:42:01,867 decades before the colony on whose shores they perished. 814 00:42:01,867 --> 00:42:05,800 The Cliffords will continue to conserve the bounty of the Whydah, 815 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:08,166 expanding their collection of artifacts 816 00:42:08,166 --> 00:42:11,867 into a surprisingly human portrait of piracy. 817 00:42:11,867 --> 00:42:14,600 Black Sam Bellamy is quoted as having said, 818 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:17,066 "They vilify us, the scoundrels do, 819 00:42:17,066 --> 00:42:19,000 when there's only this difference, 820 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:21,800 they rob the poor under the cover of law, 821 00:42:21,800 --> 00:42:26,266 and we plunder the rich under the cover of our own courage." 822 00:42:26,266 --> 00:42:28,500 A prince of pirates, indeed.