1 00:00:08,633 --> 00:00:12,333 NARRATOR: Treasure hunting has captured our imaginations for centuries. 2 00:00:13,433 --> 00:00:16,273 KIM: I think everybody at some point in their life 3 00:00:16,300 --> 00:00:18,500 has dreamed about finding treasure. 4 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:21,770 JOHN: I knew straightaway that it was gold. 5 00:00:23,233 --> 00:00:29,203 COREY: There was over 30 tons of silver ingots on board, 200,000 coins, gold, emeralds. 6 00:00:31,100 --> 00:00:34,630 GARY: Once treasure and treasure diving gets in your blood it's hard to get it out. 7 00:00:35,833 --> 00:00:41,173 NARRATOR: Sunken treasures remain lost below the waves, until now. 8 00:00:45,067 --> 00:00:48,667 Imagine if we could empty the oceans, 9 00:00:48,700 --> 00:00:53,230 draining the water away to reveal the secrets of the sea floor. 10 00:00:54,567 --> 00:00:57,127 Now, we can. 11 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:03,370 Using the latest underwater scanning technology piercing the deep oceans. 12 00:01:05,233 --> 00:01:09,233 And turning accurate data into 3D images. 13 00:01:13,567 --> 00:01:19,067 How do you excavate a fortune in sunken silver from a wreck lost in shifting sands? 14 00:01:19,867 --> 00:01:22,767 MARTIJN: It's an amazing amount of money. 15 00:01:23,700 --> 00:01:26,670 NARRATOR: Why is the treasure from a wrecked Spanish galleon, 16 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:29,430 spread over 10 miles of Florida seabed? 17 00:01:30,767 --> 00:01:34,527 And how can the world's biggest haul of lost gold bullion 18 00:01:34,567 --> 00:01:37,597 be recovered from the Arctic depths? 19 00:01:49,500 --> 00:01:51,730 * 20 00:01:51,767 --> 00:01:54,897 NARRATOR: Today, moving money is simple. 21 00:01:55,133 --> 00:01:58,333 JAMES: These days you push a button and funds are electronically transferred. 22 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:04,370 But in the past the oceans were a pretty consistent means of moving the world's money. 23 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,730 NARRATOR: For centuries treasure ships sailed the oceans of the world 24 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,130 packed with silver, gold and precious stones. 25 00:02:15,667 --> 00:02:17,767 Hunted by pirates. 26 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:19,800 Battered by storms. 27 00:02:20,900 --> 00:02:23,670 Threatened by reefs and rocky shores. 28 00:02:24,767 --> 00:02:28,027 -The reason that you would find treasure underwater is that the water has been the 29 00:02:28,067 --> 00:02:30,567 greatest highway in human history. 30 00:02:31,267 --> 00:02:34,767 NARRATOR: And where there's treasure, there are treasure hunters. 31 00:02:36,300 --> 00:02:39,330 NIGEL: I think people certainly catch gold fever. 32 00:02:41,133 --> 00:02:44,173 I think people love searching for things. 33 00:02:44,367 --> 00:02:47,167 It's deep in our psyche. 34 00:02:48,567 --> 00:02:52,697 NARRATOR: Around the world hundreds of treasure wrecks remain unexplored. 35 00:02:54,233 --> 00:02:57,803 As the waters of the oceans begin to drain away, 36 00:02:57,833 --> 00:03:00,773 they reveal their most valuable secrets. 37 00:03:02,867 --> 00:03:04,627 The English Channel. 38 00:03:04,667 --> 00:03:07,497 Five miles off the coast of Kent. 39 00:03:08,533 --> 00:03:12,303 The grave of an 18th century merchant ship. 40 00:03:12,900 --> 00:03:16,500 Lost to the waves and carrying a fortune in silver. 41 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:23,830 The priceless wreck often vanishes and re-appears under ever-shifting sandbanks. 42 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,870 Can draining away the English Channel reveal the wreck and the sunken treasure? 43 00:03:36,567 --> 00:03:39,967 January the 8th, 1740. 44 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,600 The Dutch East India Company ship, the Rooswijk, sets off 45 00:03:44,633 --> 00:03:47,473 from the Netherlands into the English Channel. 46 00:03:47,500 --> 00:03:51,800 It's on an eight-month long voyage to Indonesia, then known 47 00:03:51,833 --> 00:03:55,373 as the Dutch East Indies, the center of the spice trade. 48 00:03:56,267 --> 00:04:00,997 On board are merchants, soldiers, and a precious cargo. 49 00:04:02,233 --> 00:04:07,603 -It's said that there were about 300,000 guilders of silver on board of the ship, 50 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:14,430 in silver bars and about 36,000 of coins. 51 00:04:15,767 --> 00:04:21,627 NARRATOR: A fortune in today's money, equivalent to around $100 million. 52 00:04:23,467 --> 00:04:28,597 A few miles off the English coast, a violent storm blows up. 53 00:04:28,967 --> 00:04:32,797 The ship hits sand banks and disappears. 54 00:04:34,467 --> 00:04:40,567 237 men die and the silver is lost to the sea. 55 00:04:43,167 --> 00:04:46,467 Now, more than 270 years later, 56 00:04:46,500 --> 00:04:52,470 a team of underwater archaeologists investigate. 57 00:04:52,500 --> 00:04:55,730 Martijn Manders heads the expedition. 58 00:04:55,767 --> 00:05:00,627 -It's enormously unique to do a large-scale excavation underwater, 59 00:05:01,233 --> 00:05:06,573 we really have to take care of what's down there underwater or we lose it forever. 60 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,200 NARRATOR: These are treacherous waters. 61 00:05:13,933 --> 00:05:20,233 To locate the wreck the team uses the latest technology: multi-beam sonar scanning. 62 00:05:21,933 --> 00:05:24,903 RODRIGO: We came out and did a multi-beam survey, 63 00:05:24,933 --> 00:05:29,573 you create a whole, a whole image of the seabed. 64 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:34,070 NARRATOR: Multi-beam sonar fires sound waves to the sea floor. 65 00:05:34,367 --> 00:05:38,767 The return signal displays the shape and depth of the features beneath. 66 00:05:39,667 --> 00:05:44,467 -That way we can start putting that puzzle together. 67 00:05:47,867 --> 00:05:52,297 NARRATOR: Combining the sonar data with the latest visualization techniques, 68 00:05:52,333 --> 00:05:57,503 it's now possible to empty the waters of the English Channel. 69 00:05:58,267 --> 00:06:03,267 As the sea drains away, the first challenge the team face is revealed, 70 00:06:03,300 --> 00:06:05,870 the landscape under the surface. 71 00:06:06,933 --> 00:06:12,073 It's an incredible hidden world, miles of rolling dunes, 72 00:06:12,833 --> 00:06:15,933 like a desert underwater. 73 00:06:15,967 --> 00:06:18,327 The Goodwin Sands. 74 00:06:19,167 --> 00:06:20,827 Lying close to the surface, 75 00:06:20,867 --> 00:06:26,267 these endlessly shifting sands are a deadly threat to shippin. 76 00:06:26,300 --> 00:06:28,930 -They called it the great ship-swallower. 77 00:06:30,267 --> 00:06:33,797 NARRATOR: It's the graveyard for around 2,000 ships, 78 00:06:33,833 --> 00:06:37,603 each running aground in the treacherous shallows. 79 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:43,300 The Rooswijk is swallowed here and disappears for centuries. 80 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:49,600 Have the sands shifted enough to finally reveal this treasure ship? 81 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:56,030 As the waters of the English Channel continue to drain away, 82 00:06:56,067 --> 00:06:58,267 a shape emerges. 83 00:06:58,867 --> 00:07:02,797 Twisted timbers of a ship from the 18th century. 84 00:07:02,833 --> 00:07:07,203 To an expert eye, artifacts of Dutch origin. 85 00:07:07,867 --> 00:07:12,667 And as it's revealed high and dry it's finally clear, 86 00:07:12,700 --> 00:07:16,430 this is all that is left of the Rooswijk. 87 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:21,600 Archaeologists can now view the remains of the ship from 88 00:07:21,633 --> 00:07:25,873 any angle and examine it in fine detail. 89 00:07:27,633 --> 00:07:32,803 The hull shape is long lost to the ocean, but there is a pile of timbers, 90 00:07:35,267 --> 00:07:40,767 collapsed deck planks lying at strange angles, and five cannon scattered around. 91 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:47,970 -We're basically uncovering something that hasn't been seen for the past 250 years. 92 00:07:48,733 --> 00:07:51,633 NARRATOR: But where is the treasure? 93 00:07:51,667 --> 00:07:53,927 -We're gonna dive to it and investigate it and 94 00:07:53,967 --> 00:07:58,667 hope to find the secrets that this shipwreck reveals. 95 00:07:59,133 --> 00:08:01,573 For a lot of people this is a treasure ship. 96 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,430 For the archaeologists this is a treasure ship because we could get so much information. 97 00:08:06,900 --> 00:08:10,500 NARRATOR: Fast-moving tides make the expedition difficult. 98 00:08:11,633 --> 00:08:17,803 Each day there might only be one hour between tides that's safe for diving. 99 00:08:18,533 --> 00:08:21,773 -It is a race against the clock. 100 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:23,200 -Ready to ride. 101 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,030 -Going down into an elevator is like going back in time. 102 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:35,800 -It's a time capsule of 1740. 103 00:08:39,167 --> 00:08:40,727 MAN (over radio): Okay. 104 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:46,130 NARRATOR: An umbilical cord provides air 75 feet down. 105 00:08:47,367 --> 00:08:51,527 -It was really, really exciting to start diving there. 106 00:08:51,567 --> 00:08:57,367 I was swimming and then suddenly you see these cannons appearing and 107 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:00,570 uh wood sticking out of the sea bed. 108 00:09:02,333 --> 00:09:07,703 You really get this idea that this is the place where all these people died. 109 00:09:09,367 --> 00:09:10,767 This is a grave. 110 00:09:13,433 --> 00:09:17,773 NARRATOR: The drained wreck of the Rooswijk shows the scale of the challenge. 111 00:09:18,167 --> 00:09:21,167 Debris is spread over a large area. 112 00:09:21,933 --> 00:09:25,733 Here's what's thought to be the main part of the ship, 113 00:09:25,767 --> 00:09:31,627 but around 400 feet to the north-west lie two anchors and a pile of barrels. 114 00:09:33,467 --> 00:09:39,427 And more than 900 feet to the north-east, ten cannon spread around. 115 00:09:41,167 --> 00:09:47,027 To the east, eight more cannon in a row, next to another anchor. 116 00:09:49,433 --> 00:09:53,403 The team has only a 12-week window to work the wreck site 117 00:09:53,433 --> 00:09:57,773 and it can take days to excavate just a few square feet, 118 00:09:57,800 --> 00:09:59,870 so they must focus their search. 119 00:10:00,533 --> 00:10:03,173 -We have to make choices and this is what we did 120 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:06,600 on the basis of uh the multibeam data. 121 00:10:07,033 --> 00:10:10,173 NARRATOR: Martijn decides to home in on the stern. 122 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:15,330 -It's the place where the officers, maybe the passengers, 123 00:10:15,367 --> 00:10:21,767 where the merchant men used to live during their trip, where money was stored. 124 00:10:23,300 --> 00:10:28,600 NARRATOR: But how much treasure might still be down there? 125 00:10:29,567 --> 00:10:34,627 Using enormous vacuums to remove the sand, they hunt carefully amongst the debris. 126 00:10:42,900 --> 00:10:48,000 NARRATOR: Martijn finds a broken chest with its contents spilling out. 127 00:10:48,300 --> 00:10:52,130 And then a thrilling moment. 128 00:10:52,167 --> 00:10:57,427 A silver coin, and soon dozens more. 129 00:10:59,033 --> 00:11:05,473 Money destined for the East Indies that's been lying here for more than 270 years. 130 00:11:09,167 --> 00:11:13,867 The wreck of the Rooswijk is beginning to reveal its treasures. 131 00:11:15,233 --> 00:11:18,003 -Diver well? -Diver well. 132 00:11:19,733 --> 00:11:23,933 These are Pieces of Eight, eight Real, 133 00:11:23,967 --> 00:11:27,567 some people might know them from the pirate films. 134 00:11:27,933 --> 00:11:33,133 NARRATOR: The Spanish Real was the standard trading currency of the 18th century. 135 00:11:33,567 --> 00:11:40,127 Made of silver, a single coin is worth more than a week's pay for a sailor. 136 00:11:40,167 --> 00:11:42,767 These coins are some of the thousands that the 137 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:46,000 Dutch East India Company places on board ship. 138 00:11:46,433 --> 00:11:50,203 All minted just before the Rooswijk sails. 139 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:55,770 But some of the other discovered coins are noticeably different. 140 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,070 -These are large Ducatons, but they're old. 141 00:11:59,100 --> 00:12:01,100 They're very old. 142 00:12:01,133 --> 00:12:04,633 These are 17th century, so they're probably about 70 years, 143 00:12:04,667 --> 00:12:08,197 80 years older than when the ship wrecked. 144 00:12:08,900 --> 00:12:11,700 NARRATOR: They're not the newly minted company money 145 00:12:11,733 --> 00:12:14,873 that the ship is supposed to be carrying. 146 00:12:15,167 --> 00:12:19,297 Trading in private money was banned by the Dutch East India Company, 147 00:12:19,333 --> 00:12:22,803 so finding these coins raises new questions. 148 00:12:24,133 --> 00:12:29,733 If they aren't company money, whose are they and what are they used for? 149 00:12:31,367 --> 00:12:35,427 The drained landscape around the Rooswijk reveals clues. 150 00:12:36,433 --> 00:12:39,873 The Reals are found in clusters, in the stern area, 151 00:12:39,900 --> 00:12:43,170 the part of the ship where company money is stored. 152 00:12:44,267 --> 00:12:49,327 But surprisingly the other coins are found mixed in with them. 153 00:12:50,167 --> 00:12:54,967 Some even show evidence of being kept secret. 154 00:12:57,167 --> 00:13:01,627 -But really interesting of this coin is this little hole. 155 00:13:01,667 --> 00:13:05,067 Maybe it's, it's, it's worn under the clothes. 156 00:13:05,100 --> 00:13:10,970 Maybe somebody had a collar of all sorts of coins and just keeping it hidden. 157 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,500 NARRATOR: Could these coins, found at the bottom of the English Channel, 158 00:13:14,533 --> 00:13:20,903 be incredible new evidence of one of the oldest trades in history: smuggling. 159 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:31,370 MARTIJN: So we have a notary deed, an official document. 160 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:36,370 NARRATOR: In Amsterdam, Martijn Manders investigates the sunken treasure of the 161 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,970 Rooswijk and meets historian Mateus van Rossum. 162 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:45,370 -And this is the interesting thing, we have these combinations of coins, 163 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,870 all different kinds, very old. 164 00:13:48,900 --> 00:13:51,870 MATTHIAS: That's definitely private trade. 165 00:13:51,900 --> 00:13:57,230 NARRATOR: Private trade means a booming black market in smuggled silver. 166 00:13:58,833 --> 00:14:00,803 -Isn't that illegal? 167 00:14:00,833 --> 00:14:06,173 -It was illegal because the company banned the shipment of silver 168 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:08,970 from the Republic to Asia and back. 169 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:10,230 -So this is evidence? 170 00:14:10,267 --> 00:14:12,797 -This is basically all illegal. 171 00:14:14,433 --> 00:14:17,833 NARRATOR: Silver is worth more in the East Indies than in the Netherlands, 172 00:14:17,867 --> 00:14:21,797 because it can be used to buy trade goods like spices. 173 00:14:22,333 --> 00:14:27,973 Enterprising members of the crew collect cash from their families and friends. 174 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:32,730 Then, once they arrive in Asia, they simply sell their private silver to the 175 00:14:32,767 --> 00:14:35,997 Dutch East India Company for a profit. 176 00:14:36,267 --> 00:14:40,167 It's illegal, but the company turns a blind eye to the trade 177 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:44,830 because they use the smuggled silver to buy more spices. 178 00:14:46,700 --> 00:14:52,270 Draining the Rooswijk reveals that not only are the private coins found in the stern 179 00:14:52,300 --> 00:14:56,170 they're also discovered in other areas of the wreck. 180 00:14:57,433 --> 00:15:00,233 This poses a new question. 181 00:15:00,700 --> 00:15:05,470 -Was it only the merchants did this or, or was it more widespread? 182 00:15:05,500 --> 00:15:08,800 -This was actually very widespread. 183 00:15:08,833 --> 00:15:14,473 The captain, the first mate, the surgeons, the company merchant on board the ship, 184 00:15:14,500 --> 00:15:18,930 then the lower ranks does indicate that the whole crew 185 00:15:18,967 --> 00:15:22,797 participated to some degree in this, in this trade. 186 00:15:23,767 --> 00:15:27,867 NARRATOR: For two centuries, the Dutch East India company dominates trade 187 00:15:27,900 --> 00:15:31,330 between Asia and its headquarters in Amsterdam, 188 00:15:31,367 --> 00:15:36,297 making the city the key commercial center in the world. 189 00:15:36,333 --> 00:15:40,073 -The Dutch East India Company was one of the very first 190 00:15:40,100 --> 00:15:44,030 large multinational corporations. 191 00:15:44,067 --> 00:15:47,167 NARRATOR: Its mission is profit. 192 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:53,600 To trade silver for spices, using ships like the Rooswijk to spearhead trade. 193 00:15:56,167 --> 00:16:01,667 An earlier commercial dive uncovers the first evidence of the high value of the ship, 194 00:16:03,533 --> 00:16:06,303 two chests. 195 00:16:06,333 --> 00:16:12,433 Cracked open, there's a sight straight out of a high seas adventure story. 196 00:16:12,967 --> 00:16:18,597 In each, 50 bars of silver bullion, blackened by the wate, 197 00:16:18,633 --> 00:16:23,633 worth a fortune and now divided between the salvage team and the Dutch Government. 198 00:16:27,067 --> 00:16:30,467 But the smuggled coins add new understanding to one of 199 00:16:30,500 --> 00:16:34,370 the most colorful sagas in the age of discovery. 200 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:39,500 And reveal that everyone is secretly in on the take. 201 00:16:40,667 --> 00:16:46,097 -It's estimated that 50% of all the silver on board was smuggled money. 202 00:16:46,133 --> 00:16:51,633 So, if you think about the Rooswijk, 36,000 coins on board officially, 203 00:16:51,667 --> 00:16:56,167 so that means 36,000 coins on board unofficially. 204 00:16:56,200 --> 00:17:00,100 That's an amazing amount of money. 205 00:17:00,467 --> 00:17:04,897 NARRATOR: How much more is there to find? 206 00:17:08,067 --> 00:17:12,967 It's six weeks into the 12-week expedition. 207 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:17,970 At a harbor side lab experts carefully record the archaeological treasures so 208 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:23,070 they can be studied anywhere in the world in stunning 3D detail. 209 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:31,200 Pewter tableware, glass bottles from the Captain's table, 210 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:37,170 and more company coins. 211 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:44,200 DAN: We've only found 700 so far, there are many thousand more to find. 212 00:17:44,233 --> 00:17:46,603 NARRATOR: With only a few weeks left on the project 213 00:17:46,633 --> 00:17:49,203 the race is on to recover as much as possible. 214 00:17:53,467 --> 00:17:59,767 And the team now also want to solve the Rooswijk's long-standing mystery, 215 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,930 how exactly did it meet its fate? 216 00:18:06,767 --> 00:18:10,967 The drained wreckage of the ship reveals clues. 217 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:16,430 The stern section can be seen lying in a pile. 218 00:18:17,900 --> 00:18:23,900 More than 300 feet away, there's an anchor. 219 00:18:24,933 --> 00:18:30,003 And further out, several cannon, grouped together. 220 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:34,670 What does this spread of clues reveal? 221 00:18:34,700 --> 00:18:39,800 -This is the evidence of the people struggling and trying to save their ship. 222 00:18:42,267 --> 00:18:46,127 The ship was caught by the storm, was pushed on the 223 00:18:46,167 --> 00:18:48,727 sandbanks of the Goodwin Sands. 224 00:18:48,767 --> 00:18:52,267 It's just being smashed on the sands. 225 00:18:53,167 --> 00:18:54,867 So, what do you do? 226 00:18:54,900 --> 00:18:59,600 You throw away your heavy equipment and you start with your cannons. 227 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:08,270 NARRATOR: During the storm, the crew ditches at least 23 cannons in an attempt to 228 00:19:08,300 --> 00:19:13,300 lighten the ship and break free from the sandbanks. 229 00:19:13,900 --> 00:19:16,530 Then the crew drops anchor. 230 00:19:16,567 --> 00:19:20,767 But there's no chance of escape. 231 00:19:21,367 --> 00:19:25,527 -It just gets stuck further and further. 232 00:19:27,533 --> 00:19:32,933 The sea lifting the ship and just pounding it on to the sand and 233 00:19:32,967 --> 00:19:36,267 breaking it in thousands of pieces. 234 00:19:36,733 --> 00:19:38,973 And everybody was lost. 235 00:19:40,300 --> 00:19:44,100 It's almost unimaginable. 236 00:19:45,933 --> 00:19:48,033 NARRATOR: The loss of the Rooswijk's silver 237 00:19:48,067 --> 00:19:51,997 is a big blow for the Dutch East India company. 238 00:19:52,533 --> 00:19:58,233 -Shipwrecks are one of the, the recurring threats for, for the company so 239 00:19:58,267 --> 00:20:03,197 yearly there would be losses of ships, one or two on average. 240 00:20:04,100 --> 00:20:07,400 And some historians see this as, as one of the factors that 241 00:20:07,433 --> 00:20:11,733 contributes to the demise of the Dutch East India Company. 242 00:20:14,167 --> 00:20:18,427 NARRATOR: Now, after 12 weeks of challenging excavation, the 243 00:20:18,467 --> 00:20:22,397 archaeological expedition is almost at an end. 244 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:24,670 -So this is the last night of the project. 245 00:20:24,700 --> 00:20:30,230 12 weeks of great dives but also uh we had storms, 246 00:20:31,100 --> 00:20:34,670 we had lots of difficult tides, 247 00:20:34,700 --> 00:20:39,370 bad visibility but we've also made a lot of progress. 248 00:20:41,167 --> 00:20:44,197 -We've found around 2,000 coins. 249 00:20:48,867 --> 00:20:52,727 NARRATOR: It's only a fraction of the coins known to be on board. 250 00:20:52,767 --> 00:20:56,567 Including the smuggled ones, the value of Rooswijk' silver 251 00:20:56,600 --> 00:21:01,200 could now be up to $125 million. 252 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:07,000 Martijn plans to return to the wreck site. 253 00:21:10,567 --> 00:21:13,567 How much more of the Rooswijk's sunken treasures 254 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:17,200 can be recovered from the shifting sands below? 255 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:23,800 Archaeologists and treasure hunters continue to scour the seas. 256 00:21:24,167 --> 00:21:29,727 And as the world's oceans continue to drain away they reveal yet more tantalizing 257 00:21:29,767 --> 00:21:34,097 clues of fortunes lost under the waves. 258 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:38,600 The Florida Keys. 259 00:21:38,633 --> 00:21:42,573 In 1622, a Spanish galleon sinks here laden with an 260 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:47,400 extraordinary haul of silver, gold and gems. 261 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:53,270 For decades, treasure hunters pursue a dream: 262 00:21:53,300 --> 00:21:57,130 to find one of the richest wrecks in history. 263 00:21:58,500 --> 00:22:02,470 Can draining the oceans here reveal the fabled motherlode 264 00:22:02,500 --> 00:22:05,900 of the vanished treasure ship, Atocha? 265 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:20,200 KIM: I'm Kim Fisher and I'm a treasure hunter. 266 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:25,970 Gold fever, treasure fever. 267 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,270 I think everybody at some point in their life 268 00:22:28,300 --> 00:22:31,470 has dreamed about finding treasure. 269 00:22:31,833 --> 00:22:36,333 NARRATOR: Off the coast of Key West, Florida, a team of self-styled treasure hunters 270 00:22:36,367 --> 00:22:39,467 is chasing the legend of the treasure ship Atocha, 271 00:22:39,500 --> 00:22:42,330 known to have been lost in these waters. 272 00:22:42,367 --> 00:22:46,867 GARY: Nice clean bottom, looks like we've got something coming in here. 273 00:22:46,900 --> 00:22:49,130 Nice target. 274 00:22:49,167 --> 00:22:53,367 Once treasure and treasure diving gets in your blood it's hard to get it out. 275 00:22:55,967 --> 00:23:00,097 NARRATOR: Maritime archaeologist Corey Malcolm has spent two decades 276 00:23:00,133 --> 00:23:03,603 investigating the fate of the Spanish galleon. 277 00:23:05,267 --> 00:23:11,697 COREY: The Atocha we know er, specifically carried 260 people on board. 278 00:23:12,333 --> 00:23:15,903 Some of these people were the wealthiest people in the world. 279 00:23:15,933 --> 00:23:20,203 You had religious figures, you had explorers. 280 00:23:20,500 --> 00:23:23,830 NARRATOR: September the 4th, 1622. 281 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:28,770 The 'Nuestra Senora de Atocha' is part of a fleet of 28 ships 282 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,330 that leaves Havana, Cuba bound for Spain. 283 00:23:35,067 --> 00:23:38,397 It's laden with silver, gold, and gems. 284 00:23:38,433 --> 00:23:42,973 More than a year's worth of treasure obtained by the Spanish from their empire in 285 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,430 Mexico and South America. 286 00:23:45,900 --> 00:23:49,830 -The Atocha was a tremendously important ship to Spain. 287 00:23:49,867 --> 00:23:52,427 It was carrying a huge amount of treasure, 288 00:23:52,467 --> 00:23:55,827 I mean there was over 30 tons of silver ingots on board, 289 00:23:55,867 --> 00:24:01,297 200,000 coins, gold and emeralds. 290 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:06,000 NARRATOR: But the Atocha quickly runs in to trouble. 291 00:24:08,567 --> 00:24:14,867 JOHN: It wasn't a day out from Havana that they started feeling the wind increase, 292 00:24:17,267 --> 00:24:21,797 the seas starting to build and they knew they were caught. 293 00:24:22,767 --> 00:24:25,627 NARRATOR: A hurricane closes in. 294 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:33,400 The ship is lost. 295 00:24:33,433 --> 00:24:37,533 Only five men survive to tell the tale. 296 00:24:37,567 --> 00:24:43,527 And their testimonies say that what sunk the ship wasn't just the high wind and waves. 297 00:24:43,567 --> 00:24:49,327 There is clearly something else here that poses a deadly threat to shipping. 298 00:24:50,100 --> 00:24:53,570 This area is notorious for shipwrecks. 299 00:24:53,833 --> 00:24:58,603 Around 1,000 ships have been doomed along the Florida Keys. 300 00:24:59,633 --> 00:25:03,573 Ships are drawn to these waters to make use of the Gulf Stream, 301 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,700 the ancient highway of the seas. 302 00:25:11,500 --> 00:25:17,800 The best way to see what might have wrecked the Spanish galleon is to drain the ocean. 303 00:25:19,267 --> 00:25:23,467 Now multi beam sonar scanning details the extraordinary 304 00:25:23,500 --> 00:25:27,170 subsea landscape around the Florida Keys. 305 00:25:28,300 --> 00:25:33,930 As the waters drain away a vast coastal mountain range is revealed. 306 00:25:34,967 --> 00:25:39,197 The shallow Florida Keys are just the peaks. 307 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:45,800 Beyond them the land drops down, up to 6,000 feet into an ocean abyss. 308 00:25:48,300 --> 00:25:52,970 This is the edge of the North American continental shelf. 309 00:25:55,100 --> 00:26:01,100 -We have a pretty dramatic drop off here, it goes down like a wall. 310 00:26:02,467 --> 00:26:07,527 NARRATOR: Further in from the leading edge, an amazing sight is now revealed: 311 00:26:07,567 --> 00:26:10,397 hard, rock-like formations. 312 00:26:10,433 --> 00:26:16,433 This is North America's only coral reef, known as the Florida reef tract and 313 00:26:16,467 --> 00:26:20,227 it lies just under the surface of the sea. 314 00:26:22,133 --> 00:26:28,233 Today, lighthouses stand guard here but for the Spanish traders on the Atocha 315 00:26:28,267 --> 00:26:31,067 there is no such warning. 316 00:26:32,500 --> 00:26:37,170 -A ship like a Spanish galleon that might draw 12 feet. 317 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,230 It is going to hit a shallow reef like that and, 318 00:26:40,267 --> 00:26:45,597 and it's going to have its bottom torn out and sink. 319 00:26:46,533 --> 00:26:52,003 NARRATOR: But will draining the Florida Keys reveal the Atocha and its treasure? 320 00:26:56,500 --> 00:27:02,870 Throughout the 1970s treasure hunter Mel Fisher searches for the lost ship. 321 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:08,430 He and his family are driven by stories of the legendary treasure. 322 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,370 -My dad was an eternal optimist. 323 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:17,800 Today is the day he told us every day, today's the day we're going to find it. 324 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:23,370 NARRATOR: For more than a decade, the Fisher Team finds clues of the Atocha. 325 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:27,670 cannon, and even silver coins. 326 00:27:27,933 --> 00:27:32,773 These finds are tantalizing and help finance the continuing search for 327 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:37,270 what the team call the motherlode. 328 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:43,330 -In the early years you know people thought Mel was crazy oh it's you know, 329 00:27:43,367 --> 00:27:45,727 you're never going to find it. 330 00:27:46,433 --> 00:27:48,733 NARRATOR: For some observers, treasure hunting and 331 00:27:48,767 --> 00:27:52,397 archaeological preservation don't mix. 332 00:27:53,633 --> 00:27:59,533 Mel Fisher invented a propeller blast system to clear away sand. 333 00:27:59,733 --> 00:28:03,673 Recovering sunken treasures this way can damage the sea floor 334 00:28:03,700 --> 00:28:07,330 and some of the artifacts that lie upon it. 335 00:28:08,167 --> 00:28:13,967 But the treasure hunters believe that their work also helps us understand the past. 336 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,130 -We're kind of saving history. 337 00:28:16,167 --> 00:28:20,167 You know if we didn't go out there and recover these items, in a responsible manner and 338 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:24,600 bring them to light for the public, they would be lost forever. 339 00:28:25,767 --> 00:28:31,967 NARRATOR: 15 years after the Fisher Team begin searching, there's a breakthrough. 340 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:36,330 Cameras capture murky images on the sea floor. 341 00:28:36,367 --> 00:28:41,667 Draining away the waters of the Florida Keys reveals clearly one of the most 342 00:28:41,700 --> 00:28:45,400 valuable shipwrecks in history. 343 00:28:46,567 --> 00:28:51,497 Based upon the latest scanning data and computer visualization technology, 344 00:28:51,533 --> 00:28:56,173 it's possible to empty the seas, exposing what the Fisher family spent 345 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,800 almost two decades looking for. 346 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:07,030 Visible for the first time in four centuries, wreckage of the Atocha, 347 00:29:07,067 --> 00:29:13,227 55 feet down, once again open to the light of day. 348 00:29:16,733 --> 00:29:21,173 Strewn around, timbers from the ship's hull. 349 00:29:22,167 --> 00:29:26,067 Stones carried as ships' ballast. 350 00:29:26,733 --> 00:29:31,903 Poking out of the mud, debris of shattered treasure chests. 351 00:29:31,933 --> 00:29:34,803 -It really doesn't look like a ship anymore. 352 00:29:34,833 --> 00:29:38,703 It's broken up, it's decayed. 353 00:29:39,100 --> 00:29:43,930 NARRATOR: Among the wreckage, a pile of blackened metal. 354 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:50,900 It's a massive block of silver bars: 30 tons in total. 355 00:29:52,700 --> 00:29:58,900 The motherlode of the Atocha exposed for all to see. 356 00:30:00,533 --> 00:30:05,573 ANDY: It's an emotion. It was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment 357 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,830 to see Mel Fisher's dream, the motherlode. 358 00:30:09,867 --> 00:30:11,997 MAN (over radio): There's lobsters around the whole thing. 359 00:30:14,367 --> 00:30:20,027 -When I got out of the water I went over to my chart and I put a real X on the chart of 360 00:30:22,033 --> 00:30:24,203 "here's the treasure". 361 00:30:24,233 --> 00:30:27,073 It was totally overwhelming. 362 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,570 -We were all elated, you know. 363 00:30:33,867 --> 00:30:37,897 We'd spent most of my life looking for this one wreck and now there it was. 364 00:30:39,667 --> 00:30:43,397 NARRATOR: It's arguably the biggest ever haul of Spanish treasure, 365 00:30:43,967 --> 00:30:48,267 making the Fisher family, and their backers, wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. 366 00:30:49,567 --> 00:30:54,967 -The motherlode in 1985 was valued at about $400 million at that time. 367 00:30:56,633 --> 00:31:01,933 Between now and then we've recovered a lot more, and the value in today's numbers, 368 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:06,430 you know it's somewhere probably twice that, you know 369 00:31:06,467 --> 00:31:08,497 approaching a billion dollar wreck. 370 00:31:08,533 --> 00:31:11,033 It's kind of mind boggling. 371 00:31:12,067 --> 00:31:16,767 NARRATOR: Among the treasures are an emerald and gold cross and ring. 372 00:31:18,767 --> 00:31:22,167 Rare silver from the Incan empire. 373 00:31:22,633 --> 00:31:26,573 Gold chains, and cups. 374 00:31:27,567 --> 00:31:30,767 And the Fishers are not finished yet. 375 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:36,630 Their search for more of the Atocha riches continues. 376 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:40,570 -Based on what we see on the manifest and what's been recovered, 377 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:43,700 we can estimate there's 300 silver bars. 378 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:48,730 There was about 70 pounds of emeralds smuggled on board the Atocha 379 00:31:49,700 --> 00:31:53,200 and we've only found about six or seven pounds so far. 380 00:31:54,867 --> 00:31:58,467 -There's still a lot of treasure out there to be found. 381 00:31:59,167 --> 00:32:02,927 NARRATOR: The Fisher team has discovered that treasure from the Atocha has been found 382 00:32:02,967 --> 00:32:07,167 not just at the motherlode but spread out over miles. 383 00:32:09,167 --> 00:32:13,767 Why is it spread so widely, and can draining the trail of wreckage 384 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:16,470 lead to finding a second motherlode? 385 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:25,900 GARY: Keep your eye on that forward sonar. 386 00:32:26,100 --> 00:32:29,070 Let me know if you see any targets. 387 00:32:29,667 --> 00:32:32,067 NARRATOR: The hunt for the Atocha's lost emeralds 388 00:32:32,100 --> 00:32:35,500 is now focused on a missing part of the ship: 389 00:32:36,067 --> 00:32:40,127 the sterncastle, where the wealthiest people on board have their cabins. 390 00:32:43,167 --> 00:32:45,567 -My number one target's probably a pile of emeralds. 391 00:32:47,167 --> 00:32:51,767 KIM: Emeralds are so valuable that you could have one box full of emeralds that would be 392 00:32:52,333 --> 00:32:54,773 worth a whole ship full of silver. 393 00:32:55,167 --> 00:32:58,627 The Muzo mine produces the best emeralds in the world, even today. 394 00:33:00,433 --> 00:33:03,103 So keep your eyes open for big emeralds. 395 00:33:05,300 --> 00:33:07,870 That's, that's the big prize. 396 00:33:10,033 --> 00:33:13,203 NARRATOR: Critical clues lie in the spread of wreckage 397 00:33:13,233 --> 00:33:15,833 and previously discovered treasures. 398 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:21,130 The treasure hunters call it the Atocha trail. 399 00:33:21,500 --> 00:33:25,100 -That's looks good there's a target coming in right there. 400 00:33:25,133 --> 00:33:27,503 Might be something we have to go dig. 401 00:33:30,267 --> 00:33:33,997 NARRATOR: With the waters of the Florida Keys drained away, 402 00:33:34,367 --> 00:33:37,867 the true extent of the Atocha trail is revealed. 403 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:46,270 Survivors' accounts report that the ship hits the outer reef here, 404 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:52,170 and eventually sinks two miles away at the site where the motherlode is found. 405 00:33:55,033 --> 00:33:58,703 But then, the trail of wreckage appears to continue on for miles, 406 00:34:00,100 --> 00:34:03,800 each point here marks a treasure already discovered. 407 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:07,800 COREY: It creates almost a, a breadcrumb trail on the sea floor. 408 00:34:09,533 --> 00:34:13,603 NARRATOR: Why are the Atocha's treasures spread over 10 miles of seabed? 409 00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:18,600 Following the trail itself gives the treasure hunters the answer. 410 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,800 -We've pieced together what happened. 411 00:34:26,267 --> 00:34:30,027 NARRATOR: After the hurricane sinks the Atocha in September of 1622, 412 00:34:30,867 --> 00:34:34,067 another great storm pounds the sunken wreck. 413 00:34:35,667 --> 00:34:38,797 -30 days after the Atocha sank the second hurricane came. 414 00:34:42,767 --> 00:34:47,527 -The bow and the stern and the upper decks all ripped loose in that second storm and 415 00:34:47,833 --> 00:34:51,403 started bouncing along, leaving a trail of treasure... 416 00:34:51,967 --> 00:34:56,797 NARRATOR: Lying four miles from the motherlode is what's thought to be the bow section 417 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:00,800 of the ship, but the trail appears to continue even further. 418 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:06,500 JOHN: That superstructure carried off, breaking up as it went along and, 419 00:35:07,100 --> 00:35:09,570 and dropping things. 420 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:13,470 NARRATOR: The missing sterncastle and a huge amount of treasure 421 00:35:13,500 --> 00:35:16,800 is projected to lie somewhere in this area. 422 00:35:20,733 --> 00:35:26,333 And now new technology, a hovering autonomous underwater vehicle or HAUV, 423 00:35:27,567 --> 00:35:31,197 allows the treasure hunters to find the tiniest clues. 424 00:35:33,300 --> 00:35:36,670 -It lets us scan large areas of sea floor. 425 00:35:38,267 --> 00:35:41,697 NARRATOR: Working under a legal permit, the new equipment will use a 426 00:35:41,733 --> 00:35:44,973 high-frequency magnetic field detector. 427 00:35:47,267 --> 00:35:50,897 -So, we can detect metals deeper than ever before, and 428 00:35:50,933 --> 00:35:53,733 we can start to discriminate different metals. 429 00:35:54,300 --> 00:35:57,530 NARRATOR: And where there's more metal, the Fisher team expects to find the 430 00:35:57,567 --> 00:36:01,067 missing part of the ship, and lost emeralds. 431 00:36:01,967 --> 00:36:05,527 -That looks like we got something coming in right here. 432 00:36:05,567 --> 00:36:10,567 That's just a matter of systematically working the trail of known artefacts and 433 00:36:11,233 --> 00:36:14,673 kind of like bread crumbs through the forest. 434 00:36:16,567 --> 00:36:19,767 NARRATOR: The search continues. 435 00:36:23,267 --> 00:36:26,197 The age of the Spanish galleons is what many consider 436 00:36:26,233 --> 00:36:29,903 the first Golden Age of treasure on the high seas. 437 00:36:32,533 --> 00:36:37,003 But across the world's oceans the amount of gold moved in the 20th century, 438 00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:41,200 especially during World War II, dwarfs all other periods. 439 00:36:44,433 --> 00:36:48,103 As the oceans of the world drain away an extraordinary 440 00:36:48,133 --> 00:36:51,203 wreck is revealed near the Arctic Circle. 441 00:36:52,667 --> 00:36:56,567 Can draining a sunken British warship uncover the fate of 442 00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:00,970 the world's largest ever haul of gold bullion? 443 00:37:02,067 --> 00:37:05,097 The Arctic Ocean. 444 00:37:06,367 --> 00:37:09,427 200 miles off the coast of Russia. 445 00:37:09,467 --> 00:37:12,467 Somewhere beneath these freezing waters lies one of 446 00:37:12,500 --> 00:37:16,000 the greatest secrets of World War II. 447 00:37:19,433 --> 00:37:23,203 As the ocean begins to empty it reveals an astonishing sight. 448 00:37:26,367 --> 00:37:30,197 The 600-foot long wreck of HMS Edinburgh, 449 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:35,770 visible in its entirety for the first time in more than 70 years. 450 00:37:37,467 --> 00:37:42,267 The British warship's guns can be seen in the clear light of day. 451 00:37:44,233 --> 00:37:48,203 On the stern, the quarterdeck is peeled back. 452 00:37:52,367 --> 00:37:57,327 There's clear evidence of torpedo damage, a huge hole in the side. 453 00:37:58,633 --> 00:38:02,733 But a German torpedo didn't sink the Edinburgh. 454 00:38:02,933 --> 00:38:06,173 So, what did and why? 455 00:38:07,167 --> 00:38:11,967 April 30th, 1942, the Barents Sea in the Arctic Circle. 456 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:19,100 It's the height of World War II and a convoy of 13 British ships is on 457 00:38:19,133 --> 00:38:24,203 a perilous 1700-mile voyage from Russia to their Allies in the west. 458 00:38:27,133 --> 00:38:29,733 ERIC: It's one of the hardest campaigns of the war. 459 00:38:29,767 --> 00:38:32,897 You were under very serious attack, from submarines, 460 00:38:32,933 --> 00:38:35,673 from aircraft and even from surface ships. 461 00:38:38,167 --> 00:38:44,167 NARRATOR: Escorting the convoy is the 600-foot long, 10,000 ton cruiser, HMS Edinburgh. 462 00:38:47,700 --> 00:38:51,370 It's a formidable warship with more than 24 guns. 463 00:38:55,100 --> 00:38:57,700 A German U-boat attacks. 464 00:38:57,733 --> 00:39:00,473 -The Germans carried out a torpedo attack. 465 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:03,930 (explosion). 466 00:39:04,533 --> 00:39:07,903 Another torpedo hit the ship increasing the damage. 467 00:39:09,333 --> 00:39:11,333 (explosion). 468 00:39:11,367 --> 00:39:14,827 NARRATOR: 60 people are killed. 469 00:39:14,867 --> 00:39:18,967 Two days later, the remaining crew are ordered to abandon ship, 470 00:39:19,300 --> 00:39:22,630 forcing a fateful decision on the Navy. 471 00:39:22,667 --> 00:39:26,967 RIC: The admiral decided that it was too far gone and he ordered one of the destroyers 472 00:39:27,567 --> 00:39:30,967 to put a torpedo into her engine room. 473 00:39:31,733 --> 00:39:33,633 (explosion). 474 00:39:34,333 --> 00:39:38,503 -She went down within a couple of minutes and she went completely vertical. 475 00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:44,430 NARRATOR: HMS Edinburgh sinks beneath the waves, 200 miles off the coast of Russia. 476 00:39:46,033 --> 00:39:49,103 Sunk by its own navy. 477 00:39:49,700 --> 00:39:53,130 -It was vitally important, you didn't want her falling into German hands. 478 00:39:54,833 --> 00:39:59,503 NARRATOR: But why take such extreme measures to keep the Edinburgh out of Nazi hands? 479 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:04,800 The answer is gold. 480 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:08,200 -The gold that was loaded on board the Edinburgh at Murmansk was, 481 00:40:09,233 --> 00:40:12,473 we know for certain was, five and a half tons, that's what the admiral signed for and 482 00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:17,370 five and a half tons was 465 bars. 483 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:22,000 NARRATOR: It's payment from Russia for war supplies and 484 00:40:22,033 --> 00:40:25,233 worth $240 million in today's money. 485 00:40:28,867 --> 00:40:32,867 In 1942 recovering the gold from the damaged ship 486 00:40:32,900 --> 00:40:36,000 just before it sinks is too dangerous. 487 00:40:38,767 --> 00:40:42,327 The sunken treasure lies undisturbed for decades and 488 00:40:42,367 --> 00:40:46,597 the ship is recognized as a war grave. 489 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:51,570 But then a dive expedition, sanctioned by the British and Russian governments, 490 00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:54,370 is launched to salvage it. 491 00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:57,770 Leading the hunt is treasure diver Keith Jessop, 492 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:01,370 working with marine engineer, Ric Wharton. 493 00:41:02,033 --> 00:41:05,033 -What drove us to it is interesting. 494 00:41:05,067 --> 00:41:09,227 There was the allure of gold but frankly we didn't have great expectations at that stage, 495 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:14,400 there were so many unknowns, like a moon shot. 496 00:41:15,733 --> 00:41:19,273 NARRATOR: The Edinburgh is 800 feet beneath the waves in freezing waters 497 00:41:20,567 --> 00:41:23,167 and there's no guarantee of success. 498 00:41:23,633 --> 00:41:27,373 The first challenge is finding a precise spot to search. 499 00:41:29,533 --> 00:41:33,033 It's suspected that the gold is stored in the bomb room. 500 00:41:34,833 --> 00:41:39,173 The problem is this is one of the most secure areas on the ship. 501 00:41:42,167 --> 00:41:46,527 Situated deep inside the hull, the bomb room is where explosives are kept 502 00:41:47,500 --> 00:41:50,330 along with valuable cargo. 503 00:41:50,367 --> 00:41:54,427 And it's behind the ship's four-inch armor plating. 504 00:41:55,267 --> 00:41:59,497 Will draining the Arctic Ocean reveal how to access the wreck 505 00:41:59,533 --> 00:42:02,733 of HMS Edinburgh to recover its treasures? 506 00:42:08,767 --> 00:42:13,697 NARRATOR: At 800 feet down the wreck of HMS Edinburgh is too deep for scuba divers. 507 00:42:16,533 --> 00:42:22,203 To stand any chance of success it will take a remarkable feat of human endurance. 508 00:42:24,233 --> 00:42:28,273 The team need to operate in a high-tech pressurized chamber, 509 00:42:28,300 --> 00:42:31,700 that looks like something found on a space station. 510 00:42:32,367 --> 00:42:36,227 It's a technique called saturation diving. 511 00:42:37,133 --> 00:42:41,533 JOHN: You basically go into your chamber and you dive in, your body is saturated with 512 00:42:41,567 --> 00:42:47,927 diving gases and you remain saturated for the duration of the dive. 513 00:42:48,433 --> 00:42:53,503 NARRATOR: Saturating the diver's body with a mix of diving gases avoids long and 514 00:42:53,533 --> 00:42:56,103 costly decompression times. 515 00:42:56,500 --> 00:43:00,970 Leaving the chamber, the divers enter a diving bell, which drops through a hole in 516 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:05,130 the ship and enters the freezing Arctic waters. 517 00:43:05,933 --> 00:43:11,203 They leave the diving bell but remain attached by an umbilical cord. 518 00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:17,600 -The biggest problem I think we had diving at depth on the Edinburgh, was staying warm. 519 00:43:18,600 --> 00:43:22,770 We had hot water suits and we had hot water being pumped down through, 520 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:24,600 from the surface. 521 00:43:25,600 --> 00:43:29,030 NARRATOR: Too hot and the divers could be badly scalded. 522 00:43:29,067 --> 00:43:31,867 Or, if the supply fails, they could find themselves 523 00:43:31,900 --> 00:43:35,830 at the mercy of the freezing cold Arctic waters. 524 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:42,400 -Then we'd be breathing a very hot gas, which is starting to burn the lungs. 525 00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:46,170 It was like being kicked in the back of the head by a mule. 526 00:43:46,200 --> 00:43:48,470 It wasn't pleasant diving. 527 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:52,200 NARRATOR: The plan is for the divers to enter the ship through the torpedo hole in 528 00:43:52,233 --> 00:43:57,503 the side then work their way through the ship to the bomb room. 529 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:02,870 But during the first dive there's an unexpected problem. 530 00:44:04,367 --> 00:44:07,227 RIC: When they got into that hole, it was completely... 531 00:44:07,267 --> 00:44:09,727 we couldn't get the debris out. 532 00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:14,000 NARRATOR: It's a setback, and the team is forced to rethink. 533 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:17,970 -The boat was ringed with armored plating and we would've struggled to 534 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:21,400 get through that, so we decided to go underneath the armor plating and 535 00:44:21,433 --> 00:44:23,873 cut our way into the ship. 536 00:44:24,200 --> 00:44:27,800 NARRATOR: Cutting into the bomb room is fraught with danger. 537 00:44:28,233 --> 00:44:33,973 It may still contain unstable explosive charges left over from the war. 538 00:44:34,567 --> 00:44:38,527 -We knew the inherent dangers; we knew the risks and we were very slow and cautious when 539 00:44:38,567 --> 00:44:40,797 we were cutting our way into something. 540 00:44:40,833 --> 00:44:44,573 I actually cut my way into the bomb room first. 541 00:44:45,367 --> 00:44:47,127 There's no visibility. 542 00:44:47,167 --> 00:44:49,697 You couldn't see your hand in front of your face. 543 00:44:49,733 --> 00:44:52,133 Everything was done by feel. 544 00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:59,200 And then I touched something that was slightly heavier. 545 00:44:59,233 --> 00:45:01,473 I tried to pick it up, and because of its size it should have, 546 00:45:01,500 --> 00:45:05,900 easily been able to lift it, but the weight straight away, gave me some sort of idea that 547 00:45:05,933 --> 00:45:08,373 this wasn't something ordinary. 548 00:45:08,833 --> 00:45:11,803 As soon as I lifted it I knew straight away that it was gold. 549 00:45:18,500 --> 00:45:21,570 -You don't see that often at 800 feet. 550 00:45:22,533 --> 00:45:25,173 -Roger, roger. 551 00:45:25,200 --> 00:45:28,530 I don't know about John but I'm shaking like hell. 552 00:45:30,067 --> 00:45:33,027 -And then euphoria broke out on the boat as well everybody's running around, 553 00:45:33,067 --> 00:45:36,097 shouting and screaming and carrying on from the crew down. 554 00:45:36,133 --> 00:45:38,733 So, it was a very exciting moment. 555 00:45:39,700 --> 00:45:43,670 NARRATOR: In total 460 bars of gold are recovered, 556 00:45:43,700 --> 00:45:49,170 worth about $240 million in today's money. 557 00:45:49,467 --> 00:45:54,367 It's the biggest haul of lost gold bullion ever recovered from the seabed. 558 00:45:55,733 --> 00:45:59,333 -This is a lead copy, gold plated. 559 00:45:59,367 --> 00:46:03,067 There's a serial number at the top, which is KP0620. 560 00:46:03,100 --> 00:46:08,200 Below that you see the hammer and sickle and the Russian markings in a cartouche and 561 00:46:08,233 --> 00:46:10,503 below that it said 99.99. 562 00:46:10,533 --> 00:46:12,333 That's pure gold. 563 00:46:12,867 --> 00:46:15,227 NARRATOR: The value of the treasure is shared between the 564 00:46:15,267 --> 00:46:18,767 Russian and British governments and the salvage team. 565 00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:22,600 -It was a vast amount of money. 566 00:46:22,633 --> 00:46:24,603 We all did very well out of it. 567 00:46:24,633 --> 00:46:28,833 It completely changed our attitude to work because we never really had to again, 568 00:46:28,867 --> 00:46:30,897 we did of course. 569 00:46:31,900 --> 00:46:36,700 NARRATOR: Now emptied of its sunken treasure, peace returns to the Edinburgh. 570 00:46:43,200 --> 00:46:47,000 -Gold has always captured peoples' imagination. 571 00:46:47,667 --> 00:46:50,297 GARY: Yeah, it's treasure fever. 572 00:46:51,633 --> 00:46:57,033 NIGEL: There's millions of shipwrecks out there, but for every 10,000 573 00:46:57,067 --> 00:47:01,267 shipwrecks on the seabed probably one might be high value. 574 00:47:01,967 --> 00:47:06,227 -Once you start, once you go look for one you can never stop. 575 00:47:06,600 --> 00:47:08,100 Captioned by Cotter Captioning Services.