An assortment of artifacts recovered by the 1715 Fleet off of Florida’s Treasure Coast. Courtesy, 1715 Fleet
Treasure hunting might sound like something out of the long-forgotten past – but it never quite left the Sunshine State. Sam Guttoso, who manages 1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels LLC, has just reapplied for a federal permit from the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to continue searching the sites of centuries-old Spanish shipwrecks off Florida’s aptly named Treasure Coast. The team has found countless coins, cobs, and cannons from the archaeological wreckage sites available for viewing on their website, but the journey doesn’t stop there. If approved, the crews can continue to pull cultural and historical pieces from the depths for the world to see for another 20 years.
Generally, the process involves dive crews and support boats, who sift through the sands using a variety of methods: metal detectors, hand-fanning, sand suction, or using the boat’s propeller to displace sediment in hotbed areas. As a part of the permit, the 1775 Fleet must take all necessary steps to mitigate their impact on the ecosystems and wildlife. While the Corps has determined that the project is “not likely to adversely affect” manatees, smalltooth sawfish, North Atlantic right whales, giant manta rays, and the crowd favorite sea turtles, it is still imperative that they keep their hunting to minimally invasive measures. Public comments on the project were allowed until June 9, and now is the final stretch until the Corps makes its decision.
Some of the gold coins recovered from the ocean floor off Florida’s Treasure Coast. Courtesy, 1715 Fleet
Treasure hunting off the coast has long been a contentious subject, with conflicting national claim to the bounties and many instances of artifacts stolen from the seabed without permitting. For example, back in 2015 the 1715 Fleet found a mother lode of 101 gold coins, only to have 50 go missing. Florida Today reported last fall that 37 of the 50 coins were illegally taken by a searcher hired by the 1715 Fleet with a value of roughly $1 million and seized by the FBI and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Such crazy stories are bound to follow when huge swaths of Spanish shipwrecks are just miles off the coastline. While the historic aspects call to some, the gleam of gold calls to others. Either way, it’s a fun reminder that adventure still exists all around Florida for those willing to go look.
See you on the trail,
Lisa
LMA Newsletter of 7-14-25
