The Tortugas Shipwreck: A Historic Recovery Current Estimated Value: $251,000*
Date of Disappearance: 1622
Year of Discovery: 2013
Not all treasures lost at sea are made of gold and silver. In 1622, a significant shipwreck occurred in the Florida Keys when the Tortugas ships sank during a violent storm, a common occurrence in that region. Centuries later, in 2013, Odyssey Marine Exploration undertook a deep-sea recovery mission, diving approximately 1,329 feet below the ocean's surface to uncover the remnants of this historic shipwreck.
The Tortugas Shipwreck: A Pioneering Deep-Sea Recovery Source: Pinterest/Tortugas | @chipstone.org
The recovery of the Tortugas shipwreck marked the world's first deep-sea recovery at the time. Among the treasures unearthed were exquisitely crafted pottery and beautiful pearls, alongside valuable goods such as gold, silver, indigo, tobacco, and cochineal, a type of scarlet dye. The total estimated value of the recovered treasure is approximately $251,000.
