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Sunken Treasures (Full Episode) | Drain the Oceans

National Geographic・26 minutes read

Advanced underwater scanning technology is now used to reveal the secrets of the sea floor, uncovering sunken treasures like the wreck of the Rooswijk and HMS Edinburgh, with significant hauls of lost gold bullion. Treasure hunters continue to search for sunken treasures like the Atocha, with new technology aiding in the ongoing hunt for valuable artifacts and riches hidden beneath the waves.

Insights

  • Advanced underwater scanning technology is revolutionizing treasure hunting by revealing sunken treasures hidden beneath the waves, offering new opportunities for exploration and discovery.
  • The tragic fate of the Rooswijk, a Dutch East India Company ship, highlights the risks and consequences of treasure hunting, as the loss of valuable silver contributes to the decline of a powerful trading company, showcasing the high stakes involved in maritime archaeology.

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Recent questions

  • How are sunken treasures discovered?

    Through advanced underwater scanning technology.

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Summary

00:00

"Uncovering Sunken Treasures: Secrets of the Sea"

  • Treasure hunting has been a long-standing fascination for many.
  • Sunken treasures have remained hidden beneath the waves until now.
  • Advanced underwater scanning technology is now used to reveal the secrets of the sea floor.
  • The process of excavating sunken silver from a wreck lost in shifting sands is detailed.
  • The treasure from a wrecked Spanish galleon is spread over 10 miles of Florida seabed.
  • The world's largest haul of lost gold bullion is to be recovered from the Arctic depths.
  • Treasure ships sailed the oceans for centuries, carrying silver, gold, and precious stones.
  • The English Channel holds the grave of an 18th-century merchant ship with a fortune in silver.
  • The wreck of the Rooswijk, lost in a storm, is investigated by underwater archaeologists.
  • The discovery of smuggled coins on the Rooswijk reveals a widespread illegal trade practice.

18:42

Shipwrecks and Lost Treasures: A Hunt Continues

  • The ship is caught in a storm and pushed onto the sandbanks of the Goodwin Sands, resulting in it being smashed.
  • The crew throws away heavy equipment and cannons to lighten the ship and break free from the sandbanks.
  • Despite efforts, the ship gets stuck further and further, leading to its destruction and the loss of all crew members.
  • The loss of the Rooswijk's silver is a significant blow to the Dutch East India Company, contributing to its decline.
  • After 12 weeks of excavation, around 2,000 coins are found from the Rooswijk, with a potential value of $125 million.
  • Treasure hunters continue to search for sunken treasures, like the Spanish galleon Atocha, lost in the Florida Keys in 1622.
  • The Fisher family discovers the motherlode of the Atocha, including 30 tons of silver bars, valued at $400 million in 1985.
  • The hunt for more Atocha riches continues, with the focus on finding the missing sterncastle and emeralds.
  • The Atocha's treasures are spread over miles due to storms breaking up the ship, creating a trail of wreckage and treasure.
  • New technology, like the HAUV, is used to search for the missing part of the Atocha and lost emeralds, continuing the hunt for treasure.

37:07

"Sunken WWII gold treasure recovered in Arctic"

  • The wreck of HMS Edinburgh, a British warship sunk in 1942, is discovered 200 miles off the coast of Russia after more than 70 years.
  • The ship was sunk by its own navy to prevent its valuable cargo of gold, worth $240 million today, from falling into Nazi hands during World War II.
  • A dive expedition, led by treasure diver Keith Jessop and marine engineer Ric Wharton, is launched to salvage the gold from the sunken ship.
  • The salvage team utilizes saturation diving, a high-tech pressurized chamber technique, to access the wreck of HMS Edinburgh 800 feet beneath the freezing Arctic waters.
  • Despite challenges, the team successfully recovers 460 bars of gold from the bomb room of the ship, marking the largest haul of lost gold bullion ever recovered from the seabed.
  • The recovered treasure, valued at $240 million, is shared between the Russian and British governments and the salvage team, changing their lives significantly.
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