Florida’s waters have always carried secrets—storms, shipwrecks, and stories that resurface centuries later. This week, one tale of possible treasure hits close to home.
Treasure hunters recently pulled over a thousand gold and silver coins from the Atlantic, near Vero Beach, remnants of Spain’s legendary 1715 fleet that sank in a hurricane while hauling riches across the sea. That discovery reignited dreams of fortune—but it’s the whispers from Tampa Bay that caught my attention.
A Captain’s Claim
Captain Joe Zsiga, a New Port Richey treasure hunter, says he may have found something extraordinary: a Spanish ship buried beneath the sands near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Out of the eleven ships in the doomed 1715 fleet, two broke from the pack, hoping to skirt the storm. According to Zsiga, one may have limped its way into Tampa Bay. He claims to have ground-penetrating radar images showing the unmistakable outline of a vessel—deep in the shipping channel, hidden under layers of silt.
He hasn’t dived the site yet. The waters are dangerous, patrolled by sharks and crossed by massive cruise ships. But if he’s right, the wreck could hold gold, silver, emeralds—and a story worth more than the $150 million treasure estimate.
Treasure or History?
Zsiga has traced other fragments of Florida’s shadowed maritime past, from slave ships to privateer wrecks, often stumbling into legal roadblocks that prevent excavation. But for him, the thrill lies less in riches and more in unearthing forgotten history.
“Treasure is more about history and families and people that had hardships that were here,” he explained.
In Florida, any treasure recovered within state waters belongs, in part, to the people. By law, 20% of artifacts are kept for display in museums, reminders that what glitters beneath the waves is more than fortune—it’s legacy.
The Lure of Florida’s Lost Riches
The Sunshine Skyway has long been a symbol of resilience and tragedy, but what if, beneath its waters, rests a ghost of the 1715 fleet? Whether this is the next great treasure discovery or simply another legend in Florida’s long line of maritime mysteries, the lure endures.
Other rumored troves dot the map: Safety Harbor, Gasparilla Island, the Peace River. Perhaps Florida’s true wealth lies not only in what’s buried but in the way these stories bind sea, storm, and history together.
~ L.S.