1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,520 I'm here because there's a legend about Blackbeard in this island. 2 00:00:06,520 --> 00:00:07,520 Yes. 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:12,880 Do you think that Blackbeard had a treasure? 4 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:14,560 That's a coin, man. 5 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:16,560 This treasure wasn't what you think it is. 6 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,560 Oh, looks like a city cave. 7 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:21,560 Look at this. 8 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,560 We got it. 9 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,560 We got it. 10 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:35,800 Every day, thousands of kids float through Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean ride, singing 11 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:41,640 along to that emblematic tune, Yoho, Yoho, a pirate's life for me. 12 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:43,840 But wait a minute. 13 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,760 Pirates are immoral, bloodthirsty murderers. 14 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,120 So why are we so obsessed with them? 15 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,200 Perhaps it's because we all secretly yearn to find their buried treasure. 16 00:00:55,200 --> 00:01:00,520 Well, the most famous lost pirate treasure belongs to the world's most notorious pirate, 17 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,320 the one and only Blackbeard. 18 00:01:04,320 --> 00:01:09,560 He was born Edward Teach and later became a successful privateer, commissioned by the 19 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,440 British Crown to protect their interests in the Caribbean. 20 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:18,640 Blackbeard's menacing appearance inspired countless authors and later made him Hollywood's 21 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:19,640 favorite pirate. 22 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:26,040 But it is his legendary lost fortune that has captivated explorers for hundreds of years. 23 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:34,400 Blackbeard boasted that only he and the Devil himself knew where the treasure was buried. 24 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:39,120 Now, after three centuries, there are groundbreaking new developments in the hunt. 25 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:44,240 Off the coast of North Carolina, an archaeological team has discovered Blackbeard's flagship 26 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:48,560 and they are meticulously bringing it to the surface. 27 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:53,160 Simultaneously, in the Outer Banks and in the Cayman Islands, treasure hunters believe 28 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:57,840 that new information is drawing them closer to Blackbeard's buried loot. 29 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:02,720 And one historian believes that he has solved the mystery once and for all. 30 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:09,960 So join me as I hit the high seas in search of the most sought-after pirate treasure in 31 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:11,120 history. 32 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:16,840 My name is Josh Gates. 33 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:23,680 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration, I have a tendency to end 34 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:25,840 up in some very strange situations. 35 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:27,840 God, Lord! 36 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:34,560 My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth as I investigate the greatest legends 37 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:35,560 in history. 38 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:37,320 We're good to fly, let's go. 39 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:39,840 This is Expedition Unknown. 40 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:50,680 The hunt begins here in Hampton, Virginia, located 700 miles north of the Caribbean. 41 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:54,360 This isn't exactly the first place that comes to mind when you think of Bucketneers. 42 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,840 But this weekend, it is the annual Hampton Blackbeard Festival. 43 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:09,840 The festival is more than just a cosplay free-for-all. 44 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:14,920 History is shared, authentic weapons are fired, and pirate traditions and craftsmanship are 45 00:03:14,920 --> 00:03:20,840 brought back to life, obligatory Jack Sparrow sighting in 3, 2, 1. 46 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:21,840 Hi. 47 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:23,840 Hi, how are you doing, mate? 48 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:25,840 Pretty good. 49 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,840 I'd like to apologize for being a Scallywag to everybody here. 50 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:34,840 What does Scallywag even mean? 51 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:39,840 If you want to find a pirate treasure, you've got to think like a pirate, and whenever possible, 52 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:40,840 look like one. 53 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:43,840 Time for a little wardrobe change. 54 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:44,840 Can you see? 55 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:45,840 Yes. 56 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,840 I feel like I'm about to ratify a declaration of some sort. 57 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:51,840 Oh, hell yeah, that's it. 58 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:52,840 This is the one, I think. 59 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:54,840 I'm not worried about that fitting here anymore. 60 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:56,840 I am back, baby. 61 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:05,840 Not to worry, folks, all the pirate wigs are 100% human horror. 62 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:12,840 When it comes to Blackbeard, 300 years makes it difficult to separate fact from fiction. 63 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:14,840 So I'm meeting with John Colomore. 64 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:19,840 Don't let the hat and the outfit fool you, he's been studying the history of piracy for decades. 65 00:04:19,840 --> 00:04:21,840 When does Blackbeard first appear on the scene? 66 00:04:21,840 --> 00:04:29,840 Blackbeard first appears as a privateer in the Caribbean during the Queen Anne's War in 1715, 1716. 67 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:30,840 He's sort of a legal pirate. 68 00:04:30,840 --> 00:04:32,840 He's a pirate with papers, absolutely. 69 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:36,840 The man who would become Blackbeard was born Edward Teach. 70 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:42,840 In the 18th century, Teach and others like him worked for the English crown to suppress enemy forces in the Caribbean. 71 00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:46,840 But by 1714, privateering was outlawed. 72 00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:51,840 Young sailors like Edward Teach had a violent set of skills and were suddenly thrown out of work. 73 00:04:52,840 --> 00:04:57,840 So Teach went AWOL and became a pirate, the scourge of shipping lanes across the Atlantic. 74 00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:02,840 Why does he have this reputation as being such a terrifying guy? 75 00:05:03,840 --> 00:05:04,840 He's tall, he's over six feet. 76 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:09,840 He's broad-shouldered, he has a demanding presence, and he was a showman. 77 00:05:11,840 --> 00:05:14,840 Blackbeard's success was due in part to his terrifying persona. 78 00:05:15,840 --> 00:05:16,840 He dressed in all black. 79 00:05:17,840 --> 00:05:23,840 Before combat, he was said to tie smoldering cannon fuses to his beard, which made smoke encircle his head. 80 00:05:23,840 --> 00:05:27,840 He also carried a dozen pistols and a bandolier slung over his shoulders. 81 00:05:28,840 --> 00:05:34,840 This is a guy whose flag was a devil stabbing a human heart, so intimidation was clearly the name of the game. 82 00:05:34,840 --> 00:05:36,840 And Blackbeard was a master. 83 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:40,840 Most of his victims surrendered without him firing a single shot. 84 00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:46,840 A lot has been said about Blackbeard's treasure. 85 00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:47,840 Yes. 86 00:05:47,840 --> 00:05:49,840 If I'm looking for that treasure, where do you think a good place would be to look? 87 00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:55,840 Cayman Brack would be a very likely place if you pay attention to the legends and the folklore. 88 00:05:55,840 --> 00:06:01,840 Rumor has it that he was sighted by the locals taking boats ashore and possibly burying treasure. 89 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:03,840 Cayman Brack. 90 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:04,840 Cayman Brack. 91 00:06:04,840 --> 00:06:11,840 This corner of the Caribbean is considered a major target for the treasure, so I'm setting off to investigate by meeting two different treasure hunters there. 92 00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:21,840 I'm flying 1,250 miles to the southeast to the crystalline waters of the Cayman Islands. 93 00:06:24,840 --> 00:06:25,840 Paradise. 94 00:06:25,840 --> 00:06:27,840 What else can you call it? 95 00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:33,840 To most of us, the Caymans are a playground for the rich, an offshore tax haven and an all-around great place to park a yacht. 96 00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:35,840 But that's Grand Cayman. 97 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:39,840 Just to the east is an island that most tourists have never heard of. 98 00:06:39,840 --> 00:06:41,840 Cayman Brack. 99 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:46,840 This is the Caribbean of another time and place. 100 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:49,840 No hard rock cafe, no five-star hotels. 101 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:56,840 It's a sleepy, 12-mile-long strip of tropical wilderness that rises up 140 feet above the sea. 102 00:06:56,840 --> 00:06:59,840 It's the type of place that screensavers are made of. 103 00:07:01,840 --> 00:07:04,840 Today, there's only about 2,000 residents on the island. 104 00:07:04,840 --> 00:07:09,840 But if you're here looking for pirate riches, the one man to see is Tessin Scott, 105 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:11,840 a lifelong treasure hunter and brakker. 106 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,840 He may have come within inches of finding a pirate fortune. 107 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:19,840 Hello there. Are you Tessin? 108 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:20,840 Scott, yes, you're right. 109 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:23,840 So I've heard a story that Blackbeard may have come to this island. 110 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:24,840 Do you think that pirates came to this island? 111 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:25,840 No, yeah, they came. 112 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:30,840 Blackbeard's name was mentioned amongst older folks. We know they came here. 113 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:34,840 Rumor has it that while Blackbeard was raiding ships in the Caribbean, 114 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,840 he and other pirates used Cayman Brack as a place to deposit treasure. 115 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:41,840 Even back then, the Caymans were a good place for banking. 116 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:46,840 And Tessin Scott is famous for almost finding some of that pirate loot. 117 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,840 I heard a story that you came close to finding some sort of treasure. 118 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,840 As a 14-year-old boy, I went fishing on the south side of the island. 119 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:54,840 It's a place called Slaughterhouse. 120 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:55,840 Sounds lovely. 121 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,840 And I started digging, and I found it easy to dig. 122 00:07:58,840 --> 00:07:59,840 That means because it was dig before. 123 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:02,840 And it's something hard. 124 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:04,840 And I thought it was the foundation of the beach. 125 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:05,840 So what did you do? 126 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:06,840 You came home. 127 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:07,840 You gave up. And then what happened? 128 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:09,840 Well, two guys from here. 129 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,840 They went to Florida and they bought one of your metal detectors. 130 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:17,840 They went to the spot and they put the machine in the hole and it went crazy. 131 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:20,840 And they said, oh, God, something. 132 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:22,840 And then they found the edge of the stone. 133 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:23,840 And what was underneath the stone? 134 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,840 The treasure. Big one. And a chest. 135 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:30,840 They had so much coins and silver of all description. 136 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:33,840 The coins appeared to be from after Blackbeard's time. 137 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:37,840 And the men who found it disappeared with the hole, leaving Tensen with nothing. 138 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:39,840 He spent years scouring the island. 139 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,840 He believes that Blackbeard's treasure is here. 140 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:44,840 And he thinks he knows where. 141 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:46,840 So if I'm going to look for the treasure, where should I look? 142 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:47,840 You've got to check out the caves. 143 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:48,840 Caves. Okay. 144 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:54,840 While Tensen's treasure hunting days may be behind him, his nephew Logan is continuing the search. 145 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:55,840 The question is, do you know where it is? 146 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,840 I don't know exactly where it is, but I know it's somewhere around here. 147 00:08:58,840 --> 00:08:59,840 You want to show me where you're looking? 148 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:00,840 Yeah, sure. 149 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:01,840 Let's do it. Come on. 150 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:05,840 Tensen will be back soon with a big treasure chest. 151 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:06,840 Woo! 152 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:08,840 Yeah, that would be great, man. Really great. 153 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:15,840 Logan is bringing me to Iron Shore, a remote beach where Blackbeard may have dropped anchor. 154 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:18,840 Wow. 155 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:20,840 That is a view. 156 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:21,840 Yeah. 157 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:22,840 That is awesome. 158 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:33,840 What is this buff? 159 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:35,840 The buff is actually a risen reef. 160 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:37,840 Oh, it's like a coral reef that's been pushed up. 161 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:38,840 Yeah. 162 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:39,840 So really porous, lots of holes. 163 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:40,840 Yeah. 164 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:45,840 To reach the cave, we have to cross 1200 yards of jagged, razor sharp coral. 165 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:49,840 The slightest misstep here can get you swallowed by the waves. 166 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:51,840 Look out! Look out! 167 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,840 Logan has systematically explored over 100 caves on the island. 168 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:03,840 Today, he's leading me to a remote cavern he hasn't yet searched, a place accessible only at low tide. 169 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:05,840 That looks like a pirate cave. 170 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:11,840 We have only a short time to search the cave before the rising tide will cut us off from the beach. 171 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:15,840 This is wild. 172 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:18,840 This is pretty piratey, dude. 173 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,840 If I was a pirate, this is where I would hide some treasure. 174 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:23,840 Oh yeah, me too. 175 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:29,840 What we're looking for here for is some soft sand or some sort of marker or something. 176 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,840 Marker or some soft sand, okay? 177 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:36,840 Well, I wish the humidity was a little bit higher in this cave. 178 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:38,840 It's not quite at 100%. 179 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:40,840 Little sweaty. 180 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:48,840 Okay, Josh, here's what we're looking for. 181 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:50,840 We're going to start digging here. 182 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:52,840 Okay, we're right behind you. 183 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:57,840 With the tide outside rising, we waste no time and dig in. 184 00:10:57,840 --> 00:10:59,840 I'll tell you what, treasure hunting is not easy work. 185 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:00,840 No, it's not. 186 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:02,840 Just imagine what they went through to try and hide it. 187 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,840 Yeah, it would have been just as sweaty as we are. 188 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:06,840 Yeah. 189 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:08,840 I got a skull here. Look at this. 190 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:10,840 A tiny skull. 191 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:12,840 Part of an animal skull, maybe a bird. 192 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:14,840 This could be the grave of Blackbeard's parrot. 193 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:15,840 Yeah. 194 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:22,840 What is that? 195 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:24,840 Something hard. 196 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:30,840 Oh, what's that? See that? 197 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:31,840 What is that? 198 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:32,840 I just saw something flash. 199 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:33,840 Give me the light. 200 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:34,840 There. See that? 201 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:35,840 Yeah, I see it. 202 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:36,840 That's a coin, man. 203 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:38,840 That is a coin. 204 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:55,840 I'm on the coast of the idyllic Caribbean island of Cayman Brack. 205 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:58,840 A local treasure hunter and I have ventured into a remote cave 206 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,840 where legend has it the infamous pirate Blackbeard 207 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:03,840 may have hidden a massive fortune. 208 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:04,840 Oh, what's that? 209 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:05,840 You see that? 210 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:06,840 I just saw something flash. 211 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:07,840 Give me the light. 212 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:08,840 There. You see that? 213 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:09,840 Yeah, I see it. 214 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:10,840 That's a coin, man. 215 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:11,840 Oh, man. 216 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:13,840 That is a coin. 217 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:15,840 Let's see if we can clean it off. 218 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:16,840 That looks like silver, dude. 219 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:17,840 You don't see a date? 220 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:18,840 No, I don't see a date. 221 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,840 I can make out a little writing, but not much. 222 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,840 Though heavily faded, the coin appears to be dated from the year 1800, 223 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,840 82 years after Blackbeard's death. 224 00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:30,840 Sorry, I dig it, Josh. 225 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:31,840 Let's go. 226 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:33,840 You can get anything else. 227 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:35,840 Lince, any more metal. 228 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:37,840 Logan and I continue to excavate the pit. 229 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,840 We find other small bones, but no other treasure. 230 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,840 With the tide nearly high, we leave the cave 231 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:49,840 and quickly hike back across the rocks 232 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:51,840 before we end up trapped here. 233 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:53,840 As for Logan and his uncle, 234 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:56,840 they vow to continue searching the many caves on the island, 235 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:00,840 convinced that the jackpot is just around the next corner. 236 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,840 On the other side of the island is a man who believes 237 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,840 that everyone is looking for Blackbeard's treasure in the wrong place. 238 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:11,840 Are you Darwin? 239 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:12,840 I am he. 240 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:13,840 Meet Darwin E-Banks, 241 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:15,840 a.k.a. Black Terrants. 242 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:17,840 I hope you don't take this as an insult, 243 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:19,840 but you look a little bit like a pirate. 244 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:20,840 Yeah, I am. 245 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,840 I am Captain Black Terrants, Captain of the Bloody Bay Buccaneers. 246 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:25,840 What are the Bloody Bay Buccaneers? 247 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:27,840 Well, the Bloody Bay Buccaneers is my crew. 248 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:29,840 It's my Buccaneers crew. 249 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:31,840 And do you guys actually steal stuff? 250 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:32,840 Ah, well. 251 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:34,840 I'm not gonna tell you that. 252 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:36,840 Right, a pirate never tells. 253 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,840 I'm here because there's a legend about Blackbeard in this island. 254 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:42,840 So the big question is, where's the treasure? 255 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:44,840 I think I know a place where people have not looked. 256 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:47,840 The ocean. 257 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:48,840 Yes. 258 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:50,840 Right over there in the Caribbean Sea. 259 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:51,840 Follow me. 260 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:53,840 Darwin's explorations have confirmed 261 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,840 that many of the limestone caves that Criss Cross came in black 262 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:59,840 lead to flooded passages that connect to the sea. 263 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:03,840 He believes the contents of these caves and perhaps hidden treasure 264 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,840 may have been flushed out into the Caribbean. 265 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:09,840 I'm going to put Darwin's theory to the test, 266 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:12,840 so I'm joining him in his search for Blackbeard's treasure 267 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:14,840 in the waters surrounding the island. 268 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:17,840 After a short trip to our first location, 269 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,840 it's time for us to gear up and dive in. 270 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:31,840 We're descending now. 271 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:35,840 This melody is perfect. 272 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:37,840 Looks absolutely beautiful down here. 273 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:40,840 The nice thing about treasure hunting in the Cayman Islands 274 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:44,840 is this, some of the best diving on Earth. 275 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,840 But even in these clear waters, there are secrets. 276 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:51,840 Approaching a crevice to some sort. 277 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:55,840 Whoa, looks like it's sea caves. 278 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:57,840 Headed in. 279 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,840 Something is jammed inside the cave here. 280 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:04,840 Looks like a massive anchor. 281 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:06,840 This is an anchor. 282 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:08,840 It's an old, sound ship. 283 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:11,840 Must have got caught up on these rocks many years ago. 284 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:15,840 Beyond the anchor, I enter a world of shadow. 285 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:18,840 The passage narrows and we sift the bottom to explore 286 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:20,840 every nook and cranny we can find. 287 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:24,840 Lots of small spaces here where something could be jammed. 288 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:26,840 Tight corners in here. 289 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:28,840 Have to be careful. 290 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:32,840 Soon though, the dark cave gives way to ethereal light. 291 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:34,840 I'm coming out the other side. 292 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:36,840 It's a huge drop off. 293 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:40,840 This is the Cayman Abyss. 294 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:44,840 A sheer drop that plummets down to more than 20,000 feet. 295 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:47,840 Diving here is like floating in outer space. 296 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:54,840 I swim back toward the shallow caves to continue our underwater treasure hunt. 297 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:57,840 These subsea canyons are spectacular. 298 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:00,840 And soon, they give way to a massive surprise. 299 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:03,840 Look at this. 300 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:09,840 This hulking 330 foot Leviathan dates back to the Cold War. 301 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:13,840 Absolutely massive. 302 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,840 Once part of the Soviet Union's Atlantic fleet in Cuba, 303 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:19,840 it was scuttled in 1996. 304 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,840 There's an opening on any side now. 305 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:27,840 The vessel rests in an eerie state of preservation. 306 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,840 I pass cautiously through her dim hallways 307 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,840 and survey her long silenced guns. 308 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,840 It's ironic to see a modern ship of war in such a peaceful setting. 309 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:47,840 Darwin and I leave the wreck behind 310 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,840 and continue to explore the many flooded passages beneath Cayman Brack. 311 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:55,840 But by afternoon, with our air running low, we have to call it a day. 312 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,840 The wreck is incredible. 313 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:03,840 Very, very nice. Very nice. 314 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:05,840 No sign of the treasure. 315 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:06,840 Nothing at all. Nothing. 316 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:08,840 What's it going to take to find it? 317 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:09,840 A lot more diving, they did. 318 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:10,840 Yeah. 319 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:11,840 Treasure hunt is not easy, you know. 320 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:13,840 I should probably stay here on this island 321 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:16,840 and continue to look for the treasure, maybe by a house. 322 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,840 While there's no doubt that Cayman Brack was once a haven for pirates, 323 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:26,840 there is no solid evidence that Blackbeard's treasure is here. 324 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:29,840 Just legends fueled by the promise of riches. 325 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,840 So I'm going to keep following his trail in search of hard facts. 326 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,840 From Cayman Brack, I'm jetting back to the east coast of the United States 327 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,840 and touching down in North Carolina. 328 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:50,840 Here in the south, you're nothing without a truck. 329 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:53,840 So I've picked up a hunk of American steel worthy of a pirate. 330 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:57,840 What do you think of my sweet ride? 331 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:04,840 It's a 1975 Ford F100 Ranger Super Cab in fire engine red with rust accents. 332 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:08,840 Such features as steering wheel and gas pedal. 333 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,840 My ride may be cool, but it's no match for Blackbeards. 334 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:33,840 In late 1717, Blackbeard seized the French slave ship La Concorde 335 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:35,840 off the island of Martinique. 336 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:38,840 She was refitted with an overwhelming 40 cannons 337 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:43,840 and in a nod to his life as a privateer, renamed the Queen Anne's Revenge. 338 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:49,840 As for the slaves in the Concorde, history offers no record of what happened to them. 339 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:53,840 Some believe that Blackbeard welcomed them as brothers in arms. 340 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:58,840 Others, however, suggest that he had no compunction about buying and selling human beings. 341 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:04,840 In either case, Blackbeard sailed to the American colonies to continue raiding ships. 342 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:11,840 In May of 1718, he gets bold, blockading the port of Charleston. 343 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,840 Desperate for order, the King of England offers Blackbeard a full pardon. 344 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:21,840 All Blackbeard has to do is meet with a local governor and sign a treaty. 345 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:28,840 But before he can get there, his ship runs aground off the coast. 346 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:36,840 If you're looking for a pirate treasure, a really good place to look is inside a pirate ship. 347 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:40,840 And lucky for us, Blackbeard's flagship has already been found. 348 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:47,840 In 1998, nearly 300 years after her sink-in, explorers located the Queen Anne's Revenge 349 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:50,840 off the coast of North Carolina. 350 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:55,840 But it has taken decades to carefully haul her broken pieces to the surface. 351 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:03,840 In a facility outside of Greenville, archaeologists are carefully sifting through this pirate time capsule. 352 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:06,840 Hello. 353 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:08,840 Hey, how are you doing today? 354 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:09,840 Good, how you doing? 355 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:11,840 Gosh, thanks a lot for coming by, man. 356 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:13,840 Are you kidding? Thanks for having me. This place is amazing. 357 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:18,840 This is where everything that we bring up off of the Queen Anne's Revenge shipwreck ends up. 358 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:22,840 Everything from conserving large objects like cannons to pieces of the ship's hull 359 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:27,840 to almost microscopic artifacts that are recovered from the sediment as we excavate. 360 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:29,840 What was your first impression of it? 361 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:34,840 It was a staggeringly cool site that belonged to one of the most famous pirates in the world. 362 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,840 It's really cool. It's one of the neatest sites I've ever had the privilege of working on. 363 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:40,840 How many artifacts have you pulled off the wreck at this point? 364 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:42,840 Over 400,000 a day. 365 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:46,840 400,000? Where are you keeping all of that? 366 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:52,840 So how do you safely store nearly half a million priceless pirate artifacts? 367 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,840 A staggering amount of Tupperware. 368 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:58,840 This is like the biggest collection of leftovers I've ever seen. 369 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,840 This is actually what my refrigerator looks like. 370 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:07,840 While I'm impressed by the sheer amount of smaller items the team has managed to salvage, 371 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:09,840 I'm ready to see the big guns. 372 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:11,840 So this is the main event. 373 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:15,840 This is the main event. This is where all the really neat stuff is. 374 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:30,840 I'm in North Carolina on a hunt for the lost treasure of the pirate blackbeard. 375 00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:39,840 I've arrived at a research facility to examine some of the 400,000 artifacts salvaged from blackbeard's sunken flagship. 376 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:41,840 Wow. 377 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,840 This warehouse is like something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark. 378 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:51,840 Tank after tank is filled with massive artifacts that are helping us to understand blackbeard and his ship. 379 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:57,840 This is where the bigger artifacts are stored. They're kept wet. 380 00:21:57,840 --> 00:21:58,840 Wow. 381 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:04,840 This is one of four anchors associated with this wreck. 382 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,840 How do you ever get this off the ocean floor? 383 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:16,840 We put lift bags on it, floated it to the surface, and then used a research vessel to pick it up and get it up here to the lab. 384 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:22,840 The huge anchor was necessary for such a large vessel. 385 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:29,840 Queen Anne's Revenge was over 103 feet long and weighed 300 tons. 386 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:35,840 The 40 cannon on board meant that she could outgun pretty much anything else on the water. 387 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:38,840 This boat was basically a floating tank. 388 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:42,840 This, of course, one of the oldest items here in the lab. 389 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:47,840 This is incredibly rare. This, of course, is a blackbeard's boom box. 390 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:49,840 And just the state of preservation is amazing. 391 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:56,840 Indeed. And when conservation is complete, we're probably going to be able to figure out what they were listening to. 392 00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:58,840 Yeah. Probably Nickelback. 393 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:02,840 I would think blackbeard was a big Nickelback family. 394 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:06,840 So a lot of incredible things that have been pulled off the wreck. 395 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:07,840 Indeed. 396 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:08,840 How much is left to be excavated? 397 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:17,840 I think we've got over half of the ship still to go. The best stuff is yet to be seen, so I'd be tickled to take you down to see it. 398 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:18,840 Really? 399 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:19,840 Yeah, man. 400 00:23:19,840 --> 00:23:21,840 Are you kidding? I'm in. Let's do it. 401 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:28,840 The relics in the lab are impressive, but with blackbeard's treasure still out there, I'm eager to examine the wreck for myself. 402 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:36,840 From Greenville, we head about 85 miles southeast to the coastal Carolina town of Beaufort. 403 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:41,840 On the docks, we meet the support team, critical to the massive recovery effort. 404 00:23:41,840 --> 00:23:42,840 Legit. 405 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:43,840 Come on aboard, man. 406 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:51,840 With our gear stowed aboard, we head out to dive the site. 407 00:23:54,840 --> 00:24:00,840 When the Queen Anne's Revenge ran aground, blackbeard hastily fled to another vessel in his fleet. 408 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:04,840 The question is, did his legendary treasure go down with the ship? 409 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:18,840 To investigate the remains that are still on the ocean floor, we'll be diving in the tough, exposed conditions of the Atlantic coast. 410 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:26,840 I take it that diving here is not exactly the clarity of the waters of the Caribbean. 411 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:27,840 Rarely. 412 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:28,840 What do you think we're looking at down there? 413 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:33,840 I think if we have a foot full of visibility, we're going to be lucky. 414 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:36,840 That's one of the reasons that it's a difficult place to work. 415 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:44,840 The weather here changes by the minute, and as we anchor up, conditions are already deteriorating. 416 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:49,840 In a race against time and the elements, we strap on our gear and hit the water. 417 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:54,840 The ship is going to be destroyed by the tide. 418 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:00,840 It's ending now. 419 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:03,840 In it down the line, the ability is okay. 420 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:06,840 Here by the surface, but it's dropping off quick. 421 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:08,840 It's getting real muddy down here. 422 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,840 If it's going to get worse as you get down, stay on the line. 423 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:16,840 Don't let go of it because if you get off of it with the bad visibility, I'm not real sure we'd find you. 424 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:19,840 Coming in, believe me, I'm not letting go. 425 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:30,840 Just a few feet below the surface, the visibility has dropped almost nothing. 426 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:36,840 I can feel the current pulling me as I struggle to hang on to a guideline that leads down to the wreck. 427 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:41,840 If I lose my grip, the current will pull me blindly into the murky waters. 428 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:43,840 Whoa, look at that. 429 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:45,840 That's incredible. 430 00:25:47,840 --> 00:25:54,840 I'm in North Carolina investigating Blackbeard's lost treasure. 431 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:59,840 I'm diving on the remains of his flagship and the conditions are worsening by the minute. 432 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:02,840 I can barely move me down here. 433 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:06,840 Josh, be careful, you don't want to get seen at home. 434 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:08,840 Coming out by here, I'm on the line. 435 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,840 I'm clearing up a little bit here. 436 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:14,840 Whoa, look at that. 437 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:17,840 Incredible, look at that. 438 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:19,840 Welcome to Anchor here. 439 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:25,840 This is one of the four anchors that were carried on the Queen Anne's Revenge. 440 00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:32,840 I realize now that there is treasure here, but it's in the form of priceless artifacts, not gold coins. 441 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:36,840 You can just underneath it, there's something else, you know? 442 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:38,840 Yes, those are small cast. 443 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:43,840 The ship was also packed with 40 cannons, which were there primarily for intimidation. 444 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:49,840 As we explore, the visibility drops and we go from looking around to clutching around in the haze. 445 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:51,840 No, I'm traveling. 446 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:53,840 No sign of any treasure. 447 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:55,840 A lot of work is still to be done. 448 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:59,840 There's no indication of gold today, but I'm far from disappointed. 449 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:06,840 And maybe if you come to the condition of the boat, I can't think of any quality beat down here on an actual pirate ship. 450 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:12,840 Let's head back up the line, get back to the boat, head into the ferbent now. 451 00:27:14,840 --> 00:27:24,840 As we reach Topside, I'm impressed by the dedication Billy Ray and his team have shown in studying this incredible wreck. 452 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:30,840 And with half the ship left to go, who knows what they'll find next. 453 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:42,840 I'm back on the road tracing Blackbeard's movements during the final months of his life. 454 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:47,840 After he wrecks his flagship, he travels somewhere very unexpected. 455 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:57,840 So after Blackbeard wrecks the Queen Anne's Revenge, this is where his story continues. 456 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:07,840 In June of 1718, aboard a vessel known as the Adventure, he sails here to the tiny postcard perfect town of Bath, North Carolina. 457 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,840 Rather than plotting his next attack, he receives a royal pardon. 458 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:16,840 And then the most feared pirate in history does something totally out of character. 459 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:18,840 He settles down. 460 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,840 With deep pockets, he and his crew buy up some land and go into retirement. 461 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:24,840 Blackbeard even gets married. 462 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:29,840 But once a pirate, always a pirate. 463 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:37,840 After just a few months of playing it straight, Blackbeard is back to plundering on the high seas. 464 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,840 The response is swift and severe. 465 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:48,840 The governor of Virginia commissions Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard to bring Blackbeard in, or to simply kill him. 466 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:56,840 He finds Blackbeard anchored off nearby Oak Creek Oak Island, which is now famous for being the location of Blackbeard's last stand. 467 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:05,840 It's also where a well-known treasure hunter thinks Blackbeard's loot might be buried. 468 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:11,840 To meet him, I'm traveling one of America's most scenic roadways. 469 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:20,840 So these are the famed Outer Banks, at more than 200 miles of narrow roads and bridges that connect a series of barrier islands off the North Carolina coast. 470 00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:23,840 In the summertime, Big Tourist destination. 471 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:30,840 It's one of those places that's super remote and yet is also filled with Dairy Queen's mini golf courses and nautical themed competing stores. 472 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:37,840 The beauty of the Outer Banks is breathtaking. 473 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:42,840 From the windswept dunes at Kitty Hawk, where two brothers first took to the air, 474 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:48,840 to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which has been standing watch over the coast for over a century. 475 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:52,840 Blackbeard start hanging out in a remote island off the coast of North Carolina, 476 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:58,840 and many people think that this may be the strongest contender for the location of his buried treasure. 477 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:05,840 While you can travel most of the Outer Banks by car, you do run out of road before you get to Oak Creek Oak Island. 478 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:09,840 To reach this tiny spit of land, I need to take a ferry. 479 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:23,840 This terrible dream that I was in a super pickup truck in the middle of the ocean. 480 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:26,840 Oh wait. 481 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:41,840 At last I arrive on Oak Creek Oak and seek shelter at, where else, Blackbeard's Lodge. 482 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:45,840 I'm exhausted, but who knows, tomorrow could be the day I strike it rich. 483 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:52,840 Morning on Oak Creek Oak Island off North Carolina. 484 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:57,840 I've arranged to meet a treasure hunter who has a hot lead on what he hopes is Blackbeard's Lost Fortune. 485 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:10,840 Are you ready? 486 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:11,840 I'm ready. 487 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:12,840 Sweet ride. 488 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:13,840 Yeah, thank you. 489 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:15,840 This is the official way to get around Oak Creek Oak. 490 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:16,840 Alright man, let's go. 491 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:19,840 So this is Oak Creek Oak? 492 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:20,840 Yes sir. 493 00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:22,840 It's, uh, empty. 494 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:25,840 It's pretty much a little strip and that's about it and a bunch of sand. 495 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:28,840 Out here on the open roads I do see a lot of regular cars. 496 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:29,840 Well I mean once I get in. 497 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:30,840 I'm not knocking your golf cart out. 498 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:33,840 Well I mean I'm just saying when we get to town you'll see a lot more golf cars. 499 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:35,840 I mean people with cars, they gotta know where to park. 500 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:37,840 It's true parking does look tight out here. 501 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:44,840 And so you've been looking for the treasure now for how long? 502 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:45,840 About five years. 503 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:47,840 So what do you do when you're not treasure hunting? 504 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:49,840 I'm a police officer in Virginia. 505 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:50,840 A treasure hunting police officer? 506 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:51,840 That's right. 507 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,840 I mean well if you think about it, police officer's trying to solve mysteries, trying to figure 508 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:56,840 things out. 509 00:31:56,840 --> 00:31:58,840 Okay so where are we headed? 510 00:31:58,840 --> 00:31:59,840 Well we're going to Springer's Point. 511 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:03,840 But to understand Springer's Point you have to understand Blackbeard's Death. 512 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:09,840 Blackbeard's Last Stand begins shortly after Lieutenant Maynard's ship sails into the bay. 513 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:14,840 Blackbeard fires his cannons, but Maynard cleverly orders his men to hide below deck. 514 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:18,840 Vencing Blackbeard the cannon fire has obliterated his crew. 515 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:22,840 When the pirate stormed the ship, Maynard's men rush out of the hold, catching Blackbeard 516 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:24,840 by surprise. 517 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:28,840 Within minutes the infamous pirate is dead. 518 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:33,840 Shot five times and stabbed twenty. 519 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:38,840 When it's all over, Maynard returns to Virginia with Blackbeard's head swinging from the bow 520 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,840 of his ship. 521 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:45,840 Blackbeard had mistakenly believed that this area was a safe place to lay low. 522 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:50,840 And there are many scholars who contend that this location at Springer's Point was the 523 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:52,840 true hiding place of his treasure. 524 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:55,840 So has everybody just dug up Springer's Point then? 525 00:32:55,840 --> 00:33:00,840 No, Springer's Point has never been any kind of permission to hunt, go on there with any 526 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:02,840 kind of metal detector anything. 527 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:06,840 But for the first time today I got special permission to go on here and do some detecting. 528 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:07,840 Really? 529 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:08,840 Yes. 530 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:10,840 This is actually sounding more and more promising. 531 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:11,840 It's a pretty big deal. 532 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:12,840 It's a good chance. 533 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:16,840 One of the biggest things I've heard is you're more likely to find a pirate treasure than 534 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:17,840 you are to win the lottery. 535 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:18,840 That's funny. 536 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:19,840 It's a great point. 537 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:21,840 Well it is easier to buy a lottery ticket. 538 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:22,840 It's easier. 539 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:24,840 You've got to put a little effort in it. 540 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:29,840 Springer's Point. 541 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:33,840 Thanks to Ed's badge and his persistence, he's been able to get us unique access to search 542 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,840 this extremely restricted area. 543 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:39,840 Okay, lead the way. 544 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:41,840 Ed, there's obviously a lot of wilderness back here. 545 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:44,840 How do you know where to hone in on the treasure? 546 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:46,840 Well, follow me and I'll show you. 547 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:48,840 I can do that. 548 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:53,840 This is it. 549 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:55,840 Springer's Point. 550 00:33:55,840 --> 00:33:57,840 So this is a map from 1733. 551 00:33:57,840 --> 00:33:59,840 This is a map of Oca Coke 1733? 552 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:00,840 1733. 553 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:04,840 As you can see, the island looks much different than it does on this map today. 554 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:06,840 This is a present day map of Oca Coke. 555 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:07,840 Satellite it. 556 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:08,840 Got it. 557 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:10,840 I can tell you how much the island has changed. 558 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:15,840 And taking these two maps, 1733 and overlaying it on a current satellite image of the map, 559 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:20,840 one thing that you can point out from this map of 1733 is that the well marked on this map 560 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:23,840 falls on Springer Point where the current well is. 561 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:24,840 So you think they're one and the same? 562 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:25,840 I do. 563 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:26,840 Alright, well let's get to it. 564 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:27,840 Let's do it. 565 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:32,840 Ed believes that Blackbeard frequented this spot because Springer's Point had the one thing 566 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:34,840 he and his crew needed, fresh water. 567 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:39,840 With the well identified on the map, Ed thinks the treasure must be close by. 568 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:41,840 Here it is. 569 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:44,840 This is the well. 570 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:46,840 How long do you think this has been here for? 571 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:51,840 Obviously the woods knew where the brick looks like it was laid later on, but the well itself, 572 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:53,840 I'd say about 1700. 573 00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:54,840 So what's our strategy? 574 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:56,840 I think it's right around this vicinity. 575 00:34:56,840 --> 00:35:00,840 I said we check around the well first and then we'll head down to the beach and scan around. 576 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:01,840 Copy that. 577 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:05,840 Finding this well means that we're likely in the exact spot that Blackbeard would have 578 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:08,840 visited when he came ashore. 579 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:12,840 Since we've only been granted a few hours to search the site, we break out the metal 580 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:14,840 detectors and get to work. 581 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:22,840 Here's how. 582 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:27,840 Almost immediately, Ed starts getting hit after hit. 583 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:30,840 It sounds like he's finding treasure all over the place. 584 00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:31,840 I got nothing. 585 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:32,840 Is this thing even on? 586 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:34,840 Ed, you didn't give me the broken one, did you? 587 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:36,840 Your thing's going off like a smoke detector. 588 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:37,840 Mine's dead. 589 00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:40,840 It might be user air. 590 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:45,840 It's a classic pirate move. 591 00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:50,840 With Ed's metal detector blowing up, I move in to get a closer look at this beach-combing 592 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:53,840 ninja at work. 593 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:55,840 That is a beer can. 594 00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:57,840 I wonder if that was Blackbeard's brand. 595 00:35:57,840 --> 00:35:59,840 Blackbeard, a light beer drinker. 596 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:01,840 I would not have guessed that actually. 597 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:03,840 It's surprising. 598 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:10,840 With our sites set considerably higher than a five cent deposit, we press on and soon 599 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:13,840 Ed gets a major hit. 600 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:16,840 Josh, I think I got something. 601 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:17,840 You got something? 602 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:18,840 Yeah. 603 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:19,840 What do you got? 604 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:21,840 Something really big. 605 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:24,840 I've hand-undered on this side. 606 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:25,840 That's metal. 607 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:27,840 That is metal. 608 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:29,840 Whatever it is, that is old. 609 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:31,840 That's definitely metal. 610 00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:33,840 It's got wood wrapped around it. 611 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:35,840 It's got some organic material around it. 612 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:37,840 It looks like a spike of some kind. 613 00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:39,840 And there's more of it down there. 614 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:41,840 Here, I'm going to grab the shovel. 615 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:44,840 My two dudes about to strike it rich. 616 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:45,840 You ready? 617 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:46,840 Yeah. 618 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:47,840 Hold on. 619 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:48,840 Something big right there. 620 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:50,840 Oh, we're under it. 621 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:53,840 I mean, if I pull a pirate chest up out of here, Ed, I am going to f*** my pants. 622 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:55,840 There we go. 623 00:36:55,840 --> 00:36:56,840 There we go. 624 00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:57,840 We got it. 625 00:36:57,840 --> 00:36:58,840 We got it. 626 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:13,840 And I am no treasure hunting expert, but I believe that this is what is called a rock. 627 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:14,840 Yep. 628 00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:15,840 It looks like a rock to me. 629 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:17,840 We do have this very cool spike. 630 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:19,840 Who knows, this could be part of Blackbeard Ship. 631 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:21,840 This is true. 632 00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:23,840 But it's not a treasure. 633 00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:25,840 Boy, that was exciting there for a second. 634 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:26,840 It is. 635 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:27,840 It's always the thrill of the hunt. 636 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:28,840 Yeah. 637 00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:29,840 And the agony of defeat. 638 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:30,840 That's right. 639 00:37:30,840 --> 00:37:33,840 Well, you know, they say when treasure hunting, leave no stone unturned. 640 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:35,840 I was just doing that literally. 641 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:42,840 We'd need a dredge to get deeper in the flooded hole, and our short time at Springer's Point is up. 642 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:48,840 It will take substantial time and money to completely canvas this protected area. 643 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:54,840 There may be more here just waiting to be found, or it may be another in a long line of dead ends. 644 00:37:56,840 --> 00:38:01,840 I returned to the docks and catch a ferry back to the mainland where I have one last stop. 645 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:09,840 A meeting with a renowned Blackbeard scholar who believes he's cracked the code to reveal the truth behind the treasure. 646 00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:12,840 Blackbeard's Treasure 647 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:19,840 Well, I've looked high and low for Blackbeard's treasure. 648 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:26,840 Not in the Caimans, not on the Queen Anne's Revenge, and not in Okra Coat. 649 00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:28,840 But I do have one last lead. 650 00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:33,840 There's a historian here in North Carolina who has a bold new theory about Blackbeard. 651 00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:36,840 In fact, he thinks he solved the mystery of Blackbeard's treasure. 652 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:46,840 I've returned to Blackbeard's home of Bath to meet with noted historian and author Kevin Duffas. 653 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:48,840 A lot of legends surrounding Blackbeard. 654 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:49,840 There are. 655 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:51,840 Maybe more than any other pirate. 656 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:54,840 Well, certainly, and because he's of course the best known pirate. 657 00:38:54,840 --> 00:39:03,840 Most things that people believe about Blackbeard are entirely myths that are based on the repetition of long-held beliefs. 658 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:06,840 So do you think that Blackbeard had a treasure? 659 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:10,840 I do think he had a treasure, but his treasure wasn't what you think it is. 660 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:14,840 To fully understand the story, you have to do more than just research pirate history. 661 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:20,840 You have to research political history and economic history of the colony of North Carolina. 662 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:24,840 In the ten years before Blackbeard arrived here in the summer of 1718, 663 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:28,840 North Carolina was at a great disadvantage compared to its neighboring colonies. 664 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:32,840 They had been on the brink of economic devastation. 665 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:33,840 There was no labor force here. 666 00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:43,840 In the summer of 1718, Blackbeard wrecked the Queen Anne's Revenge 132 miles away from here and sailed up here. 667 00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:46,840 And all of a sudden, there's an economic boom. 668 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:48,840 And let's talk about the economic boom. 669 00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:49,840 What is he bringing on that slope? 670 00:39:49,840 --> 00:39:56,840 Something else that turned out to be more valuable, more necessary for the economically depressed plantation society. 671 00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:59,840 It was more valuable than gold or silver. 672 00:39:59,840 --> 00:40:04,840 So if his treasure wasn't money, if it wasn't gold and silver, what was it? 673 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:06,840 Blackbeard's treasure were slaves. 674 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:07,840 Slaves? 675 00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:09,840 Absolutely. 676 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:14,840 The priceless commodity that Blackbeard traded wasn't gold or silver. 677 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:17,840 In an era when human life was available for a price, 678 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:22,840 Blackbeard appears to have been a participant in the tragic legacy of the American slave trade. 679 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:26,840 How do you come to this conclusion that it's really about human cargo? 680 00:40:26,840 --> 00:40:33,840 There's very strong written evidence that shows that a number of men whose names appear on the records as having been with Blackbeard 681 00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:38,840 are buying land here in Bath for these slaves. 682 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:44,840 These slaves, of course, arrived on this pirate ship, not knowing where they were going, what their future held. 683 00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:50,840 And they were at the mercy of their pirate masters, but they come here to Bath and over time become skilled tradesmen. 684 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:55,840 And they helped to build America into the nation that it is today. 685 00:40:55,840 --> 00:41:01,840 Unfortunately, the history of those men has been eclipsed by Blackbeard's vast legend. 686 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:06,840 It's this opaque legend before and even long after his death. 687 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:09,840 It certainly puts Blackbeard and his legacy in a very different light. 688 00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:11,840 Yeah, I agree. 689 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:17,840 In the end, it's easy to see why our fascination with Blackbeard has endured for centuries. 690 00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:25,840 The ocean was a stage and he was its consummate showman with a threatening flair for the dramatic. 691 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:29,840 But did he really hide loot on Cayman Brack as other pirates did? 692 00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:33,840 Or did he stash it off the Carolina coast before his last stand? 693 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:38,840 Dogged archaeologists and historians are reconstructing the puzzle of Blackbeard's life. 694 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:44,840 And the more we learn about it, the harder it is to hum a pirate's life for me. 695 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:50,840 Blackbeard famously said that only he and the devil himself knew where the treasure was. 696 00:41:50,840 --> 00:41:58,840 With the revelation that he may have traded in human lives, perhaps it's more accurate to say that he and the devil were one and the same.