
Submitted Photos: McConville takes a break after searching for treasure.
Bob McConville
Master Naturalist
May I wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. This is truly the season when people are looking for holiday treasures. Some are found under a Christmas tree, some in a stocking and others by a fireplace. (Do we even have those in Florida?) This year, I am searching in a different location for special gifts . . . under the sea.
A few months ago, I wrote an article about local author and captain, Tom Williams, who will soon be featured on an upcoming Travel Channel series, Caribbean Gold.
Tom’s book, Lost and Found, tells a fictitious tale of finding pirate gold and silver around the South Florida area. Some of his storyline is based on fact. It’s a fun book and worth reading.
Not long after this article appeared in the Coastal

Naturalist Stephanie Lyons will lend her diving skills to the team in search of historical information somewhere between Cancun and New Orleans.
It is the remnants of a sunken boat which fit the profile of an older vessel. The remainder of the disintegrating hull is made of wood and appears to be about 30 feet wide. There are ballast rocks along the hull. These stones were placed inside a ship to provide stability and control, especially in times before motorized boats.
The site has the characteristics of an older ship that was scuttled or possibly broken apart by bad weather. The initial key to where this ship came from is in those ballast rocks. An analysis of these stones might tell us if the vessel came from France, Spain, England or Florida. This is where my search for Christmas gifts begins this year.
The captain who knows this location shall remain nameless at this time, but the first step to solving this mystery is underway. Stephanie Lyons, a Florida naturalist who conducts

Many ships that sailed the Carribean never made it home.
If the ballast rocks are, indeed, from another country, this could warrant further dives to search for artifacts. These treasures may be a key to further understanding our area in the past.
Enjoy your tree, look closely into that stocking and search carefully around that fireplace if you have one. I’m going diving somewhere between Cancun and New Orleans. Stay tuned mateys . . . arrr!
Bob is the owner of Stepping Stone Ecotours and a naturalist on board the Dolphin Explorer survey program. He is a member of Florida SEE (Society for Ethical Ecotourism). Bob loves his wife very much!
Leave a Reply