Ocean Science

The chance of finding Spanish treasure is one of the bonuses of diving in many places along Florida’s coast. In fact, a few people have become wealthy diving for gold, silver and jewels recovered from the sites of wrecked Spanish ships. Anyone who finds even a single 16th-century coin can thank Mother Nature, especially the wind. The extreme winds of hurricanes and the waves they kick up sank most of the ships from three different Spanish fleets along different parts of Florida’s Coast.

The coastal waters that attract divers are often the breeding grounds of storms and other weather surprises. Divers and boaters who venture onto bays,…