COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A charter captain and his crew discovered a centuries-old anchor off the coast of Florida.
Boat captain Bill D’Antuono stumbled across a slice of old Florida during a recent spearfishing expedition, finding “pirate lure” about 65 miles off Naples Beach and 150 feet below the surface.
“This is the oldest thing that I’ve heard of or seen that I’ve found,” D’Antuono told WBBH.
The news station reported that it took the crew several trips and tons of tech to bring the 4-foot-tall, 300-pound anchor to the surface.
Bob Kramer, who runs Naples Coins and Jewelry, believes the anchor is from the early 18th century based on size, construction and the aging of the metal.
“It could have been attached to a Spanish Gáleon. It could be there sunk somewhere or just a lost anchor,” Kramer said. “In the Spanish days, the king of Spain transported all of his silver and gold out of Mexico. When they went along the point of Florida with all the hurricanes it took down a lot of ships. There’s a lot of stuff out there.”
D’Antuono said he is planning another trip to the area to see if he and his crew can find any more buried treasure.
“No coordinates will be given out on this one,” D’Antuono said.