Sunken treasure, cannibalism, prison ships, Nazi submarines, the Bermuda
triangle--all are tied into the lore of shipwrecks along Florida's
coasts. There are as many shipwreck stories as there are thousands of
Florida shipwrecks. This book offers thirty of the most interesting of
them--from the tale of young Fontaneda, who wrecked in 1545 and was held
captive by Indians for 17 years, to the story of the Coast Guard cutter
Bibb, which was sunk off Key Largo in 1987 to provide an artificial reef
and diving site. In between there is the Atocha, flagship of a Spanish
treasure fleet, which sank in a hurricane in September 1622 and was
found, along with its $100 million worth of gold and silver, by Mel
Fisher in July of 1985.
Each shipwreck story has a map pinpointing its location and a full-color
illustration by renowned artist William L. Trotter. There is an
extensive bibliography and a foreword by Florida state underwater
archaeologist Roger Smith.