03x11 - Return to the Whydah

[bunniefuu]

Full speed ahead, Captain.

On Beyond Oak Island...

Well, we'd love to have
you guys come back down.

There you go.

According to the two survivors
of the shipwreck,

the Whydah carried
five tons of treasure.

- Let's find that mother lode.
- Yeah. I think he's on it.

Get the divers ready.

Roger that.

Diver's in the water.

We know our time is finite.

We have to come up
with something this time.

- We got a hit.
- Got a hit.

This has been
undisturbed for 300 years.

Oh! Whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa!

Let's go!

All the while we
were growing up,

my brother and I were
fascinated with finding treasure.

Pirate treasure,

cursed treasure.

Civil w*r gold.

Since then,
our work on Oak Island

has shown us there's
a world of mysteries...

- Whoa.
- Waiting to be explored.

So we like to reach
out to other treasure hunters.

X marks the spot,
right there. Brilliant.

- We want to hear their stories...
- That's right.

- And share our insights.
- "Ill-gotten gains."

- And who knows...
- I got it.

Maybe we can help
them with their search.

Not only in America.

Wow. That is gold.

- But all over the world.
- Yeah!

Beyond Oak Island.

So, guys,

the purpose of this meeting
is really quite simple.

Barry and Brandon Clifford
have reached out again.

Uh... He's starting
to smile already.

You know,

they have hinted at
the idea of going back

and having another
crack at the Whydah.

This is one that
I've really, really,

really wanted to
get another crack at.

What this team has done,

what Barry and Brandon
Clifford have done

on the Whydah
site is unparalleled.

I mean, we said it last time...
This is the only documented

pirate treasure being brought
up and identified in the world.

- Yeah.
- And, I mean, that alone puts them...

right up top.

So, to have another
chance to get on that site

and potentially
find more treasure,

and I'll say more treasure
'cause you remember last time

we found that coin.

Yeah, and it's,
and it's the allure

of perhaps even the
greatest treasure, right?

Maybe something that they...

Something really spectacular

that they haven't found
any examples of yet.

Yes.

Well, guys, welcome
to my backyard.

Cape Cod.

In June of 2022,

Rick Lagina, along with Matty
Blake and Tony Sampson,

traveled to Matty's home
state of Massachusetts

to join renowned salvage
divers Barry and Brandon Clifford

on their ongoing excavation
of the legendary pirate ship

known as the Whydah Gally...

Diver's in the water.

Which sank just off
the coast of Cape Cod

in 1717.

The pirate crew
on the Whydah was probably

one of the most diverse pirate
crews of the entire Golden Age.

You had British pirates,
French, Portuguese, Dutch,

and, most notably,

about one-third of all
the pirates on the Whydah

were African.

And this is because of
Captain Samuel Bellamy.

Hoist her up!

Known
for his striking dark hair,

"Black Sam" Bellamy
was an Englishman

who became one of the most
notorious and unique buccaneers

during the Golden Age
of Piracy in the Americas.

In less than two years of
plundering on the high seas,

Black Sam commandeered
more than 50 ships,

accumulating a
massive treasure...

Full sail!

And a diverse
crew along the way.

However, his
greatest conquest was

the Whydah Gally...
An English sl*ve ship.

When Samuel
Bellamy took the Whydah,

it did have many Africans
on it, enslaved people,

and so Samuel
Bellamy allowed them

to become pirates on his crew.

It was actually
quite democratic.

He always made
sure that all pirates had

equal votes on
every single matter.

And every single
person in his crew

very much got their equal share.

But on April 26, 1717,

as the Whydah sailed
toward Cape Cod,

it was caught in a
devastating nor'easter,

causing it to break
apart and sink.

Its massive treasure

and most of the crew,
including Black Sam Bellamy,

were lost to the sea.

The Whydah had hordes of
goods that went down when it crashed.

But most importantly,

according to the two
survivors of the shipwreck,

the Whydah carried five tons
of gold, silver and various jewels

packed away in 50-pound
bags all throughout the ship.

The Whydah and its riches

eluded discovery for
more than 260 years

until renowned
explorer Barry Clifford

and his partner
John F. Kennedy Jr.

Discovered its
massive bell in 1985.

Since then,

Barry has acquired the
exclusive rights to the wreck

and, along with his son Brandon,

works every year to recover
the remains of the Whydah

and her crew,

which they preserve
and display for the public

in two different museums.

The treasure of the
Whydah is the story

of these people
experimenting in democracy.

That story needs to be told

a million times,
over and over again.

And this is why it's
been so important to us.

It must be preserved.

This thing just keeps
on giving, right?

- That's right.
- 54 different ships

were-were perhaps
represented on that ship?

Exactly, Marty.

And as to your point we
do not know what's on her.

You know, like with all
the other Spanish ships,

you know, they had a manifest...

- Yeah.
- So you assumed

what you were looking for

would be part of that manifest.

But this, this is just, the
mind goes everywhere

'cause it could be
anything that's down there.

Right. That's got to make
a dive really fun.

Uh... it makes me pretty happy.

During their recent trip

to work with Barry and Brandon

in the waters just off
the coast of Cape Cod...

Tony, Matty and Rick
helped Brandon and Barry

find possible timbers
from the wreck...

a metal spoon

and a silver real coin
which was dated to 1710.

The other thing that's
interesting to me is

the duration of time from
when Barry first decided to

pursue this dream
of finding the Whydah.

40 years.

- 40 years, that's a lifetime's worth of work.
- Yeah.

And it has grown into something,

I would think, far bigger

than what he had
initially thought, right?

I mean, this thing has it all.

- And I...
- You know, I can't help but think

when you say that, that
almost all of that applies to you

on this search right here.

You started after this
when you were 12.

How many years
does that make it?

That's... Stop.

- Stop.
- Don't do that math.

- Don't do that math.
- Shall we do the arithmetic here?

No, stop the math,
please. Stop the math.

Well, you know, the
last time we spoke with

Barry and Brandon,

I know that Barry
kept talking about

him getting closer and
closer to maybe finding

where he believes
the treasure would be.

- Let's, let's talk to them.
- Absolutely.

- To see what they have in mind?
- Yep.

- All right.
- Let's see what they have to say.

- Hello, gentlemen. -TONY: Hi, guys.
- Hi, guys.

Hey, how are you?

Good. We've got Tony
here and Matty and myself

and Marty, of course, and, uh...

we know that you want
to talk about something.

What might that be?

Well, we'd love to have
you guys come back down.

If you're able.

- There you go.
- We're gonna be headed out soon

and we'd love for
you guys to join us.

You know, guys,

it's incredibly kind of you

to make such a generous offer.

Can you run through
exactly what the plan is?

How is this going to evolve?

We're actually
gonna be working at

the main point of the shipwreck,

where the shipwreck
was discovered,

and we're gonna go
work in this area known as

the cannon pile area.

That's where a
number of years ago

we've recovered this
massive concretion of cannons

that weighed about
10,000 pounds.

And beneath that
massive concretion,

we have reason to believe
that there might be all sorts of

artifacts below that layer.

So we're gonna go
set up right on that spot

and get to work out there.

As the Whydah began to sink

in 1717, it capsized
and broke apart,

causing much of the
treasure on board,

which was kept in
50-pound containers,

to become buried beneath
the massive cannons

on the ocean floor.

This prompted the
English cartographer

Cyprian Southack,
who not only witnessed

the Whydah's sinking

but also created a survey
map of the wreckage,

to believe that if the
cannons could be found,

it would lead to
the mother lode.

So Southack said,

"The riches with the g*ns
will be buried in the sand."

That's a big clue

because we know where
we found the cannon pile, so...

I really think we're
on to something.

- Wow.
- Fantastic.

- That sounds great.
- Wow.

No, that sounds
really, really exciting.

Well, Barry, Brandon, again,

I want to say thank you
for the generous offer

of us coming out
again, but I-I don't think

that Marty and I are going
to be able to free ourselves

from the island

because, quite frankly, we've
got a big project here, too.

So... But I do know,
as I turn to my right,

the two gentlemen here,
grins spread across their faces.

So I think Matty and Tony

certainly would
be quite willing to

accept your kind offer and I,

I would think they'll
get down there ASAP.

That sounds great.

Maybe next time you can join us.

We'd love to have Matty
and Tony come down.

That's, that's
absolutely perfect.

We'll look forward
to more revelations.

Sounds like we could be
on top of a mother lode here,

so let's go.

All right.

I'm really looking
forward to this, guys.

I can barely
contain myself here.

All right, thanks,
guys. I'll be in touch.

Tony and I'll see you real soon.

- See you, guys.
- Thank you, gents. -Bye.

Off you guys
go on another adventure.

This is gonna be epic.

Look at this. We've
got a perfect morning.

Hey, guys.

- Good to see you. Welcome back.
- Good morning.

Two days after their
meeting in the Oak Island w*r room,

Matty Blake and
diver Tony Sampson

have traveled some 500 miles

southwest to Cape
Cod, Massachusetts.

Permission to
come aboard, Captain?

Come on aboard.

- All right.
- Excellent.

After meeting
up with Captain Jeff Spiegel,

they now have a short
journey down the coast

to join Barry and
Brandon Clifford

on their state-of-the-art
salvage vessel

known as the Vast Explorer

to search for
artifacts and valuables

connected to the legendary
18th century pirate wreck

known as the Whydah Gally.

It's so great to be back home
with my good mate Tony Sampson.

Barry thinks he has a spot

potentially over the
mother lode of the Whydah

and we might have a
chance to get out there

and be part of that discovery.

Captain Jeff?

- Yes.
- Hey, buddy.

Uh, what's the weather
today? Have you checked?

Well, it's a beautiful morning,

but like typical New England
weather, it's gonna change.

The weather here can
change in an instant.

The sea is beautiful.

Right now it's very tranquil.

This can all change
in the blink of an eye,

as it did for the Whydah.

So we're hoping

that everything stays like this.

Let's find that mother lode.

Full speed ahead, Captain.

There she is.

Vast Explorer, buddy.

- Hello, guys.
- Morning, Barry.

- Morning, Brandon.
- Hey, guys.

Let's do some
diving. What do you think?

All right.

My dad's very
excited to go to this area

where we're gonna be working.

We've recovered these
large, large, massive cannons

that weighed about
10,000 pounds,

and we've never
seen what's below it.

- You all right, Matty?
- Yep.

This is the
main focal point, you know,

"the g*ns that would be
with the riches in the sand,"

so I'm excited to
go dive in this area

and see what the sand is like.

- So good to see you again.
- Good to see you.

Wow. It's
great to be back,

well, home, kind
of, for me, but...

Man, this is a much
different vessel

than what we were on before.

This dive is
different because we're really

at the main point
of the shipwreck.

You know, the
original discovery site,

what we call Data May.

Could the mother
lode be in this area?

According to Southack,

he said, "the
riches with the g*ns

will be buried in the sand."

And this is where we found

- 50 g*ns right in this area.
- Oh, right.

So we're expecting
to find artifacts here.

So, according to the research
you did, what's the plan?

How are we gonna do this?

Well, Tony and I
are gonna dive here

and we're gonna go down
and we're gonna set up,

essentially.

We're gonna put what
we call the pounder

- in the middle of our site.
- Yep.

And we'll take any
artifacts we find,

- we're gonna measure off that pounder.
- All right.

The pounder is a
tool created by Barry and Brandon

consisting of a rope
tied to a cinder block.

Its first function is
to act as a safety line

to help the divers navigate
their way to the ocean floor.

It then serves as a
central reference point

to help them mark the
exact locations of artifacts

that they recover
from the Whydah Gally.

We'll be communicating
with the surface

giving them the
coordinates of each artifact

- as we recover them.
- Great.

And we'll just continue to
make as many dives as we can.

Well, I'm pumped. Let's do it.

Yeah, sounds like
we're on a good site. Let's go.

- Sounds good.
- All right, get you guys geared up.

We're diving in an
area that's very tumultuous.

We're dusting, melting
the sand away very slowly,

and it's a very, very
complicated process,

and that's why we've
been here 40 years.

Okay.

Using a
specialized propelling system

known as the deflector,
Barry is able to redirect

the ship's engine wash
downward up to 90 degrees

in order to clear... or dust...

Sand and silt away
from the ocean floor

some 30 feet below.

This process can gently
reveal parts of the wreck

as well as artifacts
and valuables

in the pit that it creates.

Get the divers ready.

Yes, sir.

All right, guys.
We're looking good.

- Let's have a good dive.
- Fantastic.

Here we go again,
mate. Here we go again.

I got a good feeling
about this one.

Diver in.

The challenges
with this particular dive

is the target is very,
very, very deep.

Diver two's in.

And when you have
wind, tide, weather,

and all these factors
that you have to align

to then uncover these
artifacts, it's very challenging.

We got the wind picking up.

- Yeah.
- We got to make the best of it.

Like they all say,
"Today's the day."

Today's the day.

You might want to fan
in one of those spots

and see what's
underneath it, too.

While I'm diving,
I'm seeing a lot of cobblestone.

But we're not down
to the artifact layer.

The artifacts rest on
this very fine white sand,

which rests on top of clay.

Above the fine white sand,

we have
cobblestone, glacial till.

And then above that, you
have the shifting sandbar.

So all the artifacts rest
between the cobblestone

and the fine white sand.

If you don't see
the fine white sand,

then you're likely not
going to find any artifacts.

Okay, so he's in the
right spot, just no hits yet.

Let's see what
they come up with.

The last time he was here,

the whole bottom of the
pit was just one solid...

Just hits immediately.

- If we're in the right spot.
- Right.

All you have to be is just off,

as we've learned on Oak Island.

Copy that.

Yeah, roger
that. Leaving bottom.

Brandon knows right away

'cause of his experience,
we're not deep enough.

They need to get
to that precious

layer of sand where
all the treasure falls to.

Diver one on the ladder.

On surface.

So Barry is gonna...

dust again and try to
clear that top layer off.

I brought something
up, but I don't know what it is.

What'd you guys see this time?

There's stones.

Lots of pebbles,

but I feel like we need
to be a little further down.

Oh, wow.

All right. Well, we'll
dig, we'll dig right here.

I'm gonna go get
set up with the thing.

- Great. Okay.
- I'll let you know when it's clear.

This is Whydah concretion.

- Classic concretion.
- Yeah.

- A
- concretion is a solid mass

created over long
periods of time

when iron artifacts
corrode in salt water

and fuse together
with nearby objects.

What does this tell you?

Oh, wow.

Brandon pulls
out this concretion.

It smells like a
combination of, I don't know,

gunpowder and seawater.

It's really cool,

and Brandon says this is
typical Whydah concretion,

which is exciting because

now they're starting
to see things.

So you're getting close.

Find a few more of these,

get to that white sand
level, you find treasure.

Okay, starting the engines.

Ugh.

We're getting pushed
around in the current.

All right, guys.

Wind's picking up.

Anticipation's high.

Myself and Brandon
were just itching

to get back in the
water, but unfortunately

we can feel the wind
changing slightly, though.

This could be a bad omen.

We might get our tail
kicked off the wreck.

Damn it.

The Whydah site is
the most dangerous,

complicated place
I've ever worked.

The wind changed direction

and we'd probably
moved 30 feet to one side,

so getting back the 30
feet against the current

and getting in that
same spot is not easy.

Hey, we can't get
where I want to get.

This current, it keeps
blowing us this way.

We haven't got much time.

Just off the coast
of Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Matty Blake and Tony
Sampson, along with

underwater explorers
Barry and Brandon Clifford,

are battling
increasingly rough seas

as they hope to
salvage valuable artifacts

from the Whydah Gally...

A massive pirate ship
that sank in these waters

after being caught
in a devastating storm

back in 1717.

Things are
working against us right now.

Barry looks concerned.

He doesn't like where
the boat is going.

The wind's picking up.

I don't know what's
gonna happen next.

Well, unfortunately
the wind's really picking, so...

Mother Nature is not being nice.

We may have to head in.

So we might have
to cancel for today.

Which is a big
disappointment, but, uh...

So you're calling...

You're ceasing dive
operations for now.

- Yeah.
- Okay.

Yeah, I mean, I'm
looking at that flag

and, yeah,

I think you're right...
You can feel it picking up.

The team is eager,

but due to the fact
that there's weather,

things beyond our control,

I had to make the
safety decision.

We can head in and
come back tomorrow.

Okay. Is there a
forecast tomorrow?

Has anyone seen it?

- Yeah. It's more favorable than today.
- All right, all right.

- So...
- It's more like this morning.

So I'm gonna find
the positive here.

We found the spot. We got a hit.

We don't know what it
is, possibly an artifact,

and we're just preparing
it for the next day.

And we're gonna find
something incredible tomorrow.

- How about that?
- Yeah. -Sounds good.

- It's all part of the process...
- Yeah, yeah.

The weather report for
tomorrow looks good.

So...

this gives Barry more
time to lock in that position

as the weather settles,

dust more, get to
that bottom layer,

and the hope and
prayer is that tomorrow

Tony and Brandon
get to that level

and they see white
sand and gold coins.

- All right. Well, let's get packed up.
- Yes, sir. Okay.

We're wrapping it up.

The following morning...

Well, should we motor out, guys?

Full speed ahead, Captain Jeff.

Matty Blake and Tony Sampson,

along with Brandon Clifford
and Captain Jeff Spiegel,

make their way back
to the Vast Explorer.

There, Barry Clifford has
spent the last several hours

dusting the target area

in preparation for
Brandon and Tony's search

for more artifacts connected
to the Whydah Gally.

Today the weather
is absolutely phenomenal,

you know, and
we're just excited.

Yesterday we got
blown off the site,

and so the wind had
changed from west,

and we were looking
at south, southwest,

and so the swell had picked up,

but later on in the evening,

the swell had actually
dropped off again

and it was just a gentle
swell, so that had allowed Barry

time enough to blow
or dust this area for us.

It looks like
we got a great team.

We got a great day for it today.

I'm super excited about this
hole you've got here, Barry,

and obviously some
artifacts on the bottom.

This is a very good area.

We have to dig
down ten, 20, 30 feet,

and it's not easy.

- All right, everyone ready?
- Let's get to it.

- Let's do it.
- All right.

There's a
different energy today.

It's not a bad feeling, but
it's a feeling of intensity.

We need to get to that
precious layer of sand

where all the treasure falls to.

This is not a recreational dive.

This is a dive that requires

expertise, a deft
hand, and caution.

On the ladder.

Diver one in the water.

Are you on the bottom, Brandon?

Roger that. On bottom.

Is it all sand?

Okay.

- Hold Tony.
- Stand by, Tony.

Roger that.

We were not
down to the artifact layer.

There was no white sand.

So we're gonna have to

kind of keep dusting the
sand away and hopefully

get down to the layer
of artifacts we want to.

What did we see down there?

If you envision
you're at the bottom of

- a sand dune.
- Yep. Yep.

Full of stones on the bottom.

It kind of resembles that.

- Okay.
- Uh...

we're down to 41 feet, so,

you know, if I recall
the cannon pile...

we were at 42 feet.

You know, and that thing was

- still deep in the sand, so...
- All right.

- So then we'll blow some more.
- Good.

- Okay.
- Perfect.

The obstacles to
treasure hunting are real.

It's hard and you don't
always come up with treasure.

This is the battle
that you fight.

Okay, we're there.

Clear.

Diver one in the water.

You got to have a strong
constitution to do this,

and this is a
prime example of it.

Diver's in the water.

Finally, we're
ready to go back down.

We know that our time is finite,

and we have to come up
with something this time.

To come off the
bottom of this dive

holding a piece of
Whydah treasure

or an artifact from the Whydah

would just, you know,
it would fill my heart.

Tony, Matty on the
surface, roger that.

Lot of mung weed.

Do your best to get
through it, buddy. Over.

Any large concretions?

I went in first and I
noticed that we had gotten down deeper.

It was actually pretty
deep on my depth gauge.

We were well below 50 feet,

which is fairly deep
for the Whydah, so...

right now I'm excited because

we're definitely getting
down to the artifact layer.

They've got to get
under those stones.

Okay.

Tony, you've got to get
underneath those stones,

like I said.

Try to get underneath
those big stones.

A lot of days out
here with dry pits.

Yes, sir. Yeah, I understand.

- Not many, though.
- Not many?

There's always, there's always
something that comes up.

Yeah.

Got a hit.

- We got a hit.
- Got a hit.

Come on, baby!

Just off the shores

of Cape Cod, Massachusetts,

salvage diver Brandon
Clifford has just made

a potentially valuable discovery
connected to the Whydah Gally...

An 18th century pirate ship

that sank in 1717 along
with historic artifacts

and untold millions in treasure.

I'm excited
when we find these objects,

these artifacts from the Whydah.

They're very sacred to us,
you know, these are all part of

the shipwreck's history.

Roger that.

Got it.

Artifact number one, call it.

13 feet at 250 degrees.

In order to
properly document the find

for the historical record

and mark the location
for future searches,

Brandon records
the exact coordinates

on the ocean floor where
the discovery was made.

This isn't just
treasure hunting.

This is a professional
archaeologist

doing his craft

and doing it carefully
and meticulously.

It's really difficult to
find these small things underwater.

Things seems to kind
of blend down there,

so, you know, I'm kind of, like,
tapping into the environment,

tapping into my dive and
concentrating on-on my job.

Roger that.

Roger that.

Roger that. Diver
one leaving bottom.

Right now I'm excited

because we are finding
these artifacts down there,

and it's kind of been a long
haul the last couple days,

so it feels good to recover
a couple of artifacts.

Diver one on surface.

Diver one's up.

As we get up to the surface,

myself and Brandon
are both really excited

for something to
come up this time.

Diver two on surface.

I mean, it was a childhood dream

to dive wrecks like this.

And this could be
a monumental find.

From my estimation,

you had some nice targets.

I think you said
the word "artifact."

Yeah, well, the
first artifact that...

They were actually right next
to each other pretty much.

- Oh, wow.
- Oh, look at that.

- Wow, that's beautiful.
- That's beautiful.

Look at that.

That's an escutcheon plate,

- I believe, from a p*stol.
- Wow.

This was a piece of a weapon.

It would go on decoratively
to the side of the weapon

and it is curved in that way.

It's such a cool piece.

It's clearly period.

It's ornate.

It's small, it's really amazing.

This is, like, amazing.

So, that would have
been on a pirate's weapon

- as a decorative piece?
- Yep.

- Incredible.
- Exactly.

You can see, you can
see it has a little bit of

- a concave to it.
- Incredible. Yeah, where it'd fit.

Dating back to the mid-1500s,

handheld pistols

were originally
single-shot weapons

composed of a metal barrel

and trigger with a
wood frame and handle.

Metal adornments...
Or escutcheon plates...

Would often be attached
to the sides as decoration.

Is it possible

that this artifact came
from a p*stol that belonged

to one of Black Sam
Bellamy's crew members?

Or might it have belonged
to Captain Bellamy himself?

This is extremely important.

Wow.

Extremely important.

A side plate from a p*stol

is extremely interesting

and, you know, it needs
to be investigated to help

tell the history of what
was on board the ship.

What's amazing, too,
is in this vast ocean

that you guys find
pieces like that,

and that... that small
but that important, too.

You don't find these
things every day.

Incredible find, Brandon.

- Yeah.
- h*-Hold on.

Oh, whoa!

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Look at that.

Let's go!

In Cape Cod, Massachusetts,

after investigating the wreckage

of an 18th century pirate wreck
known as the Whydah Gally,

divers Brandon Clifford
and Tony Sampson

are sharing their
historic discoveries

with Barry Clifford,
Matty Blake,

and the rest of the team.

Now, that has got
some weight to it as well.

That's a... it's a
Mexican eight real.

- So it's...
- Eight real?

It's one ounce.
It's from Mexico.

This is
honest-to-goodness pirate treasure.

And it's a real sign of
what's to come in this area.

It validates Barry's belief
that this is a hot area

'cause in just that short
last dive they pulled out two

incredible artifacts.

There's no
degradation on this at all, okay?

That means this is...

This is the first time that this
has been exposed down there.

Which is a really good clue
to what else could be there.

That's a good haul.

Coins that we've already dug on

and then dig on them twice,

they'll be concreted because
the oxygen gets to them.

This has been
undisturbed for 300 years.

That's a really good
clue as to where we are.

When I find an
artifact such as a coin,

it puts the history in your hand

and you're able to connect
the dots of the story.

Phenomenal, buddy. Well done.

This is what these
pirates were after.

These pirates were
looking to take their destinies

into their own hands
and go and get their piece.

It was a valuable
piece of money for them.

This is incredible.

This is an incredible day,
and what I love most about it

is that it wasn't easy.

This is incredible right here.

I love that you're happy.

There's an urgency
to tell this story,

there's an urgency for people
to understand the significance

of what the Whydah represents.

This is a pirate ship
working as a democracy,

and more people need to know it,

and Barry and Brandon
are bringing it to life

to this area and to the world.

And I'm so proud
to be from here,

I'm happy for them, and I'm
proud to be a small part of it.

It was an awesome day.

This has been an honor to
watch you guys do what you do.

You're not the first
family that we've been with

that have tried
something like this,

but you're certainly
one of the best.

And what you guys have
accomplished is incredible.

I know that this is, this is,
like, super exciting for us,

but I also know it's just
a scratch of the surface

of what you're going to do here.

We have, like, a
deep reverence for this history

and a deep reverence
for these artifacts

and the history of the Whydah.

To be able to
touch it and share it

and be a part of the story
is a powerful thing for us.

On behalf of Rick
and Marty and Tony,

I just want to thank you
guys for allowing us to see just

a little bit of what you do.

So thank you,
thank you, thank you.

Our pleasure.

You know, we
have a big job ahead of us.

It's about preserving
this incredibly

important time
capsule for posterity,

and it's gonna take,

it's gonna take another
lifetime to do that.

And how do we sign this off?

What's a good, like,
way to sign this off?

Here's to us. Who's like us?
Damn few and the rest are dead.

I love it!
Congratulations.

Well, Tony... It was
quite a trip home.

- I'll tell you that.
- Unbelievable.

To watch that team operate,

it was like what
we did the first time

but kind of like

next level, right?

Yeah.

Did it meet your expectations?

'Cause your expectations
were really high.

The thing for me is, I
would go back in a heartbeat.

I'm hooked on this yellow
brick road, you know?

But we got some
really cool finds.

I mean, you guys made two finds

that were stunning.

And in fact,

one of the finds, Barry
seemed more excited about

than if it was a
piece of treasure.

He thinks this particular find...

Which we're gonna talk
about in a second with them

'cause they're standing by...
He thinks it was so incredible

that it could tie into
a part of the mystery

that we haven't really

- known about yet.
- Let's hear about it.

- Let's hear about it.
- Yeah, they're standing by with, uh...

to tell you guys about it.

- Hello, guys.
- Hey, guys.

- Hey.
- Hi, guys.

Thank you for having us.

Welcome back to the w*r room.

We're eager to hear
your side of the story,

we just heard from
these two guys.

Well, it was quite
an adventure, you know,

we were just telling
the guys here about

all the drama and excitement

of trying to get the
boat on the spot,

finally culminating in
those two incredible finds.

Which Rick and
Marty have not seen,

so you guys take the floor.

Yeah, so, um...

we were able to find a
couple artifacts down there.

We found a Spanish
silver piece of eight.

Wow.

A Spanish silver eight real

minted in Mexico.

What says "minted in Mexico,"

- if I can ask?
- Yeah, I was just gonna ask the same thing.

Now, they're usually
pretty crudely cut,

and you can tell

there's a different series
of markings on this coin

than the last coin we found.

Ah, so cool.

- Beautiful.
- And then, Barry,

there was a second find

that you in particular
were really excited about.

Yeah, I can't wait

to show you guys

the historical significance

of what we discovered.

This is extremely,
extremely important,

this artifact.

- Isn't that something.
- Wow.

And I believe that
that's a Jacobite flower.

We know there
were a lot of Scots

on board the Whydah,

many of whom were probably

getting out of town because
of the Jacobite rebellion.

And don't forget the Jacobite
rebellion started in 1715.

The Whydah wrecked
in the beginning of 1717.

So the Jacobite rebellion was

in full swing when
the Whydah wrecked.

In 1715,

the exiled Scottish King
James Edward Stuart

and his followers,
known as Jacobites,

launched an uprising in
an attempt to recapture

the thrones of England,
Scotland and Ireland.

The rebellion failed,
leading to many Jacobites

being ex*cuted by
the English Crown.

Is it possible that one
of the crew members

who perished with
Black Sam Bellamy

aboard the Whydah was a
Jacobite who turned to piracy

in order to escape
persecution in Europe?

There's no question about it.

That's a Jacobite rose.

- Wow.
- That's amazing.

Yeah.

Well, the finds were incredible.

What's the plan moving forward?

Well, the plan is to
get back out there.

We're not sure where the rest
of the Whydah really remains.

Everybody has
a different theory,

a little bit different
perspective,

but we're certainly
going to give it our best

and we'll be out there soon.

Hey, if you had to guess

what percent of that
has been salvaged,

what would you say?
Or what percent is left?

There's probably a million
coins on board the Whydah.

So we brought up
only a tiny fraction

of what was recorded

to have been on the ship.

Wow.

So, Brandon, keep that, uh...
keep those fins and masks ready

'cause you've got a lot
more diving to do.

If there's that
many coins still.

Yeah,

there's a lot of diving.

I just want to say
hats off to both of you

for your commitment.

And hats off to both of you

- for letting us participate.
- Yep.

Thank you so much
for the opportunity

to dive with you guys.

It was an honor. It really was.

Hats off to you guys
for your commitment,

and it was our
pleasure to have you.

Right, and if Rick and
I come to take a look

at your museum, we'd
be... it'd be okay, right?

Oh,
yeah. Of course.

We'd love to have you.

- All right.
- It's on the list.

It'll only be $7.50.

We're gonna give you
a heck of a discount.

All right. Good.

Well, thanks again, guys.

We will certainly stay in
touch, and any developments,

if you make a
find any time soon,

please call us immediately,
we'll be all over it.

All right, guys.
Thank you so much.

- Thanks to you.
- Thanks for sharing your adventure.

Thanks, Brandon.

Take care. Stay safe.

Take care.

- Bye-bye.
- That's just a great story.

- Yeah, yeah, it is.
- And you know what comes to my mind

is-is the term "the real deal."

You hear that a lot,

but everything about
this is the real deal.

The treasure
hunt's the real deal.

The story's the real deal,

those gentlemen
are the real deal.

You know? Committed
to what they started.

Uh, it's-it's just,

it's just an honor to
be a small part of it.

I mean, there is more
treasure down there.

- So he...
- I mean, I don't think there's any doubt.

I mean, there's nobody
in the world that knows

- more about it than those two.
- That's right.

And they just said, "A small
percentage has been found."

That leaves a large percentage.

And at this point

it's not just about
the Whydah, right?

It's the story.

The ever-revolving
stories that come

from the pursuit of
the Whydah, right?

That's what's really
fascinating to me, and the ability,

as Brandon said,
to tell the story.

Well, it fires me up to
finish our little quest off.

- Let's go.
- Little?

And it fires me up

to finish our big quest off.

Let's go.

Let's get back after it.
Let's go.

Sempre avanti!