- 5/29/2025
The Death Coast S01E02
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00:00Off the top side, are you residing, over?
00:13This is top side, I'm reading you loud and clear.
00:17What's your vis?
00:19The bottom here is fitted with iron parts.
00:23Lots and lots and lots of material here.
00:26It could be treasure.
00:28Could be.
00:29Could be.
00:33Oh my God, you're not going to believe this.
00:38It's known as the Death Coast.
00:41An area of rough sea in the North Atlantic that's claimed more than 6,000 vessels.
00:49Casting those aboard and treasure into its turbulent depths.
00:54We got to turn this thing around.
00:56Here we go.
01:00Gold, silver, and other priceless objects from the wrecked ships.
01:04Oh my God, you're not going to believe this.
01:06Lies scattered across the ocean floor.
01:09Gold coin right there.
01:10That is gorgeous.
01:11But salvaging here has been banned for more than a decade, thanks to rampant looting.
01:21Storm is a-brewin'.
01:23After a long battle, third-generation shipwreck hunter Jeff McKinnon has won the exclusive rights to dive in these treacherous waters.
01:36But he only has eight weeks to do it.
01:39Are you okay?
01:40Can Jeff and his team find the treasure he sees?
01:44Find me something.
01:45Before the stormy waters of the Death Coast?
01:48It's time for us to get out of here.
01:49Gold map.
01:50What are we doing?
01:51Make diving impossible.
01:52Sea conditions are not ideal for this.
02:05Five days into their six-week mission, Jeff McKinnon and his salvage team are using underwater sonar technology just off the coast of Nova Scotia.
02:15No problem?
02:17Yeah, no, we're looking good.
02:19They have exclusive access to an area they believe still hides thousands of shipwrecks.
02:24But with the clock ticking, they've called Ryan Howlett from the engineering firm McElhenney to help.
02:30Yeah, we're in nine meters of water here.
02:32Howlett is doing a bathymetric survey using Norbit software to make detailed maps of the seafloor,
02:39which Jeff hopes will focus his dive time by identifying its most promising targets.
02:44All right, here we go.
02:45Starting a line now.
02:47They're surveying this area for two reasons.
02:51First, they believe these waters to be the final resting spot of the 1711 French shipwreck, the Chameau.
02:59The ship's stern was carrying a pay chest with an estimated 82,000 French lever, the equivalent of over $20 million today.
03:09A load a little?
03:10At the same time, they're also searching the area for the source of an 1838 American coin discovered in their most recent dive.
03:18The United States of America is an American coin.
03:23Man, oh man.
03:24But unexpected natural obstacles have made searching the area difficult.
03:30Kelp is everywhere.
03:31The survey allows the team to see through the kelp and identify the precious metals they're after.
03:39The multi-beam sonar emits short sound pulses that reflect off of the seafloor, generating a precise detailed map of the underwater terrain.
03:49Just keep that course, Mike.
03:50That point.
03:51As Jeff finishes up the sonar scan, the team's marine archaeologist, Jim Sinclair, is meeting with coin expert Doug Mudd to investigate the mysterious American coin that divers unearthed days earlier.
04:11Very interesting.
04:12So this is an important piece for us because it's associated with a brand new site that we think we've found.
04:18And of course, it's an American coin.
04:20So we're thinking that we may have a wreck of an American ship sitting very close to the Shamo.
04:26Yeah, this is definitely an American coin.
04:28It's a silver half dollar.
04:29Let's look at this under the magnifier to get a closer look.
04:33It's got obvious sea damage and all that.
04:41But looking at the coin, it's got a lot of detail to it still.
04:44So you can see, like on the shield, the lines are still there.
04:48Well, it looks like the coin might have been uncirculated when it went down.
04:55The scratches across the face of the coin are the result of being tumbled in the sea for decades.
05:00However, since the image of Lady Liberty lacks the worn edges that are a hallmark of coins that have been in circulation,
05:08Doug believes it is an uncirculated coin, meaning it was likely traveling as part of a larger load.
05:16So that's a great story right there.
05:18That's fascinating.
05:20It's highly unlikely that someone on that ship just happened to have an uncirculated coin in their pocket.
05:26That's really neat.
05:27In the early 1800s, all international transactions were conducted in coin.
05:34And new coins left the mint in carefully measured bags, each containing a predetermined amount.
05:41Could this American coin have been part of a larger payment?
05:45And if so, where is the ship that was carrying it?
05:49It has to make you think, what sort of a ship would be carrying this sort of uncirculated government coins?
06:02Back from the water, Jeff and the team meet that evening with sonar technician Ryan Howlett to review the results from the morning scan of the Shemo site.
06:11They're hoping the scan will direct their next series of dives.
06:16What do you got for me?
06:17This is the scan.
06:18It's a kilometer long and 300 meters wide.
06:22Ah, there we go.
06:23And that's the whole Shemo site from the rock all the way down to Woody Point.
06:27That is really beautiful.
06:29The scan shows a swath of Oceanscape, equivalent to over 50 football fields.
06:35Not only can it reveal the features of the seafloor, but anything laying on top of it.
06:41Impressive.
06:42Yes, sir.
06:43That thing's able to see right through the kelp and everything, eh?
06:45I heard a lot of complaining about the kelp, but no problem for that machine, that's for sure.
06:49Can you imagine when we were with Dad, if we had something like this?
06:52There wouldn't be nothing left.
06:53No.
06:54We would have got it all.
06:55Now, here's something interesting, and honestly, it was a bit unexpected.
07:00Whoa, what do you got there?
07:02Look at these formations in here.
07:04Can you get me in any closer on that?
07:06Sure thing.
07:07That's fantastic.
07:08You got what looks like all kinds of little cylindrical objects.
07:13There's even some real good straight lines in here as well.
07:16Well, if it looks round to me, it's a cannonball.
07:20If it looks straight, then it's a cannon.
07:22And if you're a coin, you're getting caught under that cannon.
07:26So basically, what you're saying is that we've been going in this direction here,
07:31and the targets that you're seeing are here?
07:34Is that right?
07:35Definitely.
07:36The area that we're searching is to the north, and that is an unexplored area.
07:40It could be part of the Shamo, or it could be part of that American ship.
07:44I'll give you some coordinates on some of the targets we saw.
07:47Go tackle them this week.
07:48Hey, if it don't pay, O's.
07:50Neither did you.
07:51Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, that a boy.
07:57The next day, Jeff and the team head out to explore the three new sites from the survey.
08:06This is a dangerous spot.
08:11It's a tide in the wind.
08:13Leaving the trail of the Shamo is a definite risk, and we're going to lose time.
08:18But if there's a pile of uncirculated American coins out there, I want to find them.
08:23Johnny boy, be careful.
08:25I will.
08:26While the survey does provide three high-value targets, Jeff and the team still need to battle
08:32one of the most dangerous coastlines in the world.
08:36There are so many shipwrecks here because this is a hellhole.
08:39It's coming up on Shamo Rock.
08:41You got a lot of under-the-water land features.
08:45There she is right there alone.
08:47You get a little bit of wind, and bam, it nails it.
08:52Got a big target area there.
08:54Go down, dog leg to the right.
08:57Let's go.
08:57Jeff sends the divers to the survey's first target.
09:04But the site comes with an added risk.
09:07They're just 200 feet from the shoreline, exposed to swells that can easily throw a diver onto the jagged rocks.
09:15Go.
09:19You got a 5-7-knot tide rip through there because you've got two pieces of land that form a funnel.
09:26The proximity of Port Nova Island to the coast creates a narrow bottleneck for water to pass through,
09:33and with it, a dangerously fast current.
09:38Off the topside, are you receding, over?
09:41This is topside.
09:42I'm reading you loud and clear.
09:45What's your viz?
09:4620-foot disability?
09:49Pretty good search down here.
09:52You know, if you're not watching what you're doing, especially the tenders,
09:56it'll only be a blink of an eye.
09:57You might never see them again.
09:59Both divers are on bottom.
10:02Copy that.
10:02Topside out.
10:04Mike and Mike are commencing search.
10:08Keep invisible contact.
10:10Copy to rank.
10:11Off the topside, the bottom here is plated with iron parts.
10:23Non-stop hits on a metal detector.
10:25That's good news, Mike.
10:27Lots and lots and lots of material here.
10:30It could be treasure.
10:31It could be.
10:32The grooves that we saw in the bathymetric scan did catch something.
10:36Now we just have to find out what.
10:42Topside to divers.
10:43You got things picking up here a little bit.
10:46I've got an iron object concreted into the substrate.
10:51Copy that, Mike.
10:52Dig it out.
10:53Copy.
10:53Copy.
10:58Oh, my God.
10:59You're not going to believe this.
11:07While diving in the dangerous waters off the death coast of Cape Breton Island.
11:12Oh, my God.
11:13You're not going to believe this.
11:15Diver Mike Pizzio has made a discovery.
11:18It looks like I have a cannonball.
11:22Way to go, Mike.
11:23Good job.
11:25I want you to recover that cannonball.
11:27It sounds like we've got a major, major pile of wreckage.
11:38Well, it's pushing me down here.
11:41We're in a little bit of surge here.
11:44I recommend that I surface with the object.
11:49Take your time bringing it up.
11:50You have to be very, very careful dealing with wind and tide.
11:56You could easily take a diver out to sea very quickly.
11:59We're fighting a lot of current down here.
12:02Because the ocean doesn't care.
12:05We have a problem.
12:07Get them in the boat.
12:09Kick that thing in gear, boy.
12:10I have a chase boat on site to ensure that my divers are safe 100% of the time.
12:24You got a diver up.
12:29This unit is on surface.
12:31Copy that.
12:32Ah-ha.
12:39Whoa, look at that.
12:40Beautiful.
12:42I came up on this cannonball, running off like mad.
12:46What the hell is this?
12:49There's something more to this.
12:51That could be a piece of bar shot.
12:52Well, hold on.
12:53That's a bar shot.
12:54That's exactly what that is.
12:55You imagine a bar that goes between that and another piece.
12:58This would have done some serious damage to a ship's rigging.
13:02Bar shot is a type of cannon artillery with two iron balls attached by a straight bar, like a dumbbell.
13:10It spins as it leaves the barrel, slashing through rigging and sails, immobilizing enemy ships.
13:19It's a little corroded, but it's old.
13:22The bar shot is a great find, but without any markings on it to indicate whether or not it's French or American,
13:28I won't be able to tell whether or not it came from the same ship as the American coin.
13:33All right, let's go.
13:36With the sun setting, and after a long day of difficult diving, Jeff directs the team back to shore.
13:42The next morning, Jeff sends archaeologist Jim Sinclair and local historian Jenna Leahy
13:56to deliver the cannonball to the Lewisburg Fortress, where they meet resident blacksmith Jeff Helms.
14:03Helms specializes in reproducing replicas of 18th-century objects for the fortress, including nails, muskets, and cannonballs.
14:13The team hopes his expertise can help them determine the origins of this artifact.
14:19We believe it's part of a bar shot, so what we're looking to do is to find any information that we can
14:24to identify not only where this was made, but possibly what ship it was being carried on.
14:29You can vaguely see a small seam created during the casting process called sandcasting.
14:35And so it would take a mold, and they would embed it into two halves of a form that was full of sand.
14:39And the sand usually had some sort of binding agent that would cause it to stick together.
14:43The hollow chamber on the inside, and they would pour a molten cast iron into that.
14:47Cannonballs were made using different methods.
14:49The two-part construction that we see suggests that they were made before the middle of the 19th century.
14:56The British and the French would both stamp their cannonballs with the touch mark.
15:00French balls were often marked with a fleur-de-lis, and British balls were marked with a broad arrow.
15:08I wonder if we can find anything like that on your ball.
15:10And that would definitely identify what country it's from.
15:13During the 1700s and 1800s, many countries marked national property,
15:20especially ammunition and other military equipment, with a unique symbol.
15:25The Americans, however, did not adopt the practice until the late 1800s.
15:32Yeah, there's not much there that I can really make out.
15:34I don't have to say anything clear.
15:36So there's no smoking gun here.
15:37There's no stamps to indicate whether it's a French or a British ball.
15:40There's nothing definitive on this.
15:43So, yeah, we have a lot more research to do.
15:46A lot.
15:46And we've got to go dive, dive, dive.
15:49Thanks, Jeff.
15:49Always good to see you.
15:50You're welcome.
15:51It's good to see you.
15:56While Jim and Jenna's search came up empty,
15:59Jeff and the team are back on the water,
16:00hoping to find more artifacts from the survey site that produced the cannonball.
16:05There's a whole concretion field here.
16:08Establish your perimeters.
16:10Just go and search.
16:12With the weather report calling for the wind to pick up,
16:15Jeff is pushing to cover as much of the site as possible before his dive is cut short.
16:20We're going to have waves,
16:22and those waves are going to push my divers up into the rocks.
16:29It gives me a very narrow window of opportunity.
16:32Yes, Jeff, I'm coming to check.
16:35Good check.
16:36Top side, Greg, a radio check.
16:46I read you loud and clear, pal.
16:51We need to go over this ridge.
16:54All right.
16:55Copy that.
16:57Right behind you.
16:58Tough current again.
16:59Let's not spin up luck too far.
17:02Stay close.
17:04Copy that.
17:11Give me a visual on my divers, please.
17:14All right, Galloway.
17:15Let's keep working this pulley here.
17:18This is what's interesting.
17:23This is your top side of government.
17:26There are iron objects on a big old search.
17:31So it's your goal.
17:34It won't get too long, about 80 to the diameter.
17:38Way to go, Mike.
17:39If something wants to be found, it'll be found.
17:42Can't tell what it is, but it's old.
17:44And if it doesn't want to be found,
17:46it's it.
17:47I'm going to find it anyway.
17:48Look at that.
17:58Top side.
17:59Current is intense.
18:00I got to get this done before he runs out of air.
18:03With precious little air left
18:05and fighting strong currents along Nova Scotia's death coast,
18:10the diver spots something out of the ordinary.
18:13So it's your goal.
18:16Well, it's a little bit too long,
18:19about 80 to the diameter.
18:21It's only way to get paid for us.
18:25That sounds interesting.
18:26I want you to bring that up.
18:28Up you.
18:28Bring it up.
18:30Just pay attention when you guys are coming up
18:36because the current's pushing in such a way
18:38that you want to get yourself off of those breakers.
18:41Happy that.
18:43Divers returning to surface.
18:46You got a diver surfacing here in a minute.
18:48Keep your eyes peeled.
18:51Divers up.
18:52Divers up, Chris.
18:55It really boosts the spirits
18:57when the divers find something and bring it back.
19:00That's pig iron.
19:06One hundred percent.
19:08Is there many of them down there?
19:09They're all over the place.
19:11All right.
19:11That was a shipment of pig iron.
19:13We've never seen pig iron on the Shamo.
19:16This has to be from a different ship.
19:18This stuff could be heading somewhere
19:20to be re-forged, re-smelted,
19:24and remade into new products.
19:28Pig iron is produced by smelting iron ore in a furnace,
19:32then casting it into ingots.
19:34The process involves lining up molds like piglets,
19:37suckling milk from a sow.
19:39During the Industrial Revolution,
19:41pig iron starts to replace the softer wrought iron
19:44in the making of buildings, tools, and weapons.
19:48Do we know if there was a foundry anywhere in here
19:51once upon a time?
19:52Not at that time.
19:54Okay.
19:54Pig iron has never been linked to the Shamo.
19:58Could this be from the American ship?
20:00And if so, could the team be closer
20:03to finding the suspected cash
20:05of American silver, half dollars?
20:08All right.
20:09I'm going to get this stuff in water.
20:10Sounds good.
20:20Searching for answers,
20:22Jeff meets with archaeologist Jim Sinclair
20:24later that day to piece together the clues.
20:27He wants to know if the cannonball and pig iron
20:29found at the site
20:30can be tied to the American ship
20:32they believe their coin originated from.
20:36Jim Sinclair is bar none
20:37one of the best in the business.
20:39He has worked with some of the most notable salvers
20:42on the planet Earth,
20:43including my father.
20:46We've got quite a few good finds here,
20:47and we have some real head scratchers.
20:50Would it be possible for an American ship
20:52to be up this far?
20:53By the time that that particular coin was lost,
20:56the War of 1812 was over,
20:57and, you know, there was commerce
21:00going between Boston and the St. Lawrence.
21:02So, yeah, I don't see any reason
21:04why it couldn't be an American ship.
21:06Back in 2004,
21:07when we were working on this area,
21:10the big thing that we found
21:11that kind of had us all scratching our head
21:12were these objects
21:14that were obviously sort of fragments
21:16of a larger piece.
21:17Turned out what they were,
21:19parts of a Congreve rocket.
21:20Really?
21:21Yep.
21:21Close to this area?
21:22Close to that area.
21:24Named for inventor Sir William Congreve,
21:27Congreve rockets are used
21:29by both the British and Americans
21:30in the 1800s.
21:32They were wildly inaccurate,
21:34but their loud noise and fiery trails
21:37made them effective
21:38for psychological warfare.
21:40In September 1814,
21:42the British fired these rockets
21:44at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland,
21:46eventually inspiring the line
21:48in the Star-Spangled Banner,
21:50the rocket's red glare.
21:53That's telling me
21:53that there is another ship there.
21:55Mm-hmm.
21:55The question is,
21:58is can we put a name to this ship?
22:00I still need to get that pig iron
22:02examined by an expert.
22:03If it turns out to be American,
22:05then we could be on the trail
22:06of an American pay ship.
22:08You've definitely given me
22:09a lot to think about,
22:10and the only way to find out for sure
22:12is to get back in the water.
22:14Keep investigating.
22:16That's my job.
22:16Johnny, we're going to have to pick up that mooring
22:24and take it up closer to the rocks.
22:27Yeah, sounds good.
22:28With the prospect of yet another wreck
22:30and of a possible cache of uncirculated coins,
22:34Jeff moves the team to the next site
22:36identified in the survey.
22:39Find me something.
22:40Go!
22:41Let's not waste this weather!
22:44Come on!
22:45I think that we're on to something here,
22:47and that this could be a great new area to work.
22:50Hoss to Pizio, are you receiving me?
23:00Over.
23:01325-555, this is Pizio.
23:05Received.
23:06Dropside, this is Pizio.
23:08Going to stay with Hoss and assist you.
23:11Copy that, Mike.
23:14The wind's starting to pick up a little.
23:17I wonder how long we got here
23:18before she turns against us again.
23:21Be careful down there now.
23:23It's getting rough.
23:24Copy that.
23:27Pizio, the top side.
23:29I've got a hit.
23:31Yeah, I got a big hit.
23:33I need some guys to come over
23:34and help me clear this.
23:37Pretty sure I got a cannon nearby.
23:40Holy frig!
23:41Way to go!
23:42Boys, get over there
23:43and give Pizio a hand, please.
23:45Cannons attract coins.
23:47Cannons are a great place to find stuff.
23:49Things just have a way
23:51of getting stuck in underneath.
23:53I'd say this thing's approximately 15 feet long.
23:5815-foot-long cannon?
24:00Are you sure?
24:01It's huge!
24:02While diving off the coast of Nova Scotia,
24:13Jeff McKinnon's team of divers
24:15have found what looks like
24:16a ship's cannon.
24:19I'd say this thing's approximately 15 feet long.
24:24Boys, get over there
24:25and give Pizio a hand, please.
24:27Could the cannon be more evidence
24:30of an American payship?
24:32And if so,
24:33could its undiscovered treasure
24:34be close by?
24:37Pizio, can you repeat
24:38the length of that cannon, please?
24:4215 feet long.
24:44It's huge!
24:47Copy that.
24:48That makes me happy.
24:49I like seeing cannons
24:54because cannons are where coins collect.
24:57And if this cannon is American,
25:00it might mean some coins.
25:02At over 3,000 pounds,
25:05there's no chance of moving the cannon.
25:07So the divers must dig around it
25:09in hopes of finding artifacts
25:11trapped underneath.
25:12Top sign,
25:15I got a pigeon in the sand
25:16next to the cannon.
25:17I'm working right now.
25:19Attaboy, Pizio.
25:20You find me a coin
25:21and I'll buy you supper
25:22next year.
25:26Hey, Mike,
25:27come over to this end of it.
25:28I took the kelp off.
25:30I'm at the far end of it, dude.
25:32Where are you?
25:33I've got a lot more overburnt
25:35than I've ever seen here.
25:36I'm down about a foot down.
25:38Let's see how far it goes.
25:39After nearly 40 minutes
25:42of searching around the cannon,
25:44the team runs into an issue.
25:48Off the top sign.
25:49My air is running low.
25:51What's the usual for you?
25:52This depth, 65.
25:5450 yards.
25:55But I would say
25:56they're burning
25:56with some air down there.
25:58Digging around a cannon like this,
25:59the divers use their air up faster.
26:01And when they use up their air,
26:02that means they have to
26:03cut their dive short.
26:04That's time.
26:05I want you guys out of the water.
26:07To the top sign,
26:08it's usually the bottom.
26:10Hoss, the top sign,
26:11I am surfacing.
26:12Over.
26:15Copy that, Hoss.
26:16This is the top sign.
26:17Come on up.
26:19I'm at 500 surfacing.
26:30Well, that's good.
26:31We're on the spot.
26:32We're going to do another dive there.
26:33And we're going to
26:34see what else we can unearth here.
26:37All right.
26:39Change out the tanks.
26:40Got to go back.
26:52Hoss, the dead.
26:53Are you receiving?
26:55I went inside the cut.
26:56I'm still working my way around.
26:57Okay.
26:58Turned around.
26:59I just went through there a minute ago.
27:01Nothing there.
27:03I can't understand what you're saying.
27:06I'm just working my way around.
27:09You guys have any hits yet.
27:11I'm definitely not seeing anything down here.
27:16After multiple dives to the cannon come up empty for any treasure or coins.
27:21We're running out of time.
27:23And with light fading fast.
27:25Divers, I want you guys to come to the surface.
27:27Jeff calls it a day.
27:32This is Grego.
27:33I'm surfacing.
27:36Copy that, Dan.
27:39Even though we didn't find any coins under this particular cannon, it's 15 feet long.
27:45And if it's 15 feet long, it definitely didn't come from the shemote.
27:48Later that evening, Jeff and diver Mike Hoss meet with Graham Christie from the survey company McElhenney.
28:04Let's see what our buddy has for us today.
28:06Jeff wants to get a better look at the 15-foot cannon to see if they can decipher any telltale features from the scan.
28:14Hey, Mr. Graham.
28:16Good to see you, pal.
28:17Great to see you, Jeff.
28:18The team at McElhenney, they're going through mountains of data here.
28:22But I've asked them to take some time and focus on the area where we found the cannon.
28:27We're into something pretty interesting here.
28:29I think we have a cannon by what the divers are describing to me.
28:34So I sent you some coordinates because we're dealing with a massive amount of kelp here.
28:40And that might make our job a little easier.
28:43Yeah, let me share my screen with you here.
28:46Not seeing too, too much in this view.
28:50Can you bring it in any tighter there?
28:52I can bring up all the data behind this surface so we can see the raw points that the multi-beam sonar collected.
28:59Let's grab a small area around the target for you.
29:02It's amazing, huh?
29:03Hey, it gives us a whole different perspective as a diver.
29:06You don't comprehend what's really going on down there.
29:09Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait.
29:10There.
29:12Ooh.
29:19While trying to identify what the team believes to be a large cannon.
29:23Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait.
29:25There.
29:26The data unveils something unexpected.
29:30Ooh.
29:30So I'm seeing something here that's about 15 feet long.
29:37Wow.
29:40That's not a cannon.
29:42It's an anchor.
29:44Is that the target you're looking at?
29:46Yeah, it is.
29:47That's an anchor for sure.
29:49Do you think this is a Shamo anchor maybe?
29:51I mean, it's huge.
29:52No.
29:52That is sitting, by the look of it, by itself, and out in the middle of nowhere.
29:58The two main anchors off the Shamo, they're well documented.
30:01We know where those are at.
30:03This anchor is entirely different.
30:06Well, most of the big stuff from Shamo was right by the rock.
30:09Exactly.
30:11No, I've never seen that anchor before.
30:13That's new.
30:14Well, that's pretty exciting.
30:16And look at the direction it's going in.
30:18That shaft is pointing right towards Cape Redden Point.
30:20Yeah.
30:20I can tell.
30:21If they were dumping it to try to stop themselves from going into the rocks, that would be facing the right direction.
30:27You got that right.
30:29A ship in peril often drops its anchor to stabilize itself.
30:35If the ship sinks, the chain pulls the anchor so that the shank ends up pointing towards the shipwreck.
30:44We're looking for a new shipwreck, and we just found an anchor.
30:48You know, we could be very close to it.
30:49Yeah.
30:50All right, pal.
30:51Looks like it's time for you to get back to work and find me some more targets.
30:54Yeah.
30:55Keep searching.
31:04Boy, what a day.
31:06Beautiful.
31:06We're almost there.
31:07The next morning, the team sets out once again to the location of the anchor.
31:14Hook them on there.
31:16This time, Jeff splits up the team and sends them in the direction that the anchor is pointing in the hopes of discovering clues to the ship it was attached to.
31:24The anchor is sitting here.
31:26The anchor is sitting here.
31:26I want you to come down and get on the back side of it.
31:29While diver Dan Griego searches the perimeter of the site, the two mites will work their way from the anchor in the direction that it is pointing.
31:43Dan, do I got a copy over?
31:54Roger.
31:54Solid copy.
31:55I'm inside of a small cavern and I'm getting a hit.
32:00I'm searching it now.
32:02Excellent.
32:03Top side, I have a target.
32:05I am attempting to dig it out.
32:11Top side, this is water and iron.
32:14I am disregarded.
32:15Over.
32:16Copy that.
32:17This area seems to be littered with a whole lot of modern wreckage and it slows our guys down because they have to stop and investigate every target.
32:28Top side, this is Griego.
32:30We're getting in some really good spots, but the only thing I hit so far was lobster trap.
32:37Copy that.
32:38Move on.
32:39Find something else other than a lobster trap, please.
32:47After several dives with only one hit, Jeff calls Dan back to the boat and waits to see if the second dive team has better luck.
33:01Meanwhile, Jim Sinclair is meeting with organic chemist Stephanie Macquarie at Cape Breton University to get a better sense of the pig iron's origins.
33:09So we brought you this little sample.
33:12There's some question as to where it came from because we've never found anything like this on the Shimo in all the years that it's been worked.
33:18If we can tell where this was extracted, then it'll give us a clue because each country was extracting its iron from different mines.
33:26With chemical or elemental analysis, we should be able to tell where it came from and where it was mined.
33:32We can look for the presence of a variety of different metals, but then we'll look for composition of other components as well.
33:38Maybe some carbon, some organics.
33:41Based on that, we'll have some evidence about the country of origin.
33:43Perfect.
33:44That's very exciting.
33:44Take a little sample.
33:46Just use a common file, and we'll just shave a little bit off.
33:50That's probably enough sample for us.
33:52Perfect.
33:52So this is a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, and it can tell us if there's, for example, a carbon present or other metals present aside from iron.
34:00Well, that'll be exciting.
34:01We only need a very small amount of the sample.
34:03Place it right on the crystal, and just make sure the sample is flat for the FTIR beam.
34:11So we just press this button here, and you can see the spectrum up here.
34:15Wow.
34:15And this peak here, this is indicative of carbon.
34:17Okay.
34:17Now, if we zoom into this area that's a little bit more messy, the fingerprint region.
34:21So what's really noticeable here is this particular peak around 420.
34:24Right.
34:25That's indicative of copper oxide.
34:27Oh.
34:27Copper is pretty interesting, because copper was mined specifically out of Britain.
34:32We also know that there's carbon present.
34:34So the carbon is likely due to the use of coke in the production of this piece of material.
34:40The presence of the coke, the copper, and, of course, the iron tells us pretty much that this would have been made in Britain.
34:48The only people that were using the coke and the copper were in their iron were the British.
34:52The French, when they were producing iron, didn't use coke.
34:55We were thinking that this was an American ship, but the fact that this may very well be from Britain is a new direction for us to go in, as far as research goes.
35:13Back at the site located by the scan, the second dive team is on their last dive of the day.
35:20Pass the top side.
35:22Are you receiving?
35:23Over.
35:23This is top side to Haas.
35:25Yes, we receive you loud and clear.
35:29Hey, Jeff.
35:30We have located what appears to be a bell.
35:33Over.
35:35A bell?
35:36This is way cool, Jeff.
35:37This is a ship's bell.
35:39Let's get that.
35:40Put a retrieval line on it.
35:42We're going to pull that baby up.
35:44Okay.
35:44Stand by.
35:45We have a pretty strong current down here.
35:48Get that bell back to me, boys.
35:50We are going to lift the bell at this time.
35:53Nope.
35:58This is getting rough.
36:03Mike, don't lose that bell.
36:04What's the top side?
36:10Are you receiving?
36:11Over.
36:12While searching for a 19th century American patient, diver Mike Haas makes a discovery.
36:18We have located what appears to be a bell.
36:22Over.
36:23A bell?
36:23This is way cool, Jeff.
36:25This is a ship's bell.
36:27How big is it?
36:28It's about two feet across.
36:31Broken.
36:32Over.
36:33Let's get that.
36:34Put a retrieval line on it.
36:35We're going to pull that baby up.
36:37Okay.
36:38Stand by.
36:39We have a pretty strong current down here.
36:42Get that bell back to me, boys.
36:44A bell is one of the most important finds that you can have on a shipwreck site because it
36:51can tell you the age of the ship.
36:53It can tell you the origin of the ship.
36:56And if you're lucky, the name.
36:58Because every bell for every ship was stamped with the name of that ship.
37:03Good job.
37:04Good job.
37:06Look at this, boy.
37:07Oh, that is just amazing.
37:12Very, very cool.
37:14I want to know if there's a name on it.
37:17Are there any markings on it?
37:19I didn't see any.
37:20A lot of times, the upper part of the bell is where they would have put the name of the
37:24ship.
37:24Yeah, that's right.
37:26Finding this bell is exciting.
37:28Oh, it's got a bit of weight to it.
37:29Because if this bell is from another ship, who knows what could be in this sight?
37:33This could have massive potential.
37:37Oh, listen to that, huh?
37:38Hear it?
37:39Let me see your knife there.
37:42Oh, ho, ho, ho.
37:43Oh, that's a ship's bell.
37:47That hasn't rung in, what, 200 years?
37:50200 years.
37:51Wow.
37:51There's no noise on that.
37:53Destiny.
37:54That sound is music to my ears.
37:57You did a good job, Mike.
37:58You did a very, very good job.
38:02If I get this to the lab, I'll get to clean it up a bit, have a good look at it.
38:08Ain't that a beautiful sound?
38:10Jeff and Aaron returned to base camp to inspect the bell more closely for any clues that might
38:21help them decipher its origin.
38:23Wow.
38:24What do you think of that?
38:25That's beautiful.
38:27See how green it is?
38:28That's where the copper, you see in the copper, and then this little flecks of tin.
38:32Prior to 1840, bells were made out of copper and tin.
38:38Gives it that really rich tone.
38:40So it's a pretty safe bet that this is prior to 1840.
38:45I mean, it's badly worn.
38:47Yeah, it's a deborah.
38:48There's a lot of pitting on this.
38:52You know, the reason, look what I'm seeing there, that looks, see, that's a very deep pit.
38:56Pitting is when an artifact, usually a piece of metal, starts to degrade, and you get these
39:02tiny little pits where the salt gets in, and that's when the artifacts really start to
39:08degrade quickly.
39:09Are there any markings on it?
39:10You know, there's all kinds of pitting on this.
39:15However, we never know, one of them could be a symbol or a name.
39:28Let's flip this over.
39:31Oh, wait a minute.
39:41Look at that.
39:43Can you see that?
39:44Mm-hmm.
39:46Oh, yeah.
39:47That could be something.
39:48Yeah, that.
39:50Those grooves seem a lot deeper than the other ones.
39:53See, look.
39:54It looks like a line and then a line.
39:56Yeah, I agree.
39:58Sometimes you can't identify every marking on an artifact.
40:02Right there.
40:05But a paper rubbing might be able to give us an idea what those markings are.
40:09You see that right there?
40:14Yeah, I see that.
40:16Up, down, there.
40:19You know what that could be?
40:20That could be a broad arrow.
40:22Yeah.
40:23See that?
40:24Yeah.
40:24Finding a broad arrow on this bell means it was a top-tier British ship, and a top-tier
40:29British ship usually had something valuable on it.
40:31It definitely looks like an arrow to me.
40:33And if that's an arrow, that's going to change everything about this site.
40:37The discovery of this bell adds yet another mystery for Jeff and his team.
40:42Could an English military vessel be among the wrecks along this section of the Death
40:47Coast?
40:48And if so, could the American coin have been part of a larger payment to the British?
40:53Or is there yet another American ship waiting to be uncovered?
40:58That is a thing of beauty.
41:00With only a few weeks remaining in the short dive season, Jeff faces critical decisions.
41:06Is the bell compelling enough evidence to continue diving at the bathymetric scan site?
41:12Right up in there, Johnny.
41:13Or would his time be better spent returning to the debris field, now seemingly cold, in search
41:19of the chameau's elusive stern?
41:23And with five shipwrecks still awaiting exploration, could it be time to move on and pursue those
41:29other treasures?
41:34Next, on the Death Coast.
41:38North side, we have a problem.
41:41As the divers endure the conditions off the Death Coast.
41:44The current is intense.
41:46What the hell happened out there?
41:48They unearth a significant find.
41:50I believe I have a coin.
41:52Did you say a coin?
41:54You're talking tens of thousands of dollars for one of these.
41:56Wow.
41:57And discovers artifacts for a whole new target.
42:00You're not going to believe this.
42:02A brass farm down here.
42:03There's nails everywhere.
42:05See this, Aaron?
42:06That's Fevershim.
42:07Now, it's time for five people.
42:22Good luck.
42:23Here's an idea.
Recommended
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