As summer winds down and hurricane season heats up, it can be both a good and bad thing to be a latecomer to many Atlantic seashore areas. Bad in that getting caught in a hurricane is anything but relaxing. Yet, good because hurricane winds and waves often reveal silver and gold coins uncovered on beaches after being washed ashore from countless old Spanish shipwrecks.

Professional treasure hunters have long searched southeastern coasts in search of major treasure hoards. The sharp coral reefs that extend far out into the sea were a frequent death trap for Spanish galleons filled with riches from Mexico and Peru.

A few decades ago, stories about a man named Mel Fisher filled newspapers and newscasts when it was disclosed he found the ship “Atocha” off Florida. The treasure was estimated at $400 million.