The Storm and Aftermath

On July 24, 1715, the combined Nuevo España Flota and Galeones de Tierra Firme fleets left Havana for Spain. The vessels carried more than 14 million pesos in gold, silver, and jewels, along with untold riches of cargo and unregistered treasure.

As Spain’s treasure fleets had done for centuries, the 1715 fleet followed the New Bahama Channel—narrow straits between Florida and the Bahama Islands—on their trip home.

The three-month journey lasted a week.

In the early morning hours of July 31, the fleet was struck by a hurricane. It was one of the strongest ever witnessed, according to survivors. Without room to maneuver, and unable to sail against a storm of such magnitude, eleven ships were driven into the reefs along the southeast coast of Florida. More than seven hundred souls were lost. Bodies, cargo, and wreckage littered the shore for miles.

Admiral Francisco Salmón assumed command for the perished General Ubilla. He organized the castaways in the harsh landscape. They were plagued by insects, thirst, hunger, and exposure. But they persevered. They dug wells, set up shelters, scavenged for food, and traded with the unpredictable Ays. Then they waited for help.

With every passing day, temptations of wealth called to them. And a lack of law and order tested every survivor. After nearly six weeks in the unforgiving Florida wilderness, the remaining survivors were rescued on September 10, 1715.

The Treasure Coast

Eventually, the 1715 wrecks were lost to the sands of time. They lay dormant, to be rediscovered centuries later. In modern times, this stretch of beaches in St. Lucie, Indian River, and Martin Counties—between present-day Cape Canaveral and Fort Pierce—would come to be called Florida’s Treasure Coast, in a tribute to the disaster and its enormous impact.

Echoes of History

Along the Treasure Coast, coins and artifacts are still found in the ocean. They still wash up on shore. Since they can't talk, Stranded tells their story for them.

Check the Treasure & Shipwreck News page for the latest on the 1715 fleet and similar stories.

Ais Indians

The Ais were a Native American tribe in eastern Florida, known for their occasional interaction with Spanish colonizers. They sometimes salvaged goods from shipwrecks, and played an important role in the aftermath of the 1715 disaster.

This secretive tribe lived in villages along the shores of the Indian River ("River of Ais" to the Spanish), were quite skilled in navigating these environments, and were adept at fishing, hunting, and gathering resources from the lagoon.