Discovered off the coast of Wellfleet, MA, the Whydah Gally is the world's only authenticated pirate ship.
The 1984 discovery of the Whydah Galley — the only fully verified and authenticated pirate shipwreck of the Golden Age of Piracy (1650-1720) ever found — has yielded an enormous treasure trove of artifacts. However, any evidence of its legendary captain Samuel, or "Black Sam," Bellamy has proved elusive.
In 1984, the wreck was found in Massachusetts - and became the first positively identified pirate ship wreck thanks to the recovery of a bell inscribed with 'Whydah Galley'.
With the discovery of the ship's bell in 1985 and a small brass placard in 2013, both inscribed with the ship's name and maiden voyage date, Whydah Gally is the only fully authenticated Golden Age pirate shipwreck ever discovered.
While many of the goods taken were delicate or consumable, and have since been lost, substantial pirate hauls of precious metals are still thought to exist. Only one – the Wydah Galley Treasure – has been found, having previously been one of the most sought-after pirate treasures on the planet.
It was never to be, however, as the Navy's ships caught up with Teach in the Outer Banks. A bloody battle ensued and ended when the pirate captain was beheaded at the hands of Lt. Robert Maynard. Though many have tried, the lost treasure of Blackbeard remains unfound to this day.
The Queen Anne's Revenge went aground in 1718 just offshore from Beaufort. A few months after the grounding, Blackbeard was killed in a battle with British naval forces in the Pamlico Sound. The wreck was found in 1996 by Intersal Inc., private salvagers based in Palm Bay, Florida.
Queen Anne's Revenge
He mounted 40 cannons on Queen Anne's Revenge, which was among the reasons why it was one of the most feared pirate ships in history. Queen Anne's Revenge, with Blackbeard as the captain, ruled the eastern coast of North America and the Caribbean. In 1718, the ship was abandoned.
The oldest active pirate during the Golden Age of piracy was Captain William Kidd (born c. 1645, d. 23 May 1701), who plied his trade until the age of 54; owing to the many occupational hazards, the majority of pirates only lived into their mid-30s.
Famous pirates from this period include Henry Morgan, William 'Captain' Kidd, 'Calico' Jack Rackham, Bartholomew Roberts and the fearsome Blackbeard (Edward Teach). Though this Golden Age came to an end in the 18th century, piracy still exists today in some parts of the world, especially the South China Seas.
The Black Pearl (formerly known as the Wicked Wench) is a fictional ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. In the screenplay, the ship is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails.
The Cruise Passenger publication says: "There were only six reports of pirates attempting to attack cruise ships over the last 10 years – in fact there has never been a successful pirate attack on a cruise ship. However, this doesn't mean cruise ships aren't prepared for the worst."
The pirate attacks have fallen, and the pirate fairy tales have faded over the years, but it remains a threat to passengers in the modern day. A pirate attack on a ship happens more often than you would think. However, now more pirates are attacking cruise ships rather than cargo ships.
Records of pirate activity date back to at least the 1400s, with some evidence of even earlier piracy. Pirates have operated in many different parts of the world and have been involved in a variety of activities, including stealing goods and ships, attacking merchant vessels and coastal settlements.
Pirates would have used sea charts, which were primitive maps of the known seas. Pirates also combined the science of early GPS technology by using the North Star to plot their latitude and a compass to plot longitude.
The sinking of Titanic is today one of the most well-known maritime disasters in the world. This is thanks in part to James Cameron's Oscar-winning 1997 film of the same name, but also because the event was – and remains to this day – one of the deadliest peacetime sinkings in history.
England's son John eventually did as his father had wished and named his son John as well. This tradition continued among England's descendants. Edward England is known today as one of the more humane pirate captains of the Golden Age of Piracy.
John Ward was the inspiration for the character of Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Ward's nickname was 'Sparrow' and he was known for his flamboyant style – much like the Hollywood icon. Ward so ingratiated himself with Uthman Dey that he was given a large plot of land in Tunis.
Edward Low started his piratical career in 1721 in the Caribbean. Over the next few years, Low blazed a path of destruction, becoming, according to one contemporary account, “the most noted pirate in America” – and certainly the most vicious. He seemed to relish torturing and killing his victims.
In real life the Flying Dutchman was a 17th century Dutch merchantman, captained by Captain Hendrick Van Der Decken, a skilled seaman but one of few scruples, and in 1680 was proceeding from Amsterdam to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies.
The highest-earning pirate ever was Samuel “Black Sam” Bellamy, an Englishman who made his bones patrolling the New England coast in the 18th century. By our calculations, “Black Sam” plundered an estimated $120 million over the course of his career.
The famed pirate died in a sea battle with a Virginia-based squadron in 1718. A British commander had Blackbeard's head cut off and displayed on a scaffold. The skull is rumored to have reappeared in various locations as a drinking vessel. For the meantime, this skull remains in storage at the Peabody Essex Museum.
On arrival in Virginia, the lieutenant governor had Blackbeard's head hung from a pole at the mouth of the Hampton River as a warning to others who might be tempted by piracy. The head remained for many years and the site continues to be known as Blackbeard's Point today.
There is a large possibility that there is no treasure to be found. Given the uncertainty of Blackbeard's hiding place and the fact that over 300 years have passed with not even a whiff of gold being discovered, it suggests that there might not be anything to find after all.