Dinnerware items found in Haiti from the French ship Tounant.
Hal Mathers with one of his handmade boat models.
Doug Pope
MARITIME MAGIC With artifacts from shipwrecks, cannons, and U.S. Navy memorabilia, the Maritime Museum of Amelia Island has lots of stories to share, including real-life treasure hunts. BY MANDY HAYNES • PHOTOS BY SHERRY CARTER
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ocated in downtown Fernandina Beach, the Maritime Museum of Amelia Island is a hidden treasure full of lots of interesting local history. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Amelia Island was a popular refuge for pirates and bootleggers of liquor, slaves, and stolen treasure. Fernandina’s port is one of the deepest along the southeast coast of the United States, which made it easily accessible to all ships even at low tide. At one point, it’s said that there were so many pirate galleons anchored in the harbor that you could walk from one ship to another. Some of the famous pirates to inhabit Amelia Island include Jean LaFitte, Blackbeard, and Captain Kidd, but the most infamous pirate was Luis Aury, who tried to take over the island in 1817. When you take the pirate history of Amelia Island and add stories of Spanish treasure lost at sea right off the coast here in 1715, some of which has been found by the Maritime Museum’s Doug Pope and his crew,
you can’t help but imagine what it would be like to find some of those treasures yourself. “Every one of us is born with treasure hunter in our DNA,” says Doug, an experienced diver and treasure hunter. “We’re all hoping that we’ll find something of value during our lifetime.” And he should know. With 30 years of experience searching for and finding treasures, he has the loot and the stories to prove it. But Doug isn’t just a treasure hunter; he’s an innovator who, together with the Amelia Research and Recovery team, designed the lift boat known as the Polly L. Doug is also a decorated helicopter pilot who served in Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm, as well as the owner and head storyteller of the museum. And he has some stories to tell. Hanging from a chain around Doug’s neck is the very first coin his company found. He says it’s worth around $3 million. continued on next page
31 AMELIA ISLANDER MAGAZINE • AUGUST 2021
www.AmeliaIslander.com
