Expedition to ‘real home of the pirates of the Caribbean' hopes to unearth ships and treasure
The Pirates of the Caribbean is a $4.5bn swashbuckling film franchise and Blackbeard and Calico Jack Rackham are among marauding buccaneers who have captured imaginations over the centuries.
But almost nothing is known about the life and times of actual pirates. Now a leading British marine archaeologist is co-directing an expedition that has been allowed for the first time to search for pirate ships off Nassau on the island of New Providence, a notorious pirate hideout 300 years ago.
No one has until now explored the seabed for their ships and treasure, let alone everyday belongings that could be as valuable to historical research as a stash of emeralds, Dr Sean Kingsley said.
'The potential is enormous,' he added. 'We are expecting to find some really cool stuff because this is the real home of the pirates of the Caribbean.
'Pirates didn't keep journals listing their lawlessness. What happened in Nassau stayed in Nassau. If we want to discover the truth, we're going to have to dive for it.'
The Bahamas was a major crossroads for trade and more than 500 ships have been wrecked off New Providence since the 1680s, according to historical sources. But there may be dozens more, with pirate ships among them.
In 1718, when Woodes Rogers sailed to Nassau to become its governor, he noted 40 seized ships on the shore that had been 'either burnt or sunk' to destroy evidence and 'about 700 pirates'.
In 1696, the privateer Henry Avery sailed to Nassau in his ship, the Fancy, laden with loot. He used some of the treasure to bribe the governor of the Bahamas, establishing Nassau as a base for fellow pirates.
Top of the most-wanted hitlist of shipwrecks is the Fancy, a 46-gun flagship.
Kingsley said: 'Avery of Plymouth lit the fuse and threw the grenade that started the golden age of piracy after looting a Mughal treasure ship of $108m off India. He then sailed to Nassau in 1696 to lie low, party and for the crew to break up with their cut of the booty. Avery scuttled the Fancy in Nassau. It's the crown jewels of pirate ships. If we were to find anything associated with it, it would be spectacular. Its plunder was the greatest and most successful pirate heist on the high seas.'
The New Providence Pirates Expedition – which is dedicated to science, education, entertainment and tourism in the Bahamas – is drawing on historical and archaeological evidence to conduct the first underwater survey, which begins in September.
The project has secured the first-ever agreement with the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation of the Bahamas, a partner collaborator.
Kingsley has explored more than 350 shipwrecks in the last 30 years and is the founding editor of Wreckwatch, the world's only magazine dedicated to the sunken past. The affiliated Wreckwatch TV is collaborating with the New Providence Pirates Expedition to bring 'the history, ruined landscape and sea dogs of the golden age of piracy between 1696 and 1730 back to life' through a documentary film, The Mystery of the Pirate King's Treasure.
The film's co-director, Chris Atkins, said: 'The Bahamas, with its azure waters and crystal-clear underwater visibility, is a film-maker's dream. For the first time in history, viewers are going to see with their own eyes the places where Blackbeard and gang terrorised the Americas. Somewhere out there are the wine bottles they partied with, the tobacco pipes they smoked, the pieces of eight carelessly lost and so much more. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with the real pirates of the Caribbean.'
Asked how they will identify pirate shipwrecks, Kingsley said: 'Generally, if you find a Dutch, English or French shipwreck, it has a very specific type of material culture on it. If it's Spanish, it will have olive jars, a good marker. If it's British, it may have Bristol or London tobacco pipes, for instance. On a pirate wreck, you will find French, English and Dutch ceramics and a mix of coins, anything from Arabian to British, and weapons such as stinkpots, explosive weapons used by pirates.'
Dr Michael Pateman, the expedition's co-director and the ambassador for history, culture and museology in the Bahamas, said: 'This is the first project to reconstruct the port and landscape where Blackbeard, Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny and the rest of the notorious Flying Gang were based. Anything could still be down there.'
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The Guardian
16 hours ago
- The Guardian
Expedition to ‘real home of the pirates of the Caribbean' hopes to unearth ships and treasure
The Pirates of the Caribbean is a $4.5bn swashbuckling film franchise and Blackbeard and Calico Jack Rackham are among marauding buccaneers who have captured imaginations over the centuries. But almost nothing is known about the life and times of actual pirates. Now a leading British marine archaeologist is co-directing an expedition that has been allowed for the first time to search for pirate ships off Nassau on the island of New Providence, a notorious pirate hideout 300 years ago. No one has until now explored the seabed for their ships and treasure, let alone everyday belongings that could be as valuable to historical research as a stash of emeralds, Dr Sean Kingsley said. 'The potential is enormous,' he added. 'We are expecting to find some really cool stuff because this is the real home of the pirates of the Caribbean. 'Pirates didn't keep journals listing their lawlessness. What happened in Nassau stayed in Nassau. If we want to discover the truth, we're going to have to dive for it.' The Bahamas was a major crossroads for trade and more than 500 ships have been wrecked off New Providence since the 1680s, according to historical sources. But there may be dozens more, with pirate ships among them. In 1718, when Woodes Rogers sailed to Nassau to become its governor, he noted 40 seized ships on the shore that had been 'either burnt or sunk' to destroy evidence and 'about 700 pirates'. In 1696, the privateer Henry Avery sailed to Nassau in his ship, the Fancy, laden with loot. He used some of the treasure to bribe the governor of the Bahamas, establishing Nassau as a base for fellow pirates. Top of the most-wanted hitlist of shipwrecks is the Fancy, a 46-gun flagship. Kingsley said: 'Avery of Plymouth lit the fuse and threw the grenade that started the golden age of piracy after looting a Mughal treasure ship of $108m off India. He then sailed to Nassau in 1696 to lie low, party and for the crew to break up with their cut of the booty. Avery scuttled the Fancy in Nassau. It's the crown jewels of pirate ships. If we were to find anything associated with it, it would be spectacular. Its plunder was the greatest and most successful pirate heist on the high seas.' The New Providence Pirates Expedition – which is dedicated to science, education, entertainment and tourism in the Bahamas – is drawing on historical and archaeological evidence to conduct the first underwater survey, which begins in September. The project has secured the first-ever agreement with the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation of the Bahamas, a partner collaborator. Kingsley has explored more than 350 shipwrecks in the last 30 years and is the founding editor of Wreckwatch, the world's only magazine dedicated to the sunken past. The affiliated Wreckwatch TV is collaborating with the New Providence Pirates Expedition to bring 'the history, ruined landscape and sea dogs of the golden age of piracy between 1696 and 1730 back to life' through a documentary film, The Mystery of the Pirate King's Treasure. The film's co-director, Chris Atkins, said: 'The Bahamas, with its azure waters and crystal-clear underwater visibility, is a film-maker's dream. For the first time in history, viewers are going to see with their own eyes the places where Blackbeard and gang terrorised the Americas. Somewhere out there are the wine bottles they partied with, the tobacco pipes they smoked, the pieces of eight carelessly lost and so much more. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with the real pirates of the Caribbean.' Asked how they will identify pirate shipwrecks, Kingsley said: 'Generally, if you find a Dutch, English or French shipwreck, it has a very specific type of material culture on it. If it's Spanish, it will have olive jars, a good marker. If it's British, it may have Bristol or London tobacco pipes, for instance. On a pirate wreck, you will find French, English and Dutch ceramics and a mix of coins, anything from Arabian to British, and weapons such as stinkpots, explosive weapons used by pirates.' Dr Michael Pateman, the expedition's co-director and the ambassador for history, culture and museology in the Bahamas, said: 'This is the first project to reconstruct the port and landscape where Blackbeard, Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny and the rest of the notorious Flying Gang were based. Anything could still be down there.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Winnie Harlow looks ethereal in a plunging white dress as she arrives at Fashion and Futurism event during Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025
Winnie Harlow looked ethereal as she arrived at her Fashion and Futurism event during Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025 on Tuesday. The Canadian model, 30, stunned as she showcased her enviable frame in a figure-hugging plunging white dress. She gave herself a few extra inches by slipping into a pair of towering white strappy sandals. Winnie toted around her belongings in a white leather handbag and completed her look with a white and orange neck scarf. She looked elated during the event, which was hosted by Meta, as she was seen speaking to the audience on stage. Her appearance comes just a few months after the America's Next Top Model revealed she is set to walk down the aisle with fiancé Kyle, 29. The basketball player popped the question on February 13 with a dazzling 8.5-carat, oval-cut diamond ring, which he spent three months designing himself. He asked Winnie to be his wife while they were on a private plane heading off on holiday in the Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean. Filling the plane with red roses, balloons, chocolate and champagne, Kyle then read her a poem he had written, before getting down on one knee. And in an extra special surprise, once on the Caribbean island, their families were waiting for them to celebrate the proposal, with dinner on the beach and a fireworks display. Winnie gushed to Vogue magazine that the couple were 'over the moon' to be engaged, admitting she was caught completely by surprise. She said: 'For a split second in my head I thought, "This would be so cute if this was an engagement. 'But I'm also not the type of person who wants to guess or wants to spoil a surprise. So it just was a fleeting thought in my head.' The lovebirds first started dating in 2020, with Winnie then moving from New York City to Los Angeles to be with Kyle, who played for the L.A. Lakers at the time. The athlete has now moved to join the Milwaukee Bucks, with Winnie often spotted at his basketball games cheering him on from courtside seats. Meanwhile, Winnie has found huge success as a supermodel and has stormed some of the world's biggest runways. The superstar previously confessed she was 'never supposed to be a model' due to her Vitiligo. However, she became the first person with the skin condition to walk the runway at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Vitiligo is a long-term condition where pale white patches develop on the skin, which is caused by a lack of melanin. In 2023, Winnie recalled working at La Senza and looking at the models, wishing she could do what they were doing, as she reflected on how much she'd achieved. She told ET Canada: 'It's funny to me now that I've actually created a lane for myself in this industry that there was never a lane set. 'People will be like, she's already a model because of her skin. I'm like, Well, it was actually the opposite. I was never supposed to be a model because of my skin. 'I've actually fought against that but I'm like oh… you must think my skin is beautiful now, which nobody thought before. So, you know, it's a double-edged sword, but there's beauty in it.' Winnie said she hopes to continue breaking down barriers for other people with the condition who dream of becoming a model. She said: 'I think the biggest challenge today would be still breaking down those doors that, God bless, I was able to push down those doors to walk through. 'But keeping those doors open for others to walk through… making sure that it isn't just tokenism. 'Making sure that it isn't just there's one face or there's one person who can. Everyone is able to.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Are cruises the ultimate family bonding holiday?
What does a travel writer in his mid-thirties, habitually chained to his laptop, drowning in deadlines, have in common with a bass player from a 'new wave' powerhouse who's since forged a successful acting career? It turns out, it's a similar taste in holidays: a splash of neon Florida morphing into the carnival rhythm of the Caribbean – all of it unfolding while afloat. Earlier this year, I embarked with my curious and spirited little one – who was fast approaching his first birthday – on a voyage around the Caribbean with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). We joined Norwegian Encore – the 3,958-capacity moving playground – in Miami, swapping the city's steamy sidewalks and traffic for a seven-day itinerary that spanned beaches blazing under winter sun, storied old towns and lush hillsides across four ports. Once home, I learned that weeks later, Spandau Ballet star Martin and his son, radio host and TV presenter Roman Kemp, took to the ocean on the very same ship, following our voyage in a partnership with NCL. I wondered how our family holiday at sea would compare – at different waypoints on this mad journey that is parenting – so, back in London, I spoke to the pair about our experiences. It had been almost two decades since they'd been on a family holiday, Roman, 32, told me, describing it as an 'absolute rarity' that they managed to find the time to get away together. 'Very quickly, I recognised the shade of red that my dad goes with in the first hour of being anywhere hot – that was a good bit of nostalgia.' He jokes that my taking such a young one along with me is 'either great news or the hardest thing ever'. Honestly, it's a bit of both. But cruising absolutely works for such a small traveller. The vast choice of food (and its availability at all times) makes feeding him easy, and if your child isn't quite ready for a la carte, the buffet keeps things super simple. You get to see so many places without the faff of unpacking and then repacking again – plus the little one will be enthralled by the ocean as it rolls past the ship. And even when it's a sell-out holiday, as ours was, you can find space (and activities) that suit your needs. 'That's what I think those cruise ships are good for,' said Roman's 63-year-old dad, Martin. 'It breaks it up into different areas well. You can get what holiday you want from it, that's what I discovered. It doesn't have to be everyone doing the same thing.' There's plenty to keep you busy on Norwegian Encore, which has been sailing since 2019, its hull adorned with vibrant colours spilling backwards from the bow. Across 20 decks, there are as many restaurants (including an American-style steakhouse, Asian-Latin fusion menus and a Texas barbecue joint) and bars galore, from open-air haunts for fluorescent cocktails or a cigar lounge that suits having a smoke and a Scotch. From the very top, strap yourself in for Speedway, a daring go-kart track, or shoot down the Ocean Loops waterslide, which extends over the edge of the ship. And – since you are in the Caribbean, after all – there's a huge pool on deck 16, bordered by rows of sun loungers, plus a separate children's pool. Just as cruise ships have evolved over the years, so have family holidays. According to the latest 'Holiday Habits' report from Abta, a UK-based trade association for travel agents and tour operators, families continue to go on more holidays than any other 'age group or life stage'; the research also found that cruises are gaining in popularity among holidaymakers with children – those travelling with under-16s said that they are most attracted to the 'opportunity to visit multiple destinations in one trip', value for money and the 'safe and secure travel experience' that a cruise offers. For Martin, his getaway on the other side of the Atlantic was a far cry from his childhood breaks. 'The first time I ever went abroad was on a Freddie Laker jet to Benidorm,' he told me. 'I'd grown up with Butlins and Pontins, the holiday camps, with my parents and brother. Getting to do anything like going on a cruise, going around the Caribbean, with family – that to me is luxury.' Roman's response felt slightly less profound, but understandable: 'I loved seeing Dad dancing under the waterfall, recreating the Peter Andre 'Mysterious Girl' moment,' Roman joked. My own Nineties reenactments were somewhat hampered by my son, with a focus more on maintaining a nap schedule between stints in the sun, and profusely apologising to staff for the mess left under the highchair after each meal (knowing I'd be back tomorrow for more of the same). But the Kemps and I agreed about passengers from the US – and the stiff upper lip reserve of Brits. 'We only bumped into a couple of Brits. Americans know how to enjoy themselves – it is contagious,' said Martin, and the younger Kemp agreed. 'Americans really throw themselves into cruise life – we loved it. 'All Brits should go on a cruise.' Had I been travelling alone or with friends, would I have joined the 'sexy legs' competition or 'Thriller' dancing sessions? Without a child in my care, I certainly would have cracked open a beer by midday, so the answer to those questions is more likely yes. The on-board shenanigans are only half the fun – the rest comes from disembarking in a new destination. Considering my son's age restricted our options, it was still jam-packed. Heading out on foot, sans guide, around Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, spotting street art and watching the waves. A day split between a maritime park and munching tropical fruit on the beach in the US Virgin Islands. Another beach day in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) – he's now quite the waterbaby. The Kemps were able to be a little more high-octane, with one excursion combining a zipline, all-terrain vehicle tour and jungle hike to the cascading Damajagua Waterfalls in the Dominican Republic. Another took them across the BVI's Sir Francis Drake Channel to Norman Island for snorkelling. 'You tick off so many places you've always wanted to go to, and so quickly,' said Roman. 'Some of the stops that we made, the islands, were just incredible.' It's not just that, though, added Martin: 'You go to really different places. The destinations are often quite a few miles apart so it's like you're flying between them but you're doing it in luxury' 'You get to experience short bursts of a new place. They're really good samples of where you want to go next.' And doesn't my son know it – he doesn't even know how lucky he is, more stamps in his passport than teeth in his mouth. But the importance of travel is something to instil early, if you have the means. 'I always have this innate fear that when it comes to the end, I'll think back and go 'did I see as much as I could?'... I want to be able to see as much as I possibly can,' said Roman. 'Nothing is more valuable, I think, than travel.' And for Martin? The cruise reminded him how nice it was to travel with family – admitting he'd 'love' to do another cruise. I've already got my next trip planned with the mini swashbuckler – you never know, we might bump into the Kemps. Roman and Martin Kemp teamed up with Norwegian Cruise Line for a multigenerational voyage with NCL's 'More at Sea' package – an upgrade that gives guests speciality dining, wifi credits, discounts towards shore excursions and unlimited beverages (including on NCL's private island, Great Stirrup Cay).
