Chesapeake bay, underwater... I promise I have tried to find the answer...

[Blowtorch]

Okay, I swear I have searched and read all I can but I am still confused. Can someone tell me factually; can I jump over the side of my boat with a metal detector and search the bottom of the Chesapeake bay? Maybe off of Sandy Point...or elsewhere... Is it or is it not illegal? Cannot get a clear bead on the answer. I am not talking about taking Indian bones or sacred amulets or ... whatever, but coins and jewelry... can I or no? Maybe around islands in the rivers... crime or not? Please, no references to a 1980's case... I know I know... but today in 2017, what's the deal? Thanks in a advance and I am sorry if the answer is here and I failed to locate it.

 

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[filthylucre59]

A few years (10?)ago a local sports celebrity lost his giant sports ring over the side of a fishing boat at the mouth of the South River.Supposedly worth lot's of money according to the Annapolis and Baltimore newspapers.But still the visibility is terrible in the bay and the Chesapeake is the only body of water I've seen that has raw sewage floating in it.I ran my boat out of the West River up as far as the Bay Bridge and Annapolis and would never even think of getting my feet wet let alone going diving....in fact I've never seen anyone dive or snorkel in the Chesapeake in the years I lived there.Now I'm down in Florida...much different,much cleaner environment. Good luck

 

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[toasted]

A few years (10?)ago a local sports celebrity lost his giant sports ring over the side of a fishing boat at the mouth of the South River.Supposedly worth lot's of money according to the Annapolis and Baltimore newspapers.But still the visibility is terrible in the bay and the Chesapeake is the only body of water I've seen that has raw sewage floating in it.I ran my boat out of the West River up as far as the Bay Bridge and Annapolis and would never even think of getting my feet wet let alone going diving....in fact I've never seen anyone dive or snorkel in the Chesapeake in the years I lived there.Now I'm down in Florida...much different,much cleaner environment. Good luck

Ive been swimming in a tributary of the Chesapeake every year all my life yet I am still able to post to this thread I would not hesitate to do any chest wading with a metal detector from my boat. I would try to avoid busier areas like Sandy point. Anywhere you know there is sandy bottom is worth a try.

Never seen anybody diving in the Chesapeake except maybe to harvest oysters in the winter or to do in water boat maintenance

 

[Pensfan71]

I will never get in the Bay ever again,1st time we went to Calvert Cliffs State Park I was wading in the water looking for Sharks teeth and a Park Ranger was near by. Asked if he was scared of the water jokingly because he was wearing hip waders,he said no just didn't like the jellyfish. I never got back in after that,about 3 years ago this happened. There have been Shark sightings at Solomon's Island which is close to use now. Originally from Indiana so I not fond of sea critters, hope you can go diving and if you do, be safe.