newby,.. with a story.. input needed.

[EricH]

Hi guys,

I still can not believe it myself... so here we go

A long story short, I was an avid cave diver explorer that need a new buzz..
In open water I am a solo diver that dives side mounted (2x80's) on a DPV with a 3hr/5 mile range.

Over the years i hear some rumors that there were cannons near my house, a friend send me a PDF detailing the finds of a Company DeepBlue Marine that describes 5 cannons and 2 anchors that they discovered in 2010. Now our bay is a world windsurf and kiteboard destination with surf and very bad viz for 95% of the time, but the gods were with me and the sahara dust storm coming over the Atlantic last month, gave me a wind-wave less clear water ...

So I went for a exploration run, now 30 dives later and 2 sqkm covered and found 14 anchors and 12 cannons and an unbelievable amount of steel scrap masts winches etc... , 3 different sites with wreckage and a ballast stone field.

Since all this lays all in 2 to 8M of water and in a bay i was able to do 2hr dives and run my DPV in a zig zag pattern...

you can find some footage on my youtube channel :
Screenshots on my Flickr page :

quick edit after the first week...



Bottom line, I need to learn more about what I am looking at hence me jumping on your forum

Eric

 

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[old man]

Eric, if you're diving Samana Bay. I suggest you Contact Capt Billy on tnet and send him a pm.
Or I can pm you his Email address.

 

[ScubaFinder]

Nice Video Eric! Those wrecks are off Cabarete on the North coast inside Tracey Bowdens old territory, not sure if Deep Blue ever worked at Cabarete or not. If you locate Diego Fernandex at Caribbean Marine in Puetro Plata he can give you some tips and details. Be advised that removing anything from these wrecks is very much against the law. :-)

Jason

 

[EricH]

Jason, thank you, well aware of local laws...
I lived and operated in Cabarete since 1982, everybody knows me and all "local" eyes are on me when I leave the water...
Our local fishermen have already cleaned it all out, I regularly see chisel marks... the locals checking for bronze..

I did send the videos to the appropriate authorities to stay out of trouble.

 

[EricH]

Eric, if you're diving Samana Bay. I suggest you Contact Capt Billy on tnet and send him a pm.
Or I can pm you his Email address.

no this is Cabarete Bay https://www.flickr.com/photos/eric_hertsens/sets/72157652341587246

 

[EricH]

Nice Video Eric! Those wrecks are off Cabarete on the North coast inside Tracey Bowdens old territory, not sure if Deep Blue ever worked at Cabarete or not. If you locate Diego Fernandex at Caribbean Marine in Puetro Plata he can give you some tips and details. Be advised that removing anything from these wrecks is very much against the law. :-)

Jason

I searched Tracey on google, interesting, thanks.
Blue Marine for sure explored the bay, but only came up with a fraction of what is there.
screenshots of the pdf are found here https://www.flickr.com/search/?tags=deepbluemarine

Eric

 

[EricH]

right now the anchor count is at 14

 

[ScubaFinder]

Tracey has been there forever, he was one of the first salvors there in DR. He brought Deep Blue in as a sub-contractor on his lease and they later applied for their own lease. Tracey is well known for working the Concepcion' on the Silver Banks, but he also had a lot of lease area along the north coast East of Puerto Plata all the way around to Samana Bay. Looks like you found more with a scooter than they did with a Mag, good work! I would still talk to Diego if you can, he's a wealth of knowledge. Good luck!

 

[EricH]

Ok thanks, I will catch Diego in P.P. for sure, for now I just want to video document a litte what is in the bay which is literally 50 yards from my home...

 

[SADS 669]

Outstanding.........

 

[Bobadilla]

Hi Erich,
Nice finds, congratulations!
First of all, Deep Blue Marine has never searched in Cabarete area. Their lease area was always east of Rio San Juan. Believe me, I have been working with Wilf Blum, owner of Deep Blue, as his principal shipwreck researcher. Though, Jason is right, they had some kind of sub-lease with Capt. Tracy Bowden, but only for some specific shipwrecks in Samana Bay. The same like John Chatterton and John Mattera, they worked for Tracy searching for Bannister's Golden Fleece in Samana.

Diego Fernandez and his brother Jorge have been working around Puerto Plata, Maimon and Cabarete for many years. Years ago, (how the time is running....) we were also working together with Jason, Diego and Jorge Fernandez in Maimon and Luperon with North Caribbean Research, looking for Spanish treasure fleet of 1529 and in Montecristi for French wreck of La Viette. Diego is indeed an expert for the shipwrecks between Luperon and Rio San Juan. Give him my regards! The last I heard from him, he was working as a diver for Barrick Gold.

May I ask you where did you send the photos and report of your finds? The most correct would be to inform technical director of ONPCS (National Agency for Underwater Patrimony), Francis Soto.

Good luck,
Lobo

 

[captbilly]

EricH look familiar? I was sent your video by some lady in Cabrera. Not to try and get anybody in trouble, this wreck i was very interested in and we did wok there a week or so. Then came the no more contract blues. Trying to prove to this government that companies like ours are needed is why i passed the video along, not just the local fishermen but also tourist are robbing these wrecks blind. At least with contractors they receive a solid archaeological report and half the artifacts of their choosing. Now they receive nothing and the artifacts get sold on the streets to tourists destinations un-known. From what i was told your video was a big hit with the government officials who wanted to put around the clock surveillance on these wrecks. But if you been here as long as myself you know that is a joke and the thieving will continue. Not saying you but the video made my point. I like that wreck, i am fairly certain its a Spanish wreck because of the amount of broken earthenware. And we found a silver candle stick holder that our archaeologist dated to the late 17th century. Our contract was from Sosua back to Abreau. Man we found more wrecks that a lifetime couldnt be enough to work them all. If you know Frank from Oshays he has my number if you care to talk wreck stuff. I still hear we will be back in that area as soon as the one -sleeping with UNESCO- moves on.

 

[Bobadilla]

Billy,
I have been trying to call you but I could not get through. I will try again still tonight, if I am not successful, please, call me. Important.

Lobo

 

[EricH]

EricH look familiar? View attachment 1174776View attachment 1174777 I was sent your video by some lady in Cabrera. Not to try and get anybody in trouble, this wreck i was very interested in and we did wok there a week or so. Then came the no more contract blues. Trying to prove to this government that companies like ours are needed is why i passed the video along, not just the local fishermen but also tourist are robbing these wrecks blind. At least with contractors they receive a solid archaeological report and half the artifacts of their choosing. Now they receive nothing and the artifacts get sold on the streets to tourists destinations un-known. From what i was told your video was a big hit with the government officials who wanted to put around the clock surveillance on these wrecks. But if you been here as long as myself you know that is a joke and the thieving will continue. Not saying you but the video made my point. I like that wreck, i am fairly certain its a Spanish wreck because of the amount of broken earthenware. And we found a silver candle stick holder that our archaeologist dated to the late 17th century. Our contract was from Sosua back to Abreau. Man we found more wrecks that a lifetime couldnt be enough to work them all. If you know Frank from Oshays he has my number if you care to talk wreck stuff. I still hear we will be back in that area as soon as the one -sleeping with UNESCO- moves on.

Yeah i know that anchor, was the last one I found.
I am not worried about to much dive activity, the conditions are brutal, 99% bad viz, waves and serious surface traffic.

 

[EricH]

Hi Erich,
Nice finds, congratulations!
First of all, Deep Blue Marine has never searched in Cabarete area. Their lease area was always east of Rio San Juan. Believe me, I have been working with Wilf Blum, owner of Deep Blue, as his principal shipwreck researcher. Though, Jason is right, they had some kind of sub-lease with Capt. Tracy Bowden, but only for some specific shipwrecks in Samana Bay. The same like John Chatterton and John Mattera, they worked for Tracy searching for Bannister's Golden Fleece in Samana.

Diego Fernandez and his brother Jorge have been working around Puerto Plata, Maimon and Cabarete for many years. Years ago, (how the time is running....) we were also working together with Jason, Diego and Jorge Fernandez in Maimon and Luperon with North Caribbean Research, looking for Spanish treasure fleet of 1529 and in Montecristi for French wreck of La Viette. Diego is indeed an expert for the shipwrecks between Luperon and Rio San Juan. Give him my regards! The last I heard from him, he was working as a diver for Barrick Gold.

May I ask you where did you send the photos and report of your finds? The most correct would be to inform technical director of ONPCS (National Agency for Underwater Patrimony), Francis Soto.

Good luck,
Lobo

Blue marine report, goleta and police site, I only found the DBM galeon site still looking for the Punta Goleta cannons but conditions are bad right now. ( they are most of the time)

I will try to get a hold of Francis Soto asap, but as you say the video has been doing it's thing, I have been detailing my finds on my FB page and it has been the talk of the town.

 

[captbilly]

Yeah i know that anchor, was the last one I found.
I am not worried about to much dive activity, the conditions are brutal, 99% bad viz, waves and serious surface traffic.

ERich gotcha fine on the brutal conditions for that area. The first day we dove it the conditions were much like diving in a swimming pool. It would be a year later before we ever got to dive it again. (I quit taking the long trip by boat from Rio San Juan and eventually drove the truck to check conditions, even having a friend give me reports) Even if there was no wind had there been a recent rainstorm (that happens about every afternoon) the viz dropped to near zero.
Thats probably why that wreck remains pretty much untouched. I made this video for an investor. Later i concluded the square tiles were probably Spanish floor tiles headed to a distant fort, same as the cask of nails as they were too small to be any part of ship construction. The lead sheathing and wooden dowels tell me this wreck is at least early 1700's.

 

[EricH]

Bill, i keep you up to date on that wreck, this sits within 300 yards of my house.

here are the balast stones in better viz



and the whole site just missing one anchor, found that on my second dive

 

[EricH]

going trough my footage,(100gb), of the last month I found this clip, in this clip you can hear the locals hammering away at something, I chased the sound for a while and eventually surfaced because I knew I was about a mile offshore and they had to have a boat... as I surfaced they spotted me and took off, I was low on everything and needed to get back to the shore.
The next day after a long search 129min.. I did find it but by then my gopro was dead and again I needed to go back.
This wreck is Galeon nr 2, old encrusted wood, you would pass by it if you were not looking..
the search continues

here is the clip with the sound

it documents 2 wrongs... looting and garbage, both a product of poor uneducated life in the DR.

 

[Darren in NC]

it documents 2 wrongs... looting and garbage, both a product of poor uneducated life in the DR.

The rich and educated have looked down their noses at the uneducated poor since the beginning of time. I relate to the poor's mindset when it comes to corrupt governments who would allow wrecks to stay untouched for centuries, and sign UNESCO agreements that benefit no one. The poor see it as a way to be industrious and make a living. Survival is innate in us, and if we have to disregard the gov'ts silly rules to do so, then so be it. It would be better for the rich and political to use their resources to benefit the poor rather than make laws that turn their industrious spirit into criminal activity. Work with them. Don't work against them. I do wish they would pick up their garbage, though.

 

[SADS 669]

Erich, please think about this..........it would cost them nothing to make you disappear! By all means enjoy your project but if you hear hammering go in the other direction.

It benefits no one for you to show any interest in their activity, I feel guilty saying this......

Recently, here, not far from you, someone was killed for witnessing something that someone else didn't like!,