I suppose when people think of pirates these days, they either think of Disney movies or they think of Somalia. Well, here in the Caribbean, pirates are alive and well - both historically and in present day.
The coastline of Hispaniola (for those of you geographically-impaired, that is the name of the island that contains the DR and Haiti) is littered with the legends of shipwrecks. From Captain Morgan to Captain Kidd, some of the most famous and notorious pirates hung out in these waters, and they lost many ships along the way. Only a handful have been found and excavated. Most have been honed in on through historical record and limited underwater surveillance, but have yet to be excavated or their existence proved beyond a doubt.
In 2007, a group of underwater archeologists from Indiana University discovered Captain Kidd's ship, the Quedagh Merchant, sunken in only 13ft. of water off Catalina Island, DR. What remains of the ship may seem unexciting - only a dozen or so cannons and a few anchors - but the story that goes with it is the stuff legends are made of (quite literally, in fact). As the story goes, Captain Kidd was a privateer for the British (meaning his piracy was sanctioned as long as it went against the Brit's enemies). His crew was growing restless after 2 yrs at sea, when they came across the Quedagh Merchant, full of commerce, in the Indian Ocean. They took over the ship and headed for the Caribbean to sell its wares. Unfortunately for Captain Kidd, the Brits had investments in the Q.Merchant, so instead of welcoming his efforts, they branded him a pirate. So, Captain Kidd had 2 choices - embrace piracy and make a run for it, or fight for his honor and try to clear his name. He tried the latter, and failed miserably. Kidd hid his new ship in a salt water lagoon on Catalina Island, and headed north to New York to try to clear his name. When he got to Long Island, he buried some treasure on he beach as a safeguard - an act which, along with hiding the Q.Merchant, gave rise to the belief that all pirates bury/hide their treasure. His efforts to clear his name failed. He was arrested and sent back to England, where he was tried, convicted and hanged for piracy. After his demise, the Q. Merchant was set on fire and scuttled at Catalina Island. (where it took over 300 yrs for someone to find again).
I'm telling this little tail, not only because I find the history fascinating, but because (lucky me!) it is actually related to my job. After finding Captain Kidd's ship, the IU crew had the fabulous idea of turning it into a "living museum of the sea". We gave them a grant to help them out, and the idea is slowly being replicated at other wrecks around the country. Creating a living museum means extra environmental protection for the wreckage site as well as for the sensitive coral/underwater environment in its vicinity. Museum-like displays with the history of the site can be found nearby on the beach area, encouraging visitors to learn about AND experience this history. People can snorkel, scuba or just learn about it on land. For a country that relies so heavily on tourism, but has so much farther to go with its environmental efforts, this is a excellent endeavor.
The historical pirates maintain their presence through these sites, while the present-day pirates prey on unprepared yachts that stop to rest in the Dominican harbors, on their journey from Miami to points south and east in the Caribbean archipelago. So, let that be a warning to those of you with dreams of sailing around the Caribbean - pirates still exist. Just stay away from the Venezuelan pirates, with them you may lose more than your riches....
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