The Wreck of the Santa Maria is the gripping true story of one man's decades-long quest to solve one of history's greatest maritime mysteries: the final resting place of Christopher Columbus's flagship.
Internationally known treasure hunter Bill Haynie takes readers from the coral-strewn reefs of the Bahamas to the remote northern coast of Haiti, blending firsthand adventure with meticulous historical detective work. What begins as a professional salvage mission soon becomes a personal obsession-fueled by cryptic maps from the Vatican, conversations with local fishermen, and the haunting legacy of a shipwreck that changed the course of world history.
Haynie reveals how deforestation, coastal erosion, and centuries of sediment have hidden the Santa María not beneath the sea-but beneath dry land. His discovery, supported by 15th-century logs, modern topography, and archaeological evidence, challenges everything we thought we knew about Columbus's first voyage and the birth of La Navidad-the New World's first European settlement.
Interwoven with tales of shipwreck diving, lost pirate fleets, UFO encounters over the Bermuda Triangle, and the tragic death of a fellow explorer, this memoir is more than a treasure hunt. It's a testament to perseverance, historical curiosity, and the enduring power of secrets kept for over 500 years.
"What I discovered beneath the Caribbean sands could rewrite history."
For fans of maritime history, real-life adventure, and unsolved mysteries, The Wreck of the Santa Maria offers a rare glimpse into the life of a modern-day explorer-and the truth behind a legend that has eluded scholars for centuries.