Update to web site:
codexes.com
and here is a cut/paste:
Feb 3 1997
Seahawk Searches for South American Gold
Tampa, Fl. Seahawk Deep Ocean Technology, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: SDOT), an oceanographic company specializing in the search and recovery of deep water shipwrecks, announced today that a consortium, which includes Seahawk and two other joint partners, has completed an extensive shipwreck search program off the coast of South America.
The primary target of the consortium's search is an 18th century vessel which its research indicates went down in the area for which it has a permit to search. The research further suggests the ship was bearing what could be one of the largest quanities of colonial gold ever to be lost at sea.
The deep water search program was conducted with an "Ocean Explorer 6000" deep water system, deployed from the French Vessel "Jean Charcot". The ocean explorer can be towed at speeds in excess of 2 knots while covering an area of sea bed up to 4.2 kilometers. The consortium interfaces this equipment with an intergrated navagation system and the Triton "QMIPS" image enhancement package. This produced graphically clear images of the sea bed identifying items as small as a 55 gallon drum. The computer images were then sent to Tampa for detailed analysis.
The intensive high tech search enabled the consortium to cover nearly 500 square miles in less than two weeks. The search yielded 30 anomalies with characteristics that indicate the possible sites of shipwrecks, which now need to be inspected and identified using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). Seahawk is preparing its vessel, the RV Seahawk, to conduct these inspections. The work should start in the second half of 1997.
Seahawk has found a number of shipwrecks since it was formed in 1989. The company's previous successful recovery of a Spanish colonial shipwreck was the world's first deep ocean archaeological excavation. That operation received praise from the archaeological community for the intricate attention to detail observed during the recovery of more than 17,000 artifacts from a depth of over 1200 feet.
In addition to seeking the South American shipwreck, Seahawk is currently searching for two sunken vessels off the east coast of the United States. The first ship, code named the "Golden Eagle," is reported to have been carrying gold specie when it sank in a hurricane over 100 years ago. The second ship is a possible member of the ill fated Spanish fleet of 1715. The company is also seeking permits to search in waters off an island of the Azores which its research indicates contains a quanity of ancient and colonial shipwrecks. |
