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Adak Island Pirate Cache

rogueaviation

Full Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Messages
175
Location
West Michigan
So, Netflix recommended that I watch the Adak Island treasure hunting show.

After Oak Island, I vowed to never watch another treasure hunting show.

But we all know I did.

The thing is, the show did some things right, and some things totally wrong.

Has anyone else watched it? I tried to research the pirate that supposedly buried the cache on the island, but I can't find any record of him before about 2012. I used Google and Hathitrust and Archive.

Is this another fabrication? Is there an obscure reference the treasure hunters are using that isn't available to the rest of us?

--Matt
 
While I've never heard of the show or that pirate, I can share this much

Most known and accurate pirate history actually comes from the book "a general history of pirates". It was written in the 1720s by a captain who took stories of pirates at the time period, I've read that and a few others because I love the topic. Something pointed out in most history books is that there's very very very few actual stories about people burying items on shore. Many of your favorite famous pirates even avoided stealing gold and silver altogether because it was a way to get caught in ports. If you enjoy a good read, check out the old book.
 
That sounds like a great read!

The problem with the Adak Island story is that it is so "recent" dating from only 1892. And even though it is this recent, there is almost no information about the treasure.

--Matt
 
So, Netflix recommended that I watch the Adak Island treasure hunting show.

After Oak Island, I vowed to never watch another treasure hunting show.

But we all know I did.

The thing is, the show did some things right, and some things totally wrong.

Has anyone else watched it? I tried to research the pirate that supposedly buried the cache on the island, but I can't find any record of him before about 2012. I used Google and Hathitrust and Archive.

Is this another fabrication? Is there an obscure reference the treasure hunters are using that isn't available to the rest of us?

--Matt

Hi Matt,

I watched the series last year, and had mixed feelings on the subject...I won't say the outcome of the search, but in the years following the start of WW2, two small caches of gold were allegedly found by service personnel working on the island, which if true puts it ahead of most so called Treasure Shows.

Re the "Pirate" concerned, I seem to recall he was supposedly operating a lot later (1890's?) than the so called Golden Era of Piracy and he was not a pirate in the traditional sense which why you may struggle doing research on him...

Regards

Peter
 
Peter,
You're absolutely right, he wasn't a "pirate" in the traditional sense. That was the fist thing that made me wonder what was going on. He was more of a "bandit", like in the "Billy the Kid" sense. Her robbed from the Seal Hunters union, allegedly.

Also, I already spoiled it for myself doing my Google searches trying to find the story behind the Russian "pirate". 😉😉😉

I had the same mixed feelings. They're using ground penetrating radar alongside a new, right from the box Garrett ace 250?

Doesn't strike me as the detector combination professionals, or experienced hunters, would use.

--Matt


Hi Matt,

I watched the series last year, and had mixed feelings on the subject...I won't say the outcome of the search, but in the years following the start of WW2, two small caches of gold were allegedly found by service personnel working on the island, which if true puts it ahead of most so called Treasure Shows.

Re the "Pirate" concerned, I seem to recall he was supposedly operating a lot later (1890's?) than the so called Golden Era of Piracy and he was not a pirate in the traditional sense which why you may struggle doing research on him...

Regards

Peter
 
Peter,
You're absolutely right, he wasn't a "pirate" in the traditional sense. That was the fist thing that made me wonder what was going on. He was more of a "bandit", like in the "Billy the Kid" sense. Her robbed from the Seal Hunters union, allegedly.

Also, I already spoiled it for myself doing my Google searches trying to find the story behind the Russian "pirate". 😉😉😉

I had the same mixed feelings. They're using ground penetrating radar alongside a new, right from the box Garrett ace 250?

Doesn't strike me as the detector combination professionals, or experienced hunters, would use.

--Matt

The same thing struck me about the use of that particular model detector as well..

Overall, I was left with the impression that given the island is dying, the Mayor had concocted the idea for the program to bring in some cash, and possibly generate some interest/publicity for the place.
 
.....
I had the same mixed feelings. They're using ground penetrating radar alongside a new, right from the box Garrett ace 250?

Doesn't strike me as the detector combination professionals, or experienced hunters, would use. ...

Yes. On the one hand, sure, an Ace 250 will sound off on a hubcap or soda can sized item *just fine*.

But on the other hand : As any of us advanced detector hobbyists know: When you cross paths with someone swinging one of those out in the field, that you have just met a rogue beginner.
 
Yes. On the one hand, sure, an Ace 250 will sound off on a hubcap or soda can sized item *just fine*.

But on the other hand : As any of us advanced detector hobbyists know: When you cross paths with someone swinging one of those out in the field, that you have just met a rogue beginner.

It makes you wonder who the TV channel were able to recruit
to form the team.

Personally, I would be quite happy to visit Oak Island as a paid member of such a Team, but you couldn’t pay me enough to spend several weeks on Adak…
 
Yes. On the one hand, sure, an Ace 250 will sound off on a hubcap or soda can sized item *just fine*.

But on the other hand : As any of us advanced detector hobbyists know: When you cross paths with someone swinging one of those out in the field, that you have just met a rogue beginner.

Hey! The Ace 250 is a great machine for non mineralized dirt or wood chips or grass . Why you all gotta Diss the Garrett detectors,Yo!:lol:
 
They coming out with a season 2? I watched it last year before I was into metal detecting.Got myself a Nox 900 for myself for Christmas and also have a Manticore on order.
 
Hope this series doesn't become the Oak Island of the Aleutians!
Based on the way it is shot and edited, it really had that "Oak Island" feel to it already. It was fun to watch, and it definitely keeps "treasure hunting" in the media, but it didn't seem like they were gonna find anything.

I think the more instructive documentaries are the ones made after the fact. Nobody wanted to film Bob Ballard watching a scratchy, fuzzy radar image until he found that big ship. That's not a lot of fun to watch. But after the discovery was made known, there were all kinds of people interested in following him around with cameras.

--Matt
 
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