There are many Spanish-era shipwrecks in Florida's offshore
waters. The famous plate fleets of 1715 and 1733 are commemorated in this poem.
In addition, coins, emeralds, silver bars, cannons, and other
artifacts from the famous wreck of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha in 1622 are now on display at museum in Key West and
Sebastian, Florida.
Two plate fleets originated in the New World. One of these collected the treasures of
"New Spain" (Mexico) and sailed to Havana as the New Spain fleet. The other fleet was the Tierra Firme flota that sailed
from Cartagena and Central America and carried the silver and other treasures of South America.
The two flotas met in Havana for provisioning, and often left together for Spain as "the Combined
Armada."
As they sailed north out of Havana, they caught the Gulf Stream current that would speed their
journey homeward by carrying them northward along the coast of Florida and the Florida Keys until they reached mid-latitudes
where westerly winds would carry them back to Europe.
With no weather satellites to warn them of approaching storms, it was inevitable that entire
fleets, carrying an entire year's worth of treasures from the new world, would sometimes by lost in storms and hurricanes
along the Florida coast.
Many of their ballast mounds, which are protected archaeological sites, can still seen
today in shallow offshore
waters. Among these are the famous El Infante, Suedo de Arizon, Los Tres Puentes and
others.
