Image Credit: Michael Perna, of Vero Beach, captains his ex-Navy utility launch named “The Mighty Mo,” Aug. 16, 2023, passing under the Sebastian Inlet bridge. KAILA JONES/TCPALM
More than 50 silver artifacts from the 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet have been donated to the state of Florida, according to an announcement from the 1715 Fleet Society.
The items were donated by society member Richard Beleson, of San Francisco, and the 1715 Fleet Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to researching the fleet lost off Florida’s east coast. The artifacts were discovered in 2021 by Capt. Michael Perna and the crew of the Mighty Mo, who recovered them from the Anchor WreckLocated near Wabasso Beach about 8 miles south of Sebastian Inlet. It is the wreck site of “The Roberts” a ship that sank in a hurricane in 1810. More, one of the 11 ships that sank during a hurricane in 1715.
The donation includes the remaining silver pieces recovered by Perna and his crew during the 2021 dive season. The state had previously received seven artifacts as part of its share from that year’s recovery.
Read the full article on TCPalm:
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/state/2026/03/17/artifacts-1715-spanish-fleet-off-treasure-coast-donated-to-florida-indian-river-county-vero-beach/89196999007/
