Image: Bronze cannon on display at the Keys History & Discovery Center. Brad Bertelli/Contributed
By Brad Bertelli
The Nuestra Señora de Atocha was the almiranta of the fleet departing Havana on Sept. 6, 1622. The almiranta provided flank support to transport fleets laden with New World treasures.
When the convoy’s 28 ships were caught in a hurricane, the Atocha was pushed over the reef and pounded in the shallows about 25 miles southwest of Key West near the Marquesa Keys.
On Oct. 5, a second hurricane formed and scattered what remained of the wrecked galleon armed with 20 bronze cannons. The Atocha was lost to time.
Read the full article on The Keys Weekly:
https://keysweekly.com/42/keys-history-sunken-ships-and-buried-treasure/
