Discovery Channel's Ocean Quest Special Premieres Every Saturday at 8 PM Starting December 14
The ocean is unfathomably deep, concealing countless secrets waiting to be unlocked by humanity. Discovery's explorers have never stopped searching — and this time, Ocean Quest plunges to the seafloor to unearth a mysterious treasure that has lain dormant for over 400 years, ventures into the Caribbean in pursuit of a mysteriously vanished smuggling vessel, and heads to the Aleutian Islands at the southwestern tip of Alaska to track down the elusive flatfish. Discovery Channel's Ocean Quest airs every Saturday at 8 PM starting December 14 — diving deep to get to the bottom of it all!
Deep-sea sonar produces a clear image of an 85-foot hull
Experts Present Four Key Pieces of Evidence in the Hunt for the Lost Spanish Treasure Ship
In the early 17th century, Spanish colonizers arrived in South America to seize vast territories and accumulate enormous wealth, shipping enormous quantities of gold, silver, and jewels back to Spain by sea. In 1622, a Spanish treasure fleet of 28 ships was struck by a hurricane on its return voyage, and the legendary convoy sank to the bottom of the ocean along with its immense riches. It was not until 1985 that treasure salvager Mel Fisher's team located most of the wreck of the Atocha, recovering more than 40 tons of treasure — including emeralds alone valued at over half a billion dollars. The wreck is considered the most treasure-laden shipwreck ever discovered, earning it the nickname the "Spanish Bank." Yet two ships from that fleet have never been found.
Sleeping for 400 Years: The Mysterious Lost Treasure of the "Spanish Bank" Resurfaces in the Caribbean
In recent years, marine exploration experts have returned to the Caribbean in a renewed effort to locate the remains of these two ships. They have presented four exciting pieces of evidence pointing to the possibility of a discovery: deep-sea sonar has produced a clear image of an 85-foot hull; a massive irregular object rests at a depth too great for conventional diving; a school of snappers — fish that need shelter to hide — was spotted swimming near the possible location of the wreckage; and a straight, non-biological object was photographed on the seafloor, leading researchers to believe the last two wrecks may not be far away. Just as the exploration team was about to call off operations due to bad weather, an autonomous underwater vehicle captured a blurry image of what appeared to be a ship's hull. Could the secret of the Spanish treasure ship finally be about to surface?
Rising Ocean Temperatures and Ecosystem Upheaval Disrupt the Food Chain
The Aleutian Islands, located at the southwestern tip of Alaska, are renowned for their flatfish — the largest and most combative fish in these waters, capable of using their powerful tails to stun or even kill, earning them the title of "rulers of the cold seafloor." Yet recently, these flatfish have suddenly vanished. Marine creatures appear to be fleeing something, diving ever deeper, and unfamiliar species have begun appearing for the first time.
Shifting behavior patterns on the seafloor: cod, normally found near the surface, are now appearing at depths of 122 m
Melissa Good, a biologist who has studied the area for over a decade, explains: "Ocean water temperatures rose by several degrees in 2016. No one can say for certain what caused the warm-water phenomenon, but what is certain is that the entire ecosystem has changed as a result." Within just two to three years, the behavioral patterns of marine life have undergone dramatic shifts. Cod, which normally congregate near the surface, have been found at depths of 122 m, appearing only after the fishing season has ended. Humpback whale numbers have surged and the animals have become unusually active, launching themselves out of the water like torpedoes. King crab — a favorite prey of the flatfish — are also diving deeper, and the aggressive warm-water lancetfish has begun appearing in these waters. What has caused the disappearance of the flatfish? Will it become a victim of ocean warming, pushed to the brink of extinction? Starting December 14, every Saturday at 8 PM, Discovery Channel's brand-new series Ocean Quest will lead viewers to the answers!
Marine exploration experts return to the Caribbean to search for shipwreck remains, presenting four key pieces of evidence pointing to the possibility of a discovery
【Discovery Ocean Quest Special — Highlights】
- 12/14 8 PM Caribbean Pirate Treasure S2: Key West's Lost Treasure Galleon
Treasure hunters believe they may have located one of the last two wrecks from the Spanish treasure fleet — the richest treasure ship ever found. Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau join the search mission near Key West, Florida, to help determine whether this mysterious vessel is the 400-year-old shipwreck they've been looking for.
- 12/14 8 PM Caribbean Pirate Treasure S2: Mystery Wreck Of Puerto Rico
Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau travel to Puerto Rico to unravel the mystery surrounding pirate prince Maurice and his lost ship, Defiance. Recent hurricanes on the island may have unearthed clues to the 400-year-old wreck's whereabouts.
- 12/14 9 PM Jeremy Wade's Dark Waters: Cold Water Mystery
Strange things have been happening at the northern end of the Pacific. Fish that have no business being there have appeared — subtropical species turning up in Alaska — while the flatfish that once ruled these waters have vanished. Jeremy Wade travels to the Aleutian Islands to investigate, discovering that the flatfish, originally at home in frigid waters, have migrated to even colder depths due to an unexplained warm-water phenomenon. Wade must determine whether the flatfish have truly disappeared for good.
- 12/21 8 PM Caribbean Pirate Treasure S2: The Wreck Of The Roanoke: A Civil War Mystery
Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau head to Bermuda to search for the remains of a Civil War-era munitions smuggling vessel. For over 150 years, no one has been able to locate this ill-fated ship or its mysterious cargo. Will Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau succeed in finding the Roanoke?
- 12/21 8 PM Caribbean Pirate Treasure S2: The Ghost Ship Of St. Thomas
The Cousteau couple investigates the mysterious disappearance of a 19th-century paddle steamer. Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau return to the U.S. Virgin Islands to follow up on the strange vanishing of a paddle steamer from the 1800s, and a recent hurricane may have done the work of revealing the wreck's location.
- 12/21 9 PM Expedition With Steve Backshall: Frozen Frontier
Greenland holds many world records: it is the world's largest island and the least densely populated country on Earth. It is also home to the world's largest ice cap. Steve and his adventure and photography team travel to Scoresby Sund, setting out by kayak from Ittoqqortoormiit — the only town on the fjord — on a 70-plus-kilometre paddle to the solid pack ice. Along the way, they witness ice breaking apart that drives seals away, leaving polar bears — drawn by the scent of food — dangerously close to the team. Continuing their journey, the sight of breathtaking massive icebergs tells them the end is near. The expedition leads Steve to issue a heartfelt plea to the world to take the dangers of global warming seriously.
- 12/28 8 PM Caribbean Pirate Treasure S2: Dead Man's Island: Blood and Treasure
Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau travel to Ecuador, braving treacherous sea conditions and the threat of attack by modern-day pirates, to search for the lost treasure plundered by the ruthless buccaneer Bartholomew Sharp in the waters near Dead Man's Island.
- 12/28 8 PM Caribbean Pirate Treasure S2: The Lost Ship of Peru's Pirate Hunters
The Cousteau couple teams up with the Peruvian Navy to investigate a 17th-century naval disaster that has cast a shadow over the Peruvian people and their government to this day.
- 12/28 9 PM Naked and Afraid S3: Lost at Sea
Ben and Sara arrive off the coast of the Exuma Islands for a survival challenge in the raw. Marooned in the open sea without food or fresh water, and surrounded by dangerous marine life below, their chances of survival are slim unless they can paddle to a deserted island in time. Fortunately, Sara is a professional diver and Ben is a former U.S. Navy SEAL — and together, the two gradually turn crisis into opportunity.
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