March 7th, 2013 by Piper Smith
The wrecking of vessels along the Floridian reefs began to occur once Europeans reached the New World. As early as the 1600s, Spanish ships returning to Spain from the New World would catch the Gulf Stream, meaning they’d have to sail within close proximity to the Floridian Reefs. Many would wreck. In fact, the first wreckers were Native Americans! Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda’s ship wrecked in 1549 and the Natives took him captive when they came to plunder his wrecked ship!
Picture caption: The First Wreckers!
