Treasure hunter Burt D. Webber Jr. recounts find off Dominican coast: Reading Eagle

Robesonia, PA.- Famed marine explorer Burt D. Webber Jr. has recovered more than US$50 million in sunken treasure, Reading Eagle reports. “His tales of treasure hunting off the coasts of Florida and Central America rival any adventure novel.”

The renowned treasure hunter, born in 1942, spoke with students on how, after graduating in 1960, he tried to join the Navy but was turned down because of his asthma. “Instead, he enrolled in the Divers Training Academy in Miami and embarked on the adventurous career that led to his first big find in 1978: the Nuestra Señora de la Concepcion.”

The Spanish treasure galleon sank in 1641, 85 miles north of the Dominican Republic.

Webber’s discovery as co-founder and president of Seaquest International Inc. was the subject of a 1979 CBS documentary, the outlet reports. “Over 50-plus years, Webber participated in, or directed the outfitting of, no fewer than 17 survey expeditions and major shipwreck excavations.”

Webber’s exploits have been detailed in more than 50 books, articles and documentaries, according to the outlet. He is now living in the Dominican Republic.