Tonight, explorer Darrell Miklos’s hard work pays off on the finale of Cooper’s Treasure — when he discovers a historical anchor believed to be from Christopher Columbus’s era.
The find is his biggest discovery of the series after he traced it using maps and charts drawn by the late astronaut Gordon Cooper from space.
Miklos believes that that same information holds the key to potentially billions in unclaimed sunken treasure.
The spot where he finds it is part of the so-called Columbus Trail where many Spanish ships — mainly from the late 1400s to the 1600s — met their watery graves.
In the episode Miklos and fellow diver Eric Schmitt are filmed underwater off the Turks and Caicos islands circling in on an area which their magnetometer signals contains metal.
Watch our exclusive clip below showing the moment of discovery when the pair circle in on the huge perfectly preserved period anchor from Columbus’s time.
In a voiceover before the dive, Miklos says: “This could be the game-changer that we’ve been looking for.”
Once diving, Schmitt and Miklos are pulled down towards the potential site by a weight-belt thrown overboard by their captain.
Underwater, Darrell cautions Eric: “You just follow me, okay?”
Looking around in the shallow seabed, he adds: “I’m not really seeing anything.”
Then suddenly, Darrell says: “Is that what I think it is? Do you see what I see?”
Whooping, and screams of joy and ecstatic glee are then heard by his captain over the radio.
And there she lies, a beautiful period anchor.
“Just absolutely stunning,” screams Darrell. The 12-foot anchor is fully intact and laid down like it was waiting for the men to find it.
Eric notes that the perfectly preserved head of the anchor will make time-stamping it much easier.
It goes without saying the pair are beyond overjoyed at the magnitude of their discovery.
Miklos knows that with the anchor there, more of the downed ship will likely be in the vicinity.
The find validates all the naysayers and people who dismissed Miklos’s gift of maps from Cooper, and his dreams of finding treasure, as wishful thinking.
The show has been an addictive ride. Hopefully, with the discovery of something this historically relevant it means a Season 2 of Cooper’s Treasure is in the works!
The Cooper’s Treasure season finale airs tonight at 10/9c on Discovery.