Readers are introduced to subjects like researching of shipwrecks, the pratical aspects of treasure hunting beneath the sea such as survey and search techniques, and identification of shipwrecks by the articles recovered. Over 450 wrecks that sank here between the early 1500s and the end of the 19th century, including the Flor do Mar, are listed and described briefly according to country, in the last chapter. The book explores some of the reasons why the ships sank, and gives account of the treasures that still lie buried in these waters. The reader is also updated about recent discoveries and excavations of shipwrecks in the region. Included is an eyewitness account of the search for the fabulous Flor do Mar, which sank almost five centuries ago laden with the riches of the Malacca sultanate.
Few things capture the imagination as readily as fables of shipwrecks, pirates and buried treasures.
Buccaneers and bandanna-clad swashbucklers recurred in countless childhood dreams while many of us remember our delight at reading Treasure Island and tales of adventure on the high seas of the plundering of gold and jewels deep below them. Tony Wells is a professional diver of 15 years experience who runs a Singapore-based company called Searchmasters which specializes in maritime research and archarologucal services, underwater photography, and hydrographical survey. He has written a fascinating book in Shipwreck and Sunken Treasure in Southeast Asia - one that appeals to the treasure seeker in us all. Wells has finally put the record straight. His passion for wrecks in Southeast Asia and the book details more than 450 of them dating from the 16th century onwards and including the intriguing story of the Flor do Mar or Flower of the Sea.