Josh Gates Uncovers Legendary Pirate Treasure Off Cornwall Coast—The Lost Loot of Captain Avery Emerges After CenturiesJosh Gates’ 2025 expedition off the Cornish coast uncovered a long-lost treasure of Captain Henry Avery, providing tangible evidence of the pirate’s legendary hoard, revealing centuries-old secrets of maritime history, and sparking awe and excitement as the discovery reshapes our understanding of one of the greatest heists in history.

In a discovery that has sent shockwaves through the treasure-hunting and historical communities alike, Josh Gates, host of Expedition Unknown, has unearthed a trove of pirate treasure off the rugged Cornish coast in England, shedding new light on the long-mysterious fate of Captain Henry Avery, one of history’s most elusive and infamous pirates.

The find, made during a daring underwater expedition in late September 2025, marks the first significant breakthrough in centuries of speculation surrounding Avery’s legendary disappearance following the infamous 1696 Ganj-i-Sawai heist in India, widely considered the single most audacious maritime robbery of the early modern era.

Gates and his team spent months preparing for the expedition, analyzing historical shipping logs, pirate maps, and accounts from British East India Company records that had never before been cross-referenced with modern technology.

Using a combination of sonar scanning, deep-water submersibles, and advanced 3D mapping, the team identified a series of anomalies near a previously overlooked stretch of the Cornish seabed.

“We saw shapes that didn’t make sense as natural formations,” Gates explained in an exclusive interview aboard his research vessel.

“At first, we thought it might be debris from wrecked cargo ships, but as we drew closer, the arrangement, the scale, and the craftsmanship told us we were looking at something extraordinary.”

The expedition, which commenced on September 12, 2025, faced immediate challenges.

Rough seas and strong currents off the Cornish coast made precise navigation difficult, and underwater visibility was limited due to centuries of sediment accumulation.

Divers were only able to make short excursions at a time, each revealing fragments of chests, intricate carvings, and metallic objects that bore unmistakable signs of 17th-century craftsmanship.

Among the artifacts recovered were several gold coins stamped with British East India Company insignias, silver ingots, and fragments of ornate jewelry, each confirming the connection to Avery’s infamous raid.

Gates described one particularly tense moment when a rusted chest, encrusted with barnacles, finally yielded its contents.

“We knew we were on the right track, but seeing the first gold coins emerge from that chest was surreal.

You realize that these pieces of metal have been sitting untouched for more than 300 years, silent witnesses to history.

” The find was so substantial that the team immediately contacted the Cornwall Maritime Heritage authorities to ensure proper cataloging and preservation.

Officials confirmed that the artifacts will be transported to a secure facility for detailed conservation work, with several pieces slated for eventual display in a new historical exhibition dedicated to maritime piracy in the Atlantic.

While Avery’s disappearance has been the subject of centuries of myth and legend, this discovery offers the first tangible evidence of where his treasure may have truly ended up.

Historians are now revisiting theories that Avery did not flee to Madagascar or the Caribbean, as popular lore suggests, but may have hidden portions of his loot along the British coast to finance clandestine operations or escape capture.

“The strategic placement of these chests indicates Avery was thinking ahead,” said Dr.

Eleanor Whitcombe, a maritime historian consulted on the expedition.

“This was not merely plunder—it was a calculated, methodical hiding of wealth to ensure it would survive beyond his lifetime.”

Gates’ discovery also reignites interest in the social and economic impact of Avery’s raids.

The 1696 heist had destabilized trade in India, caused diplomatic crises between England and the Mughal Empire, and inspired dozens of imitators in the piracy community.

The recovered treasure offers insight not only into the wealth involved but also into the logistics of transporting and concealing such immense value during the era of sail-powered vessels and colonial trade networks.

Fans of Expedition Unknown followed the expedition in real time via Gates’ social media updates, where he posted photos of divers at work, sonar images of submerged chests, and video footage of recovered coins glinting under artificial lights.

Social media exploded with speculation: Had Gates found the entirety of Avery’s legendary hoard, or just a fragment of a network of caches rumored to be scattered across European coasts? Gates remained tantalizingly vague.

“We’ve made a discovery that changes the narrative about Avery forever,” he said, “but there’s still much more out there, waiting.”

The expedition, which concluded on October 2, 2025, has cemented Josh Gates’ reputation as one of the most daring and methodical modern treasure hunters, blending cutting-edge technology with historical detective work.

Scholars, maritime enthusiasts, and treasure hunters worldwide are now eagerly awaiting the official cataloging of the artifacts, which promises to shed light on one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of piracy.

This unprecedented discovery off Cornwall may finally provide historians and adventurers alike with answers to questions that have persisted for more than three centuries, proving that even the most legendary pirate tales may hide real-world treasures waiting to be uncovered.