Piracy Tourism in the Caribbean
Several island countries in the Caribbean have found a way to exploit their history to create tourism that is centered on piracy.
These islands include:
- the Bahamas
- Jamaica
- Saint Lucia
- Cuba
- and many others.
A Google Earth project created by me showing several famous and confirmed pirate coves in the Caribbean. Why might these locations have been advantageous for the pirates that chose to set up a hideout here?
Pirate shipwrecks are also very common in the Caribbean. The pirate ship, The Queen Anne's Revenge (ship of the infamous Blackbeard), was believed to be found in 1996, off the Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. While not located in the region of the Caribbean, this ship played one of the most notable roles as a pirate vessel, so it would be a crime to not include it.
A pirate wreckage that is found in the Caribbean is the Spanish San Jose galleon. The ship was located off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia in 2015, with a salvage operation starting in 2017. The ship had an estimated worth of 17 billion USD in sunken treasure, making it one of the most expensive shipwrecks found yet. The reason this classifies as tourism is that, as an archaeological site is found, many amateur archaeologists will come to the region in an attempt to find their own find. Paired with the superb diving capabilities in the Caribbean, many will continue to find their own sunken treasure.
Lastly there is also a great amount of mystery regarding famous pirate vessels. The famous ship named the Fancy, belonging to pirate Henry Every. The mystery is that after Every's retirement, any and all records of the ship's location has been lost. Could it be somewhere at the bottom of the Caribbean, waiting for another great archaeological find? These questions and hopes for modern day people are fueled by this narrative of adventure we were fed as children, perpetually creating a unresting desire for glory and wealth like those of the Golden Age of Piracy.
Once again discussing the infamous Blackbeard, one of the most popular tourism attractions is the prospect to find his lost treasure hoard. Before Blackbeard's death in late 1718, he claimed to have hidden his accumulated loot somewhere, but has never actually been found. Due to the pirate's well-known status, it is speculated to be worth an incredible amount. Having not been found with the wreckage of The Queen Anne's Revenge, the treasure hoard continues to elude many of its seekers. The range of the treasure is believed between Virginia's Chesapeake Bay to the Caribbean and Cayman Islands.
Lastly in regards to pirate related tourism, there are great amounts of museums and pirate themed attractions in the region over the topic.
The Pirates of Nassau is an interactive experience that both educates and provides entertainment. The museum has exhibits of women pirates, Blackbeard, maroonings, shanty towns, the end of the Golden Age of Piracy, pirate flags, and Woods Rogers.
Another museum in the Caribbean is the U.S. Virgin Island's Pirates Treasure museum. This museum is also interactive, with exhibits focusing on extreme weather, famous shipwrecks around the world, shipwrecks of the Virgin Islands, deep sea technology used by archaeologists, and pirate artfifacts.