The Curse of Oak Island: The team explores whole new areas of the island

he Curse of Oak Island always mixes disappointment and hope into a murky soup of emotions, and this week was no different.

The third shaft (DH82) at the Money Pit ended in failure at a depth of 150 feet, where it met the same fate as the previous two shafts by hitting bedrock. All is not yet completely lost; the team has one more shaft to drill before the end of the season

But with yet more disappointment at the Money Pit, the team has, understandably, started increasingly switching their focus from that area in an effort to find artifacts and treasure elsewhere.

Oak Island team begins looking offshore and on Lot 8

The guys are pinning a lot of hope on the promising data uncovered by CSR Geo Surveys Ltd on Lot 8 and off the coast. The underground surveyors used magnetometers to detect metal deposits underground and out at sea.

Last week, the guys took to the high seas and identified two areas where they felt further investigation was needed. This week, they enlisted the help of Marine Archaeologist Lee Spence to assist diver Tony Sampson in exploring areas where they suspect there is a shipwreck.

The two divers hit the water with handheld magnetometers, and they were soon getting hits for metal. Unfortunately, they couldn’t see anything on the sea bed, concluding that the object was obscured by silt and kelp. Frustratingly, the guys will not be granted a permit to excavate if they can’t lay eyes on something of potential interest; the magnetometer readings are not enough.

But the good news is that Lee Spence, who has over 50 years of experience in finding shipwrecks, reckons there are two shipwrecks buried down there and that the team should investigate further. The plan is to wait until late winter/ early spring when the waters are clearer, and it’ll be easier to spot something.

The guys also took a ground-penetrating radar device to further explore Lot 8. This area has been continually uninhabited and is a largely unknown quantity, but the CSR crew recently detected a large iron deposit below the surface. And last night, the guys thought they might have found an actual shaft.

The radar picked up two unusual readings at 5 feet and at about 20 feet under the ground. The size and shape of the deeper anomaly appeared to indicate there may be a shaft. Once again, the guys will need a permit to dig, but with their determination, they’re bound to find a way.

Oak Island team chose a new spot to dig

Meanwhile, back at the Money Pit, Craig Tester had an idea of where to put the fourth and final shaft. This time they’re moving to the east and will follow in the footsteps of Erwin Hamilton, who dug a 170-foot shaft in 1940. At the time, Hamilton hit a tunnel, but thinking it was probably just a booby trap, he ignored it; Craig believes it may have been a secret chamber.

The team has previously found traces of concrete from the same area, and the Chappell Vault is thought to be encased in concrete, so the guys reckon it’s worth a dig. Fingers remain, as always, crossed.

This fourth shaft will be named DMT2 after Craig Tester’s son, Drake Tester, who tragically passed away five years ago.