The Legend of the Golden Anchor

The story of the Golden Anchor was discovered by accident one day early this spring, during the excavation for Smith Diving's new 750,000 gallon indoor artificial reef. One of the workers unearthed a very old wooden box. Inside this box, sealed in oilskin, was a journal describing the life and travels of the hated pirate "Scaley" Pete D'Ermis. Pete was a pirate who sailed the waters off the East Coast of North America in the early eighteenth century. D'Ermis and his band of cut-throats boarded and sacked more than a dozen ships before disappearing one spring into the fog of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Neither Captain nor crew was ever seen on the high seas again. With a cargo hold filled with gold and priceless jewels, Pete and his crew sailed into the St. Lawrence which, through a combination of good luck and a series of wrong turns, led them eventually to a strange land. A land that would later be known as Minnesota. By the time they arrived here most of Pete's treasure had been lost in a great storm, or had been traded with natives for the pirates' survival. Pete's journal has led us to the conclusion that one piece of his treasure has survived: A 20 lb. Golden Anchor! This anchor lies on the bottom of one of Minnesota's lakes. It is your job to locate this Anchor and bring it up from the depths where it has lain so long. Through exhaustive research, Smith Diving has uncovered a number of clues to help you in your search. One clue is posted at Smith Diving each Wednesday afternoon until the Anchor is found.

With the Minnesota Manatees finding the anchor 2 out of the 1st three years, we have layed low the last few years!

1st Annual Hunt: Manatee divers located the treasured Golden Anchor August 31, 1999 on Lake McCarron.

3rd Annual Hunt: Minnesota Manatee divers located the treasured Golden Anchor August 8, 2001 on Forest Lake.