Is there still hidden treasure for you to find? There are many stories about secret pirate maps to hidden treasure on deserted islands. But there is not much chance that a pirate map could still be around for you to find. And there are few deserted islands now. People live on the islands which were once secret hiding places for pirates. If there was any pirate treasure dont you think people would have found it long ago? But you can still find hidden treasure, and one of the places you can find it is in the caribbean, underneath the sea. Long ago, when Spanish first arrived in the caribbean, they were hoping to discover gold. They did not find it in the islands of the caribbean, but they found it in other countries like Mexico. Large Spanish ships used to leave Mexico loaded with treasure chests of gold and silver and fabulous jewels, such as rubies and emeralds. Those treasure ships were going to Spain and they had to sail through the caribbean sea. There, the pirates were waiting for them. They used to attack the heavily loaded Spanish treasure ships and try to get the gold and silver. Sometimes in the fighting, the big, heavy Spanish ships used to catch fire and sink before the pirates could take off the treasure. So the ships would sink to the bottom of the sea with all their chests of gold and silver and jewels. Sometimes terrible storms at sea blew both the spanish ships and pirate ships carrying treasure onto the reefs where they were wrecked. You can find the wrecks of these ships in many places in the caribbean sea. Most treasure hunters try to find an old map which shows them where the treasure ships used to sail. Then they look along reefs. When they think they know where a wreck is they dive deep down into the sea trying to find it. Few people have ever found the gold and silver and jewels from the treasure ships. But those few who have found a wreck of an old treasure ship are rich beyond their dreams. So, the treasure hunters are still searching! They know the wrecks are there and so they know there is still a good chance of finding treasure chests of gold and silver and fabulous rubies and emeralds, hidden beneath the sand at the bottom of the caribbean sea.