The Spaniards owe the discovery of Florida to the boredom of Juan Ponce de León, governor of San Juan (currently Puerto Rico) The quiet and monotonous colonial life did not satisfy this noble man so he decided to abandon his position to try adventure. Due to his knowledge and experience, in 1512 he made an agreement with the Spanish colony, which authorized him to explore and colonize new territories. He set off from the island in 1513. Nobody knows how long he stayed out at sea for, but he succeeded in reaching the beaches he had long heard of.

The first place where they landed was the current Cape Canaveral. The landing took place during Easter, so he decided to call these lands Florida Easter. Next, he went South, sailing along the coast and the keys. Disturbing events must have occurred during this journey, since he named the long and narrow chain of keys as “The Martyrs”, a name full of terror and torment. In fact, many ships, including the famous Spanish fleet “Tierra Firme”, have crashed onto its coasts due to hurricanes, sinking forever into the depths.

To recover the treasures lost on these deep waters, the Spaniards hired diving experts – pearl seekers from Margarita island. Thanks to these men, who could dive 30 meters (100 ft) down the Spaniards recovered part of their lost treasures.