Trail of the Pirates: Biscayne Bay

Trail of the Pirates is a travel series exploring maritime history, culture and lore between Key West and St. Augustine on the east coast of Florida.

Back in October, I attended a lecture at the History Miami museum about Black Caesar, one of South Florida's legendary pirates. Nathan Samuels, a graduate student in Science Education and an Educator at the museum, told us all about this pirate who was renown for his fierceness, size and strength. Here's a summary of what I've learned from Samuels and others on my journey.

Yes, right here in our own Miami backyard, we have pirate lore that's worth a bundle. If you've ever gone boating in Biscayne National Park and navigated through Caesar's Creek, you know its namesake. The creek is a channel that provides access to the ocean and separates Elliott Key from Old Rhodes Key. The entire upper keys system of barrier islands forms a boundary around Biscayne Bay.

Caesar's Rock, a small island between the two keys, was supposedly one of Black Caesar's local lairs. Legend has it that he'd anchor on exposed stiff limestone, partially capsize the ship with water pumps, lower the mast and use camouflage -- all to avoid detection. Black Caesar and his crew would then lie in wait to ambush ships seeking refuge in the bay's calm waters. This could explain accounts of pirate ships "appearing out of nowhere" and why it was practical for pirates to have smaller and faster ships.

An aerial view of the area.

Legend also has it that he buried treasure on Elliott Key, but none has ever been found (or at least none has ever been officially reported). The idea of burying treasure is more of a pop culture notion than a practical reality. Seafaring life was dangerous, disease was rife and life expectancy was low. Saving your loot was pointless when each day could literally be your last.

Why do I keep saying "legend has it" and "supposedly"? Because Black Caesar may be more myth than fact. He could've been an African prince or tribal chieftain who escaped from Spanish slavers; other accounts speak of a mulatto slave who escaped from a Haitian plantation circa late 1700s. It's also possible that there were two -- if an earlier one inspired fear, a later one could adopt the same name. PR spin was important for pirates and just like celebrities today, they took advantage of reputation.

In a world where black skin meant a life of slavery, piracy was a real option of freedom. Pirate societies adopted principles of equality and democracy, which were even appealing to sailors under contract with a country's armed forces. A sailor's life was often difficult at best and hardly rewarding in terms of pay. Some sailors even deserted their commissions after they'd compare notes with pirates. Naval captains could be sadistic and draconian, whereas pirate captains were accountable to their crews.

So think about it: if you were black, which would you choose: a life of brutal slavery or the free life and camaraderie of piracy? I think the answer is obvious. And there were, in fact, many black pirates, according to Samuels. Ditto for sailors. Why put up with a jerk boss and crappy low-paying job when you could be a pirate?

Pirates had certain advantages over regular sailing operations. Because they would take navigational risks and lurk in uncharted waters, pirates could draw maps that were often more accurate than those drawn by official cartographers. Although sailors used celestial navigation techniques, it is a wonder anyone got around on water in a world without satellite imaging, depth finders and GPS.

The boardwalk at Biscayne National Park in Homestead. Most of the park is actually water and some of it may have been the site of Black Caesar's pirate domain. You don't need a boat to enjoy the boardwalk or the visitor's center at the park; it's well worth a visit.

Caesar's Creek with modern-day channel markers. Photo courtesy of Park Vision. Visit the link for some additional great photos of the area.

What ever happened to Black Caesar? No one is really sure. Depending on which Black Caesar you're talking about, he might've joined infamous Blackbeard's crew only to be caught, tried and hung to death in Williamsburg, Virginia. He may have also joined Jose Gaspar, another legendary pirate from the west coast of Florida, whose existence is also doubtful.

But the idea that pirates may have navigated Biscayne Bay is most likely true and hardly far-fetched. Florida's east coast was like the I-95 the Spanish Main. Every cargo vessel on its way back from the New World had to pass through the Florida Straits in order to take advantage of the Gulf Stream, the strong current that flows up the east coast on its way to Europe. It was practically a traffic jam out there and there are hundreds of shipwrecks along the coast to prove it.

So the next time you're on the water, or simply looking at it from any vantage point between Miami and the Keys, think about Black Caesar and all that might've happened out on Biscayne Bay. Even if he didn't exist, he's one of Miami's best legends.

INTERVIEWS

On my way up from Key West to Fort Lauderdale, I stopped at Biscayne Bay National Park and since I wasn't able to squeeze in an interview with Nathan on the same day, I cheated a little and met up with him at History Miami a few days prior to my trip. The two-part interview is about ten minutes long in total; if you're interested in pirate history, take time to check it out. The affable Nathan has much information to share!

If you haven't already done so, visit the permanent exhibit upstairs at History Miami. You'll find not only a section devoted to pirates, but also a whole range of information about South Florida from prehistory to the present day.

Interview with Nathan Samuels at Miami History Museum, Part 1





Interview with Nathan Samuels at Miami History Museum, Part 2



RANDOM FUN STUFF

Coming soon to Miami: an underwater Maritime Heritage Trail at Biscayne National Park, where you'll be able to explore six wrecks -- spanning nearly a century -- by snorkel or scuba.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to Annie's Costumes, Visit Florida, The Pirate Republic Seafood Grill & Bar and Hyatt Pier 66 for supporting the Key West to Fort Lauderdale leg of the trip.

Trail of the Pirates: Key West

Trail of the Pirates is a travel series exploring maritime history, culture and lore between Key West and St. Augustine on the east coast of Florida.

The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is a must-see for any Key West visitor.

My journey following the trail of pirates began on the island of Key West, the southernmost point in the continental U.S. at the tip of Florida. What brought me here was the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, which isn't exactly devoted to pirates, but that which pirates sought -- Spanish ships loaded with gold, silver, emeralds, pearls and other treasures from the New World that passed through Florida straits on their way to Spain.

In 1622, a Spanish fleet of galleons shipwrecked relatively near the Florida Keys because of a hurricane. One of the ships, the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, held incredible treasure. Mel Fisher, Florida's most famous treasure hunter, began looking for the Atocha in 1969; he found three silver bars in 1973 and struck the motherlode by 1985.

Today, you can see artifacts from the Atocha and her sister ship, the Santa Margarita, at the museum. These include not only jewels and coins, but also cannons, anchors, navigational tools and even everyday objects such as pewter plates and cups.

A canon and weaponry inside the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum.

Is it any wonder why pirates would lust for treasure? Take a look at what was on board the Atocha:

For the 1622 return voyage, Atocha was loaded with a cargo that is, today, almost beyond belief -- 24 tons of silver bullion in 1038 ingots, 180,000 pesos of silver coins, 582 copper ingots, 125 gold bars and discs, 350 chests of indigo, 525 bales of tobacco, 20 bronze cannon and 1,200 pounds of worked silverware! To this can be added items being smuggled to avoid taxation, and unregistered jewelry and personal goods; all creating a treasure that could surely rival any other ever amassed.

In today's popular culture, we tend to think of pirates as fearless attackers, chasing galleons in the high seas. But pirates were also practical. They weren't interested in killing people. In fact, they'd raise the Jolly Roger flag in hopes that the captain would surrender the booty. And when they weren't sailing, they'd lie quietly waiting to ambush ships seeking safe refuge from storms in a harbor or inlet. Easier yet: they'd simply perform their own "salvage" operations on a shipwreck. It's hard to imagine, but back in the day, even before GPS and satellite phones, word would get around quite quickly when ships would wreck. Pirates were tuned in to that grapevine.

Although we have no proof that pirates plundered the 1622 fleet, keep that in mind as you tour museum. We know for certain such pirate activity happened further north on the east coast of Florida ... more on that later.

I had a chance to interview Corey Malcom, chief archeologist at the museum about the finds. Corey gave me a private tour of the lab upstairs; they are still cleaning up objects from wrecks. The process is painstaking.



The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is a non-profit organization devoted to conservation of underwater archeological artifacts and public education. Mel Fisher's salvage company did donate many of the items on exhibit, but technically, it's a separate business entity. However, there's a Mel Fisher Treasure Store in the museum where you can buy beautiful coin pendants from the Atocha if you have a few thousand to spare. More affordable reproductions, made from the wreck's silver, are also available.

Wear a piece of history. Three grand and change will get you this pendant; it's less without the setting.

I also interviewed Mel Fisher's daughter, Taffi Fisher-Abt, on my Indian River County leg of the journey. More to come!

RANDOM FUN STUFF

Pirates and BBQ pork go hand in hand at this charming, rustic eatery.

If you go to Key West, stop at Porky's Bayside BBQ in Marathon. Not only is the BBQ delicious (try the North Carolina hot pepper pulled pork), but also the restaurant is filled with pirate-themed decor. Rocketman, a musician who "always wanted to be a pirate," plays at Porky's and Captain Pip's regularly every week. A source told me he claims to be Katy Perry's uncle.

Key West is home to a pirate festival each year. Check out Pirates in Paradise.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to Annie's Costumes, the beautiful Westin Key West Resort, as well as the great folks at Florida Keys and Key West and Visit Florida, for supporting this portion of the trip.