Oak Island Breakthroughs Accelerate: Underwater Discoveries, Ancient Artifacts, and a Hidden Cavern Raise New Questions
Season 13 of The Curse of Oak Island continues to push the boundaries of what the Lagina brothers thought was possible. But this week’s developments mark a dramatic escalation in the search. From underwater artifacts near the swamp to new breakthroughs at the Garden Shaft—and a mysterious cavern almost 150 feet deep—the island is suddenly revealing more clues than it has in years.
What begins as a routine underwater sweep quickly becomes one of the most important investigative days of the season.
Underwater Search Reveals Hand-Carved Timber and Ancient Pottery
Just north of Oak Island, Alex Lagina and Jack Begley joined diver Tony Sampson and underwater imaging expert Ken DeBor to investigate a location believed to be connected to a possible man-made dam. The theory stems from the late surveyor Fred Nolan’s decades-old belief that a structure once existed along this shoreline—a belief also supported by markings on researcher Zena Halpern’s controversial map.
With water depths ranging from 7 to 25 feet, the team suspected the area may once have been dry land, making it a potential site for early construction. As Tony descended, Ken deployed a tethered ROV equipped with a high-definition camera to monitor the seafloor.
Within minutes, Tony made a promising discovery: hand-carved wood, buried but unmistakably shaped. The team immediately connected this to theories of an ancient dam built to manipulate water flow and help create the swamp centuries ago.
Moments later, Tony surfaced another shock: blue-patterned pottery, lying among rocks on the seafloor. The style appeared similar to pottery recently found on Lot 5—artifacts believed to date back to as early as the 17th century.
If the same material is turning up underwater, it suggests something extraordinary: either a ship spilled cargo here, a structure collapsed into the water, or someone deliberately deposited items centuries ago.
But the biggest find was still ahead.
A Suspicious Coin-Shaped Artifact Appears Underwater
While scanning near a boulder, Tony detected a metallic disc—possibly a coin—complete with a hole in the center. He could not retrieve it due to provincial regulations, but the shape immediately caught attention.
“That’s incredible,” Jack said as Tony described it. “We’ve found something like that before.”
He was right. In 2020, Jack and Gary Drayton unearthed a Chinese coin dating back more than 1,000 years on Lot 15. It had the same distinctive square hole.
Could Tony’s underwater find be from the same origin?
If so, Chinese coinage appearing both on land and underwater would represent one of the most puzzling and potentially groundbreaking clues ever found on Oak Island.
Tony’s dive ended with excitement bordering on disbelief. The area, now showing a concentration of artifacts, could qualify for a special permit that would allow full recovery and analysis.
The Garden Shaft: A Hidden Tunnel Inches Away
While the dive team buzzed with discoveries, Rick and Marty moved to another critical operation: the ongoing refurbishment of the Garden Shaft. Recent drilling indicated a 7-foot-high tunnel from the 17th century may lie just below the current depth.
But before they can reach it, a new obstacle has emerged: significant water infiltration around Set 16.
Representatives from Dumas Contracting have been lowering the 87-foot-deep shaft toward their target, aiming for roughly 100 feet. To solve the water problem, crews prepared to inject specialized expanding urethane to seal the intrusion without undermining the structural integrity of the shaft.
Inside the shaft, Rick and Marty saw what few have ever witnessed—freshly exposed soil untouched by any human being for centuries. Beneath them lies a tunnel not mentioned in any historical records, its purpose still a mystery.
When the tunnel is reached, Dumas will deploy probe drilling capable of scanning 40 feet in every direction, searching for gold, silver, and man-made objects detected in groundwater samples last season.
The brothers believe they are extremely close.
Aladdin’s Cave: A Massive Cavern Reveals Its First Secret
Less than 100 feet away, another team prepared to examine borehole KL14.5—believed to intersect directly with a massive underground cavity known as Aladdin’s Cave.
As geologist Terry Matheson and archaeologist Moya MacDonald supervised, the team lowered a high-definition camera through the borehole. Moments later, the cavern began to take shape on screen.
What they saw shocked them.
Silt drifted across a huge open void—far larger than any underground space they’ve previously encountered. And then, something remarkable: an object resembling a square-headed bolt, a potential sign of human activity.
“We need a miniature Gary to metal detect down there,” Marty joked, but the tone was unmistakably serious. If confirmed, this bolt-like object would represent the first man-made evidence inside the vast chamber.
Unable to see through the swirling sediment, the team agreed: the only way to understand the space is through full sonar mapping. That operation will happen within days.
Marty summed up the stakes clearly:
“This is potentially a treasure location.”
A Diver Descends into the C1 Shaft Searching for the Gold Object
As daylight faded, one more investigation unfolded—this time in the notorious C1 shaft. Diver Mike Huntley descended more than 170 feet armed with a metal detector to locate a mysterious gold-colored object captured on camera last year.
Almost immediately, the detector began to scream.
“That’s a game changer,” Rick said. “There should be no metal in a natural solution cavity.”
Mike reached the wall of the void and felt something smooth, heavy, and immovable—possibly the same object recorded previously.
Its nature remains unknown, but its presence has electrified the team.
Rick’s voice crackled over the radio:
“You’ve got everyone’s attention right now.”
A Season Reaching Its Boiling Point
Underwater artifacts. Ancient pottery. A potential Chinese coin. A man-made tunnel. A massive cavern hiding metal deep below the island.
Each clue is significant on its own. Together, they point toward a deeper, older, and more deliberate presence on Oak Island than ever documented.
The team is closer than they’ve ever been to answers—and the island, as always, is pushing back.