Castaway Cay

[2] In 1654 the Spanish Galleon Jesus María de la Médica Concepción, also known as El Capitan - as it was the lead vessel in the fleet, sank off the cost of Ecuador.

[3] Silver salvaged from the ship by the Spanish, was taken to Cuba and loaded upon the Nuestra Senora del la Maravilla, but it too sank on January 4, 1656.

[5] In 1846, the Brig Monument of Portland was sailing to Matanzas, carrying a cargo of boards, shooks, and fish, when it "was totally wrecked on Gorda Cay."

[7] On Sunday, August 12, 1928, the SS Munamar owned by Munson Steamship Line, ran aground Gorda Cay and was unable to free itself.

[13] The silver bar was sold by the men to Albert E. Worswick, who then donated it to the Bahamas Development Board, where it was then displayed at the tourist information center.

[15] In October 1953, it was heavily reported that author Harry E. Rieseberg discovered the wreck of El Capitan, off the coast of Gorda Cay.

[17][18] Roscoe Thompson and Howard Lightbourne, doubting the publicity behind Rieseberg's discovery, returned to Gorda Cay in 1956 to continue their search for the lost treasure of Madama do Brasil.

[21] In 1958, a film entitled Treasure of Gorda Cay entered production, with a story written by John Steinbeck,[22] The brain child of producer Kevin McClory, it was to star Burgess Meredith.

[24] On Saturday, November 11, 1961, Captain Julian Harvey of the Bluebelle, took the ships guests, the Duperrault family, to visit Gorda Cay.

[26] The pier and its approaches (a 1,700 foot channel) were constructed to allow Disney ships to dock directly alongside the island, thus removing the need for tenders to get the passengers ashore.

[1] Two submarine-ride vehicles from the now-closed 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage ride at Walt Disney World lie underwater in the snorkeling area.

Disney Fantasy docked at Castaway Cay.