Mayaguana, one of the more remote islands in the Bahamas, holds a quiet but intriguing connection to the Golden Age of Piracy. Its strategic location along shipping routes (Mayaguana Passage in the Windward Gap) made it a natural haven for pirates and smugglers seeking to evade authorities or lie low. The island’s extensive reefs, secluded coves, and minimal population offered both concealment and opportunity. The very name “Pirates Well,” a small settlement on the island, hints at this swashbuckling past and the island’s use as a provisioning or watering stop for pirate crews. 

The abundance of shipwrecks near Mayaguana is largely due to its treacherous coral reefs and shallow waters, which stretch far offshore and were poorly charted in centuries past. These reefs claimed many European galleons, merchant vessels, and yes—pirate ships—especially those navigating between Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos, and the southeastern Bahamas. Some pirates may have even intentionally wrecked ships to offload stolen cargo covertly. The absence of lighthouses and accurate maritime maps only increased the peril of this stretch of sea, contributing to the graveyard of vessels now resting beneath its waters.

Perhaps the most captivating legend surrounding Mayaguana is the discovery of a sunken treasure believed to be linked to Spanish galleons or pirate loot. Divers and marine archaeologists have recovered silver coins, cannons, and artifacts from wrecks off the island’s coast.