The Curse of Oak Island facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Curse of Oak Island |
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| Genre | Reality |
| Created by | Kevin Burns |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 11 |
| No. of episodes | 181 (list of episodes) |
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| Camera setup | Multiple |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Prometheus Entertainment |
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| Original network | History |
| Original release | January 5, 2014 – present |
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The Curse of Oak Island is a TV show that follows a team of treasure hunters. They are searching for a legendary treasure on Oak Island, which is off the coast of Nova Scotia. This American TV series explores the famous Oak Island mystery. It shows the team's efforts to find old artifacts and treasure.
The show first aired on the History channel on January 6, 2014. The eleventh season started on November 7, 2023.
Contents
The Oak Island Mystery
The Curse of Oak Island follows two brothers, Marty and Rick Lagina. They are from Kingsford, Michigan. The brothers are trying to find a rumored treasure or historical items on Oak Island. The show talks about the island's history and new discoveries. It also shares different theories and past searches. Some important places on the island include the "money pit" and "Smith's Cove." Other areas are "Nolan's Cross" and the "Swamp."
What They've Found
No big treasure has been found yet. However, some coins and artifacts have been dug up over the years. These were found in and around the "money pit."
Here are some notable items found:
- A Spanish copper coin from the 1600s.
- A Roman sword (still being checked to see if it's real).
- A manuscript that might be from the 1100s.
- A small piece of material that could be from an old book.
- A piece of sheepskin parchment with markings that look like medieval writing.
- A human bone fragment from someone with Middle Eastern family history.
- A lead cross with a square hole, made between 1200 and the 1600s.
- A rhodolite garnet brooch that is 400-500 years old.
- A metal hinge and a metal panel.
- Ring bolts and Ox-shoes.
- A Roman ship wreck (still being checked) just off Oak Island.
- A carved stone slab, similar to others found on the island.
Some people think the show is not real. Others believe that if there was treasure, it might have been taken already.
The Oak Island Team
The show features a core group of people. This includes Rick and Marty Lagina, and their family members. Experts are also brought in to help with the search.
Main Team Members
- Rick Lagina: He is Marty's brother and a retired postal worker. Rick is the main person pushing the search forward. He became interested in the mystery after reading an article about Oak Island in 1965. He and Marty bought most of Oak Island in 2006.
- Marty Lagina: Rick's younger brother. He helps pay for a lot of the project. Marty owns a vineyard in his hometown.
- Dan Blankenship (Seasons 1–6): He searched for treasure on Oak Island for almost 50 years. Dan drilled the deep shaft called 10–X. He passed away in 2019 at age 95.
- Dave Blankenship: Dan Blankenship's son. He has been helping his father on the island since the 1970s. Dave is one of the few people who live on Oak Island all the time.
- Craig Tester: Marty Lagina's business partner and an engineer.
- Jack Begley: Craig Tester's stepson. Jack often does the tough jobs, like digging and searching through dirt.
- Alex Lagina: Marty's son and a trained diver.
- Dan Henskee: One of the few treasure hunters who have been searching the island for many decades.
- Charles Barkhouse: An expert on Oak Island's history. He also gives tours of the island.
- Peter Fornetti: Rick and Marty's nephew.
- David Fornetti: Rick and Marty's nephew, who became a regular in season 8.
- Paul Troutman (Season 2–): A researcher whose father worked on the island in the 1960s.
- Drake Tester (Season 2–4): Craig Tester's son. Drake passed away in March 2017.
- Fred Nolan (Season 3): A land surveyor who first came to Oak Island in 1958. He owned land and searched for treasure until he died in 2016.
- Doug Crowell (Season 4–): A researcher who helps the team.
- Billy Gerhardt (Season 4–): A heavy equipment operator. He does most of the big digging on the island.
- Terry Matheson (Season 5–): A local geologist who checks rocks and soil from the island.
- Laird Niven (Season 5–): A local archaeologist. He joined the team to make sure archaeological rules are followed.
- Gary Drayton (Team member Season 5–): An expert at using metal detectors. He helps find metal items on the island.
- Steve Guptill (Season 6–): A local surveyor. He helps find exact locations for digging.
- Tom Nolan (Season 7): Fred Nolan's son. He helps the team with their search.
- Scott Barlow (Season 7): The project manager for Oak Island Tours Inc.
Other Experts Who Help
Many other people visit the island to share their knowledge. They help the team with specific tasks.
- Tony Sampson: A local diver who helps explore the waters around Oak Island.
- Dr. Christa Brosseau: A chemist from Saint Mary's University. She analyzes artifacts found on the island.
- Mike Huntley: A local diver who has explored some of the deep holes.
- Zena Halpern (Seasons 4–5): A researcher who shared old maps and theories about the Knights Templar being involved. When she passed away, she left her research to Rick Lagina.
- Andrew Folkins: The project manager for Irving Equipment at the money pit.
- Vanessa Lucido: The CEO of ROC Equipment, a company that helps with drilling.
- Mike Jardine: A piling superintendent from Irving Equipment.
- Danny Smith: A member of the ROC Equipment crew who supervises drilling.
- Alex Gauthier: A representative from Eagle Canada, a company that does seismic testing.
- Brennan McMahon: A representative from Choice Drilling, a company that uses special drilling methods.
- Carmen Legge: A blacksmith who checks old iron items found on the island.
- Dr. Ian Spooner: A professor who studies Earth and environmental science. He helps research the swamp area.
- Helen Sheldon (Season 9–): An archaeologist who helps with artifact research and digs.
Special Visitors
Some people with a strong connection to Oak Island have also visited the team.
- Lee Lamb (Seasons 1, 4–5): The daughter of Robert Restall, a treasure hunter who died in an accident on the island in 1965.
- Andrew Demont (Season 1): The only person who survived the accident that killed Robert Restall and three others.
- David MacDonald (Season 3): The author who wrote the 1965 Reader's Digest story. This story first made the Lagina brothers and Dan Blankenship interested in Oak Island.
- Joan, Jean, and Joyce McGinnis (Seasons 3–4): Three sisters who are related to Daniel McGinnis. He was the first person to find the money pit. They showed the team a small cross they believe is from the original Oak Island treasure.
- Randall Sullivan (Seasons 4, 6): An author and journalist who wrote a book about the Oak Island treasure hunt. He helps the team with research and shares his theories.
- Rick Restall (Season 5): The son of Robert Restall and brother of Lee Lamb.
How the Show Started
The Lagina brothers became very interested in Oak Island after reading a magazine article in 1965. The article was about the Restall family's work to explore the "money pit." Marty and Rick later bought most of the island through their company, Oak Island Tours.
Then, a TV production company called Prometheus Entertainment asked them to make a reality show. Rick and Marty also got help from Dan and Dave Blankenship. They are a father and son who live on the island and have been searching for treasure since the 1960s.
Theories About the Treasure
The show explores many different ideas about what could be on Oak Island. These ideas come from independent researchers.
- Some believe there is North African gold, based on old maps.
- Others think ancient sailors visited the island.
- One theory suggests codes are hidden in Shakespearean literature. This could point to a secret project by Sir Francis Bacon and the Rosicrucians.
- Another idea is that the 90-foot stone is a secret code. It might tell how to stop the flood tunnels in the money pit using corn.
- Authors have suggested that the fabled Knights Templar treasure is on the island. They think historical religious items might have been moved there.
- It has also been suggested that the island holds treasures from the Aztec Empire.
Watching the Show
You can watch The Curse of Oak Island on the History channel. You can also stream it on the History channel's website. The show's eighth and ninth seasons are also available on Discovery+.
Other Shows About Oak Island
The success of The Curse of Oak Island led to other related shows.
The Curse of Oak Island: Drilling Down
This show started in 2015. It's a talk show where the host, Matty Blake, and the Lagina brothers discuss past episodes. They also talk about the future of the treasure hunt. Guests share their research and experiences.
The Curse of Civil War Gold
This spin-off series started in 2018. In this show, Marty Lagina and his son Alex Lagina search for Confederate gold. This gold disappeared during the American Civil War.
Behind the Dig
This series started in 2018. It shows behind-the-scenes footage of the treasure hunt. Matty Blake, the Lagina brothers, and the team explain how they make their discoveries.
The Curse of Oak Island: Digging Deeper
These extended episodes started in 2019. They show unseen footage from the main series. They also share more information about the island's discoveries.
Beyond Oak Island
This show started in 2020. It explores treasure hunts from all over the world. Matty Blake and the Lagina brothers discuss past and present searches. Sometimes, they even travel to the sites themselves. The show finished after three seasons in January 2023.
Other Media
Video Games
A puzzle game called The Mystery of Oak Island is being developed. It was announced in 2015.
Books
Journalist and author Randall Sullivan wrote a book about the island. It's called The Curse of Oak Island: The Story of the World's Longest Treasure Hunt. The book tells the long history of treasure hunters on Oak Island. It covers their successes and challenges. The book was first published in 2018.
