Captain Kidd's pirate treasure may be hidden at the Shore. Here's where to start looking

It's been over three centuries since one of the world's most infamous treasures went missing.

It has still not been found, but supposedly, it's here at the Jersey Shore.

Captain William Kidd, an English privateer licensed by England's Royal Navy to take down French ships and pirates in the late 17th century, was executed on May 23, 1701, on charges of murder and piracy.

Justin Dapolito, owner of Benthic Visual Solutions, an independent marine environmental consultancy and survey company, said Kidd's execution was a spectacle.

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"Captain Kidd got tricked by the governor of Boston, who said he'd pardon him, but then he shipped him off to London where he was killed" he said. “They hung him twice. The first time the rope broke, so then they hung him [in a cage on display] over the Thames for years, as a deterrent to piracy.”

A once notable socialite in London, New York and the Jersey Shore, where he was married to a wealthy Monmouth County widow, he left behind a legacy of ruin. However, he also left behind a treasure that could be worth millions.

Some of that treasure was found on Gardiner's Island in New York in 1699. It was worth up to $1 million. The rest of it? It's supposedly buried somewhere between Keyport and Brigantine.

"There really is no denying the fact that Captain Kidd was here, along with Black Beard and Captain Morgan as well," said Dapolito, who grew up in the area hearing pirate stories from fellow divers, local fisherman and his family.

He saw artifacts throughout the years, including a local man's gold coin from the 1600s found near Cliffwood Beach. He's even found some treasure and shipwrecks of his own.

"I've already started exploring Treasure Lake [in Cliffwood Beach] with underwater robots," he said, "and now I'll be moving out to more of the bay and creek areas to do the same thing, probably also parts of Sandy Hook."

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Kurtis Roinestad, chairman of the Matawan Borough Historical Society, and Dapolito sometimes host public tours in search of Captain Kidd's treasure.

"In Cliffwood Beach, they're constantly finding items down there, especially after storms," Roinestad said. Things like a 1700s whale oil lamp, musket balls, Victorian era plates and bottles, and Native American artifacts like arrowheads.

There are several sites across the shore where you can hunt for the treasure, whether you're exploring by hand or snorkeling.

The Raritan Bay between Cliffwood Beach and Sandy Hook

One of the main stops on Roinestad and Dapolito's tours is Treasure Lake near Cliffwood Beach. Once called Duck Pond, it was an inlet when Captain Kidd was here.

"Treasure lake used to be a cove, it was closed off by hurricanes over the years," Roinestad said.

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On one side of Cliffwood Beach, was Fox Hill, where Rose Hill Cemetery currently stands. At the time, it was the highest point in the area and a great lookout for Kidd's crew. An elm tree known as one of "Kidd's Rangers" once stood here. A second tree was at the mouth of Matawan Creek in Keyport. Legend said Kidd used them to mark the spot where he hid his gold. The point in between? Cliffwood Beach.

"That area was very secluded with a direct visual line to the ocean, it would be a wonderful place to go," Dapolito said of Kidd's crew, who often sailed the Raritan Bay between New York and New Jersey. "There was fresh water there, woods for hunting ... You weren't going to get ambushed there."

People have also experienced supernatural sightings of Captain Kidd and his crew in this area.

"Several people have shared their experiences with the ghost of Captain Kidd...," said Genevieve Revenant of Jersey Shore Ghost Tours. "This spirit is an intelligent, sentient being, in that he engages people in conversation."

The treasure could have also been buried on Money Island, a small island that sometimes appears at very low tide off the coast of Cliffwood Beach. The location is up for debate. Some people believe it's the small strip of land between Matawan Creek and Whale Creek, Roinestad said.

There are also areas near Sandy Hook, including a legend of a pine tree in a field somewhere, that Kidd could have used, according to Weird N.J. Anywhere in the Raritan Bay can be a starting point for exploration.

Middletown area

Captain William Kidd may have helped found Christ Church in Middletown.

According to Ernest Mandeville's 1927 book "The Story of Middletown," William Leeds, an early 1700s resident of Middletown, was reputed to be one of Captain Kidd’s chief cohorts.

He took donations from the pirate regularly. However, local historians believe the story may have been a ruse for protection.

Whether Leeds actually took donations from Kidd is up for historical debate, according to the Middletown Historical Society website. He may have not even been involved with piracy yet, as he was involved with Leeds and present in the Middletown area. The true nature of the association will always be a mystery, the site adds, but Kidd's treasure could be hidden somewhere in this historic town.

Between Barnegat and Toms River

According to Weird N.J., Captain Kidd supposedly romanced a Barnegat farm girl named Amanda, and buried his treasure near there in Oyster Creek.

There are also stories of him sailing near the Barnegat Inlet, and the mouth of Toms River, where there is a small island, (also) once dubbed "Money Island." Beachcombers have found historic coins here.

Between Brigantine and Cape May

In William McMahon's 1973 book "South Jersey Towns," he tells a local story dating back to the summer of 1698. Supposedly, Captain Kidd's boat once anchored near the Brigantine Inlet and some of his crew came ashore with a treasure chest. It's believed to be buried somewhere in the dunes.

It's also said that when the crew returned to move the chest elsewhere, a fight ensued and Kidd killed one of his best mates, Timothy Jones, and buried him next to the treasure.

Cape May is also sometimes associated with local pirate lore, as ships regularly stationed near Lake Lilly for fresh water. Old newspaper clippings, documented on CapeMay.com, suggest the treasure could be buried somewhere between Nummy Island and Five Mile Beach in Cape May County.

Tips from a pro

Dapolito wants people to know that finding treasure isn't always like finding a needle in a haystack.

"Gold doesn't tarnish, so if it's underwater or in the mud, you're going to see it," he said. "It looks just like it would outside of the water."

"A silver coin in the ocean [however] is going to look like a rock," possibly with growth or dulling, he continued.

Also, treasure laden areas can be hidden in plain site, thanks to modern changes to geography.

"You should research, read books and look at old maps to see the shorelines and where there were a lot of inlets that are now closed off and made into ponds," he said. "You'll get a better feel for the lay of the land."

Above all, never stop looking — and never let your skepticism hinder the adventure.

"It may be a legend now, but if you look, maybe you'll find something and it'll become a true story," Dapolito said.

Gabriela L. Laracca joined the USA Today Network New Jersey in 2021 and eagerly brings her passion for cuisine and culture to our readers. Send restaurant tips to glaracca@gannett.com. Follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Captain William Kidd pirate treasure may be hidden at Jersey Shore