‘There’s something strange happening there’

Professional diver from Kentville making significant contributions to Oak Island treasure search

He’s arguably the most prolific diver in the 223-year-long search for treasure on Oak Island – and it’s possible that his days as a TV star have only just begun.

Professional diver Mike Huntley of Kentville got involved with diving boreholes in the Money Pit area on Oak Island as part of the ongoing treasure hunt after being contacted by a very good friend, Tony Sampson. Fans of the History Channel show The Curse of Oak Island will recognize Sampson as the diver who worked in the island’s swamp.

Huntley’s gig started about three years ago with some small boat work and air lifting involving a six-inch hole in the Money Pit area. This progressed to assisting John Chatterton with a dive down the legendary 10X, the borehole dug in the 1970s by now 95-yearold Dan Blankenship with the help of his son, Dave Blankenship, Dan Henskee, and others.

When Huntley learned he would be assisting Chatterton, he was a little star struck - Huntley used to watch Chatterton’s TV show, Deep Sea Detectives, all the time.

Huntley has also completed dives down borehole C1, named after Oak Island historian Charles Barkhouse, and DMT, named after Drake Maxwell Tester, the late son of treasure hunt team member Craig Tester. Huntley and his crew have become the go-to divers for treasure hunt team leaders Rick and Marty Lagina. See THERE’S SOMETHING, A3