Showcase of Work

Captain Jeff MacKinnon has carved out a reputation as one of Canada’s foremost treasure hunters, specializing in shipwreck salvage off the rugged coast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Raised immersed in maritime history, he began his journey as a boy working alongside his father, Robert MacKinnon a renowned treasure salvager responsible for recovering coins and artifacts of immeasurable value now housed in museums worldwide. Under his mentorship, Jeff gained specialized training in magnetometry, side scan sonar, geophysical surveying, conservation, and underwater archaeology; developing meticulous recovery techniques focused on preserving artifacts amid the powerful currents and rough and unrelenting depths of the North Atlantic.

As the founder of Sub Sea Salvage and the host of the 2025 documentary series The Death Coast, MacKinnon leads daring expeditions to uncover shipwrecks scattered across Nova Scotia’s infamous “Death Coast,” home to roughly 25,000 wrecks. His team has identified four previously unknown wreck sites off Cape Breton, recovering coins, ballast piles, cannons, and even emeralds. One site believed to be linked to historical pirate ships operating on the Mira River, possibly tied to Bartholomew Roberts or Peter Easton  . Among his most significant finds is the stern section of Le Chameau, the 18th century French pay ship that sank in 1725 carrying a cargo of coinage destined for New France.