During a pleasure dive on a rare vacation off the coast of Florida, renowned treasure hunter Sam Johnson and beloved wife Taylor stumble upon the wreck of a sunken Spanish galleon. Though her sinking took place over four hundred years ago, she looks as if she just hit bottom after her fateful trip from the surface.
What they discover on the La Majestad del Mar is the Holy Grail of marine archaeology, the wood-carved signature of Sir Francis Drake.
On their way to the surface, Taylor is fatally attacked by the gigantic ghost of a great white shark. After pulling her free and past him toward the surface, Sam barely escapes from the grasp of the shark's jaws. It seems to be affected by the sunlight above.
Six years later... Sam returns home, officially retired from treasure hunting. He takes on the responsibility of a marine laboratory to keep busy and keep his mind off the tragic events of the past.
Sam cannot get the wreck out of his mind. The carving of Drake's signature dominates his thoughts. Images of the Majesty's oar hold, a floating bone-yard, haunt his dreams.
The colorful entries of the captain's log, recovered by Taylor, will guide him, describing the events that lead up to the sinking of the noble galleon. Sam's old high school buddy will do anything to recover the gold, which, if removed from the bow, could cause the balancing galleon to plummet to the bottom of the abyss.
So Sam Johnson has to ask himself, is a piece of wood really worth it? His answer might bewilder some, but this, to him, was more than just a piece of wood...
