Gary Drayton is the essential members of The Curse of Oak Island’s Crew and the one responsible for some of the biggest finds on the show.
Drayton has been given the nickname “metal-detecting ninja” by Matty Blake due to his uncanny ability to dig up various pieces of metal during his searches on the island. When not engaged with the show, Drayton spends most of his time in South Florida, searching for Spanish treasures using his beloved Minelab CTX 3030 metal-detector.
Drayton specializes in beaches and shallow water, as well as focusing on places other people who came before him ignored or simply found too difficult to access and that method has served him well. Apart from CTX-3030, he uses an array of tools to help him find and dig out various treasures, like powerful magnets, spades and if the occasion warrants it, a hammer and a chisel.
He documents his find on his YouTube channel, where he also explains his techniques and offers advice on various aspect of treasure hunting. He even has several books published on the use of metal detectors and is considered a top expert in the field.
Drayton sometimes organizes courses in treasure hunting, which are usually packed with students. His bio on LinkedIn perhaps best summarizes him: “ Caught Spanish treasure fever at an early age, symptoms include the need for long walks on the beach with Minelab metal detectors and a tendency to get excited when the wind blows. I have chosen to share the way I deal with the desire to find gold and silver by writing treasure hunting books to help others deal with this addictive hobby.”
Among his most valuable finds are 1715 Spanish ring made from 22.5K Inca gold and set with nine Colombian emeralds and a silver 17th-century Spanish religious object, which he found washed up after a hurricane.
He also found many other younger artifacts, like a Rolex Submariner, crosses with diamond and plenty of golden rings.
Hopefully, we will see Drayton fain the treasure of the Oak Island in the seven season of the show.
