The Curse of Oak Island Season 13: Treasure & Cast Facts

Rick and Marty Lagina have spent decades chasing a treasure on Oak Island—and Season 13 just heated up in ways that are harder to dismiss as pure TV spectacle. The Money Pit drilling in Episode 12 revealed stacked timbers, a centuries-old iron chain, and anomalies at 100 feet that Rick called “a huge win.” This is where the verified findings end and the hype begins.

Seasons: 13 · Episodes: 271 · Main Stars: Rick and Marty Lagina · Network: History · Premiere Year: 2014

The following table summarizes core show details for quick reference.

Has the Oak Island treasure been found?

No. Despite over 200 years of digging and more than $300 million spent searching Oak Island, no confirmed treasure discovery has been announced. The Curse of Oak Island has aired for over a decade now, and while the team has made genuine archaeological progress, the treasure itself remains elusive.

Treasure search history

The Money Pit at the center of Oak Island has been the focus of every major expedition. Early diggers believed treasure was buried in a series of tunnels flooded by a booby trap system. Over the centuries, attempts have ranged from hand-dug shafts to industrial drilling operations. None have produced a verified gold hoard.

Recent claims and findings

Season 13 brought some of the most detailed Money Pit data yet. In Episode 12 “A Fort Knight,” drilling revealed stacked timbers suggesting a second man-made shaft near the original Money Pit. Rick Lagina called the discovery “a huge win,” according to a detailed recap from Parade. A centuries-old iron chain was also uncovered in the same episode.

Wood fragments and structure-like hints appeared in core samples taken between 90 and 110 feet deep. Anomalies at roughly 100 feet were detected, and in the Season 13 finale, Rick Lagina reportedly confirmed a potential $500 million treasure signal at that depth. However, this claim originated from promotional YouTube content and has not been independently verified. Episode 25 was sensationalized as “Treasure finally found” but lacks any official confirmation from History Channel, per a YouTube analysis.

Is The Curse of Oak Island going to be on in 2026?

Yes. Season 13 continues airing on History Channel, with new episodes dropping on Tuesdays at 9/8c. Episode 21, titled “A Sacred Symbol,” is scheduled for April 7 2026. The season’s final episodes are expected to cover the borehole camera footage showing what Rick and Marty Lagina described as a sealed chamber underground.

Season 13 details

The current season has taken the team to multiple dig sites beyond the Money Pit. Lot 5, for example, yielded a stone well tied to a 13th-century structure in Episode 20 “The Sands of Time.” Marty and metal-detecting specialist Gary Drayton investigated that site together, with History Channel’s official YouTube describing the discovery as potentially rewriting history.

Episode schedule

The show operates on a rolling release schedule. Episode 17, “The Missing Links,” featured Rick and the crew uncovering a man-made feature beneath a boulder on Lot 8. That same episode revealed a void imaged by snake camera, which excited Marty Lagina enough to describe it as a potential breakthrough. Concrete clues found in the Money Pit during Season 13 were documented in History Channel footage.

Did Alex Lagina have an accident?

Reports have surfaced about a serious site injury involving Alex Lagina, the Lagina brothers’ relative who participates in Money Pit diving operations. Marty Lagina reportedly spoke out publicly about the incident, though specific details about the nature and severity of the injury remain limited in publicly available sources.

Injury details

Alex Lagina has appeared in multiple Season 13 episodes, including Episode 12 where key cast members included Craig Tester, Steve Guptil, Charles Barkhouse, and geologist Terry Matheson. The injury, while not fully detailed in press coverage, was described as serious enough to warrant a family statement from Marty.

Marty Lagina’s statement

Marty Lagina addressed Alex’s injury in a public update, reflecting the tight-knit nature of the Oak Island crew. The statement underscored the physical risks involved in the Money Pit diving operations, which require specialized equipment and precise coordination in difficult conditions.

Why did Craig Tester leave Oak Island?

Craig Tester, the team’s engineer who specializes in analyzing underground anomalies, has been a core cast member since the early seasons. His exact departure status and reasons for reduced involvement in Season 13 are not fully transparent in publicly available sources.

Craig Tester background

Tester brought technical expertise to the search, examining data from borehole readings and advising on drilling strategy. He played a significant role in shaping how the team interprets sensor readings from deep within the Money Pit. His engineering background made him a key voice whenever anomalous readings came in.

Departure reasons

No public statement from Tester or the Lagina brothers has confirmed a full exit from the show. The reduced screen time in Season 13 could reflect scheduling constraints, a shift in the show’s focus toward other cast members, or other personal factors. Confirmed information about his current status remains sparse.

Who owns Oak Island now?

Oak Island is located off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island itself has changed hands multiple times over its recorded history, with various private investors and treasure-hunting companies acquiring stakes. The current ownership structure involves the Lagina brothers and their company, which acquired a controlling interest in the island decades ago.

Current ownership

Rick and Marty Lagina hold the primary ownership stake through their company, which has overseen the Season 13 excavations. Their partnership with History Channel provides production resources and distribution. The broader Oak Island property encompasses multiple lots, with Lot 5 and Lot 8 featuring prominently in recent episodes.

Historical context

Before the Laginas became involved, multiple previous expeditions attempted to locate the treasure, each spending millions and leaving behind equipment, shafts, and incomplete theories. The island’s governance falls under Nova Scotia’s provincial jurisdiction, requiring permits for major excavation work.

The pattern of shifting ownership stakes and evolving search strategies reflects how this decades-long pursuit has adapted to new evidence and funding changes.

The Curse of Oak Island has run for 13 seasons without confirming the treasure that launched a multi-century obsession. Season 13’s drilling results at the Money Pit are real — the stacked timbers, iron chain, and void imaged by snake camera represent tangible progress that would satisfy any archaeologist. But the $500 million figure circulating in promotional clips is a marketing claim attached to an unverified signal, not an official finding. For viewers weighing whether to follow the finale’s cliffhanger into Season 14, the difference between what the evidence shows and what the marketing suggests is the crucial distinction: the search is genuinely ongoing, but the treasure remains officially unclaimed.