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Some History
Atocha News!
The Fisher family has announced the discovery of the sterncastle portion of the Atocha, and potentially millions of dollars of additional treasure. Read the Associated Press article.
Remembering Mel Fisher...
1922-1998
Inventor-Treasure Hunter-Dreamer
American Folk Hero
“Today’s the Day!”
“Hang in there and keep on a-going. We’re
going to succeed, y’know”
That positive attitude inspired family and crew members to keep searching for the Atocha for sixteen long years. It inspired others to back his search with millions of dollars. It taught all of us the importance of pursuing a dream.
As a young boy Mel Fisher already dreamed of conquering the ocean, inspired by such books as "Treasure Island" and "Moby Dick". At age 11 he built his own "hard hat" diving suit out of a bucket, some hose line and a bicycle pump to explore a lagoon near his house in Indiana.
After World War II, Mel started a chicken Ranch in California. He purchased one of the first scuba units ever made and opened his first dive shop in a shed on the ranch. Mel offered free dive lessons to anyone who bought the equipment.
In 1953, Mel sold the ranch and opened Mel's Aqua Shop, the first full fledged scuba shop in the world, in Redondo Beach with his new wife, Delores. He began inventing gear for the diving enthusiast... things like spear guns, underwater cameras and some of the very first wet suits.
Mel began making the first underwater movies to support his dive trips all through the Caribbean and South America, and to spread the word of the glories of diving.
In 1964, Mel and Deo met Kip Wagner, a treasure hunter in Florida who had found a few coins from the 1715 fleet. Mel joined in the search for the treasure of the 1715 fleet, and it was here he made his first great discovery: a carpet of thousands of gold coins on the seabed. Mel began inventing much of the equipment that would eventually lead him to the Atocha. Recognizing the historical importance of the treasures and artifacts he was finding, Mel became the first treasure hunter to enlist the aid of an archeologist to record, study and restore them so they could be shown to the world.
Mel began his search for the Atocha in 1969. He found his first silver coins from the Atocha in 1971. Two years later, three silver bars were found. Every day Mel would announce "Today's the Day". Two more years, and the discovery of 5 bronze cannon marked with the name Atocha proved they were on the right track. Their joy was short lived, though, when just days later Mel's son, Dirk and his wife were killed when their boat capsized.
In 1980, they found a large portion of the Margarita, sister ship to the Atocha, with a fortune in gold bars, jewelry and silver coins. Then on July 20, 1985, Kane Fisher sent a message to his fathers headquarters, "Put away the Charts; we've found the main pile!" The excavation of the "shipwreck of the century" began.
Mel pursued his dreams of treasure and of conquering the ocean right up until his death in December of 1998.
Mel taught us many things, but, mainly he taught us that for those who dare to dream and persist...
"Today's" always "The Day"
Shipwreck Treasures
237 Old San Carlos Blvd.
Ft. Myers Beach, FL. 33931
1-800-972-1622
Any Comments or suggestions? Send them to webmaster@shipwrecktreasures.com