Mel Fisher

Mel Fisher (August 21, 1922 – December 19, 1998) was an American treasure hunter best known for finding the 1622 wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha in Florida waters.

On July 20, 1975, Fisher's oldest son Dirk, his wife Angel, and diver Rick Gage died after their boat sank due to bilge pump failure.

[3][4][5][6] In 1993, the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS) placed a memorial plaque on the seabed near the wreckage site, which reads “Henrietta Marie: In recognition of the Courage, Pain and Suffering of Enslaved African People.

"[7] In November 2024, the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum opened a new exhibit about the transatlantic slave trade and its connections with the Florida Keys, centered on artifacts from the Henrietta Marie along with materials sourced elsewhere.

[7] Fisher found the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha[8] named after a parish in Madrid for protection.

[9] He discovered silver bars from the wreck in 1973, and in 1975, Dirk found five bronze cannons whose markings would prove to be that of the Atocha.

[citation needed] The site of the wreckage of the Atocha, called "The Bank of Spain" (a sandy area 22 feet deep and within 200 yards of the anchor location),[11] is still being worked on and treasures are slowly being recovered.

[15] Fisher's company agreed to pay in excess of $67,000 to identified claimants, and to maintain a $50,000 fund for any additional customers who stepped forward during a three year probation period.

[15] Fisher hired Duncan Matthewson as chief archaeologist during the Atocha period, and Treasure Salvors, Inc.'s employees became experts in recovery and conservation of underwater artifacts.