FULL WALKTHROUGH COMING SOON. In 1622, the Spanish treasure galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha sank off the coast of Florida during a hurricane, taking with it over $400 million in gold, silver, and emeralds bound for Spain. For more than 300 years, its location remained a mystery — until Mel Fisher, a former carpenter turned diver, dedicated his life to finding it.
This documentary takes you inside the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum for a guided tour by Mel Fisher’s grandson, exploring the largest treasure recovery in history. From the Spanish Empire’s treasure fleets of the 1500s–1600s, to the Potosí silver mines, and the Age of Exploration, the Atocha’s story is one of greed, tragedy, and triumph.
Learn how the Fisher family’s 16-year search uncovered more than 120,000 silver coins, gold bars, emerald crosses, and priceless artifacts — and how a 1982 Supreme Court ruling finally gave them full legal ownership.
Featuring real footage and artifacts from the wreck, including the eight-foot gold wedding chain, Native American cloak pin, and Mel Fisher’s famous motto: “Today’s the Day.”
If you love shipwreck treasure, Spanish gold, maritime archaeology, and the Florida Keys diving legacy, this is the definitive story of the Atocha. Visit the Mel Fisher Museum at 1322 U.S. Rte 1, Sebastian, FL 32958.
Timestamps:
00:00 – In 1622, the Spanish treasure galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha sets sail from Havana
00:17 – The Atocha’s $400 million cargo: gold, silver, and emeralds from South America
00:34 – The Spanish treasure fleets and the Age of Exploration
01:10 – Hurricane strikes the fleet 90 miles from Havana — the Atocha sinks
02:40 – Spanish salvage attempts with slave divers and pearl fishermen
04:55 – The Atocha is lost for over 300 years
05:12 – Mel Fisher’s early life, WWII service, and invention of scuba technology
06:45 – Discovery of the 1715 Fleet with Kip WagnerKip Wagner (1906 – 1972) was instrumental in the formation of the team that later became the Real Eight Company and one of the greatest salvage groups that ever explored the 1715 Fleet wrecks. He ... More and the “Carpet of Gold”
08:00 – Mel Fisher begins the Atocha hunt with historian Eugene Lyon
09:10 – Discovery of the anchor, musket ball, and first silver bars in 1973
10:06 – 1975 tragedy: the death of Mel’s son Dirk Fisher and two crew members
11:47 – Legal battle with the State of Florida and Supreme Court victory
12:43 – 1985: The Mother Lode discovery — $450 million in gold, silver, and emeralds
14:05 – Rare artifacts: copper bars, gold discs, emerald crosses, and contraband chains
15:41 – Gold smuggling and unregistered cargo on Spanish galleons
16:09 – The eight-foot gold wedding chain and Order of Santiago relics
17:00 – The cursed Native American cloak pin (Tupou) and its backstory
18:12 – Conservation techniques at the Mel Fisher Lab
19:22 – Electrolytic reduction: cleaning 120,000 Atocha silver coins
20:55 – Unrecoverable artifacts and the limits of preservation
21:35 – Modern-day Atocha recovery efforts and the missing sterncastle
22:01 – Mel Fisher’s legacy and his famous saying: “Today’s the day.”
22:35 – Interview with Mel Fisher’s grandson at the wreck site
23:05 – Visiting the Mel Fisher Museum and preserving maritime history
