Become Part of the Hunt | Mel Fisher's Shipwreck Expeditions

What Happens Next?

The silver bar was not found in isolation.

The recovery came after a series of discoveries in the same area, including pottery fragments, silver sword artifacts, and silver coins.

Historical records indicate that approximately 432 silver bars, along with thousands of silver coins, gold artifacts, jewelry, and emeralds, still remain to be recovered from the Atocha and Santa Margarita wreck sites.

Every new discovery helps guide the search, and every season brings new opportunities to uncover another piece of history.

For our investors and members, discoveries like this provide a firsthand look at their active treasure recovery operation that continues today.

Join a Community of Investors and Explorers

Talk with Sean to learn how our investors participate in the expedition, explore dive opportunities, and see if membership is a good fit for you.

Many of Our Investors Enjoy:

Dive the Atocha wreck site with the recovery crew
Join an active offshore treasure recovery expedition
Sift for emeralds on deck as material is brought up
Receive investor updates as discoveries happen
Work alongside our professional crew and captains
Receive investor-only updates directly from the field
Access the Members Only Lounge in Key West
Join fellow investors during Treasure Division Week in Key West

A Year of Discovery, A Season Ahead

Step into the previous season alongside our lead diver Blake as he walks through the discoveries, the challenges, and the moments that made this past year so memorable.

From swords and coins to emeralds, keys, and historical artifacts that bring history back to life, each find tells a piece of the story. This is not just a look back, it is a look forward.

As the season turns, the hunt continues, and 2026 is in full gear with the same focus, determination, and belief shared by our crew and investors that the next great discovery is still waiting just below the surface.

An Ongoing Recovery Operation?

Mel Fisher's Shipwreck Expeditions continues active recovery operations on the Atocha and Santa Margarita wreck sites.

Historical records and past discoveries indicate that significant material remains to be recovered, including silver coins, silver bars, emeralds, and artifacts from the 1622 Spanish fleet.

This is not a completed discovery.
It is an ongoing search.

Each season builds on previous discoveries as new areas are investigated and recovered material is documented and conserved.

Investors and members have the opportunity to follow the search as it unfolds and participate in an active offshore treasure recovery expedition.

How Much Treasure Is Still Out There?

More Than Most People Realize

Even after decades of recovery, a significant portion of the Atocha and Santa Margarita story remains beneath the waters of the Florida Keys. Historical records and past discoveries suggest that substantial material may still remain to be recovered.

The wreckage field extends across a wide area, and each season continues to produce new discoveries, clues, and areas for investigation. Recent recoveries, including silver coins, artifacts, and the first Atocha silver bar recovered since 1999, highlight that the search remains active.

In addition to documented cargo, historians believe these ships carried personal belongings, trade goods, and other items that were never officially recorded. Discoveries from these wrecks continue to provide new insights into one of history's most famous shipwrecks.

No one can predict what future recoveries may occur, but the search continues today with the support of our crew, members, and investors.

An Investors-Only Lounge in the Heart of Key West

Tucked above the Mel Fisher Treasure Shop in the heart of Old Town, the Investors Lounge is a private place for members and investors to relax, connect, and stay close to the expedition.

Inside, you'll find comfortable air-conditioned seating, complimentary refreshments, and a welcoming space to spend time with fellow investors, crew members, and the Fisher family.

Step outside onto the balcony overlooking Duval Street, where you can enjoy the sights and energy of Key West from a unique vantage point. Whether you're stopping in for a few minutes or spending the afternoon, the lounge is your home base in Key West and a gathering place for the investor community.

Beneath the Surface

This is not recreational diving. This is the search. Eligible investors and members have the opportunity to visit the Atocha and Santa Margarita wreck sites alongside our recovery team, working in the same waters where history still rests.

Every descent carries the possibility. Silver coins, emeralds, artifacts. The visibility, the movement of the sand, the moment something begins to take shape beneath you. You are not observing from the surface. You are part of the hunt.

Dive the Atocha and Santa Margarita wreck sites alongside fellow investors and the recovery crew
Work alongside our professional crew, recovery divers, and participating investors
Participate in and observe active search and recovery operations
Experience real-time discovery beneath the surface
Be present when history is uncovered

Many investors describe their first day on the wreck site as the moment the expedition becomes real.

The Story That Started It All

In 1622, the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha vanished beneath a hurricane off the Florida Keys, carrying one of the richest treasure cargos ever assembled. For over 300 years, it remained lost to the sea.

This is the true story of Mel Fisher’s relentless 16 year pursuit to find it. Through storms, setbacks, and personal loss, he never walked away. His belief was simple and unwavering. Today’s the day.

Watch how that belief led to one of the greatest treasure discoveries in history and why investors continue supporting the search today.

How Many Atocha Emeralds Could Still Be Out There?

The emeralds aboard the Atocha trace back to Colombia’s famed Muzo mines, known for producing some of the most vivid green stones in the world. These gems were hand-selected for Spanish royalty and never meant to be lost at sea. Historical records and decades of discoveries suggest that a significant portion of that historic cargo may still remain beneath the waters of the Florida Keys. For many investors, discoveries like these are part of what makes the expedition so compelling.

Meet Captain Drake

Leading the DARE Into the Next Chapter of Discovery

Captain Drake steps into the helm of the DARE with four seasons of hands-on experience and a reputation built on hard work, precision, and a deep commitment to the hunt. From long days on the water to earning the trust of the crew, he has become a natural leader within Mel Fisher’s Expeditions. For our members, that means confidence in the person guiding the search each day.

His path to treasure hunting began far from Key West, growing up around a small-town marina in Minnesota before a chance encounter with a historic Spanish coin changed everything. That moment led him to diving, and ultimately to the Atocha and Santa Margarita wreck sites, where he turned a passion into a profession.

Now as captain, Drake brings a focused, relentless approach to the season ahead. His strategy is simple: cover ground, follow the coin trails, and push into promising new areas between the main pile and the Bank of Spain. With new technology, a unified crew, and a hunter’s mindset, he is driven by one goal, making the next major discovery and sharing it with the members who make it all possible.

Meet Diver Blake

The work begins where the surface ends.

Beneath the surface is where the real work happens, and Head Diver Blake Baker leads that effort every day. From the first signal to the final recovery, Blake is responsible for guiding the dive team with precision, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to uncovering history. For our members, he represents the focus and consistency required to turn potential into discovery.

Blake’s journey began far from the ocean in a small town in Indiana, where he was raised with strong values of hard work and resilience. What started as a one-year adventure changed instantly on his first dive, when he uncovered a 400-year-old silver coin from the Atocha site. That moment set the course for everything that followed, transforming curiosity into a lifelong pursuit.

Today, Blake leads with a methodical, team-first approach, ensuring every section of the ocean floor is searched thoroughly and safely. Working closely with Captain Drake, he is focused on proven coin trails and high-potential areas between the main pile and the Bank of Spain. With patience, experience, and relentless attention to detail, Blake and his team are driven by one goal, recover the next piece of history waiting beneath the sand.

Division Week Culminates in the Investors Division Party

Division Week brings investors together in Key West to receive treasure allocations, connect with the crew, and hear the stories behind the season's discoveries.

Throughout the week, investors spend time with fellow investors, Captain Drake, Diver Blake, the recovery crew, and the Fisher family. It is an opportunity to experience the expedition beyond the wreck site and become part of a community that returns year after year.

The week concludes with the Division Party, an evening of celebration, camaraderie, and reflection on the discoveries, friendships, and shared experiences that make the hunt so memorable. For many investors, it is the highlight of the year.

The Treasures That Bring Investors Back Year After Year

For more than four decades, Mel Fisher's investors have followed and supported the recovery of some of the most significant treasures ever discovered from the Atocha and Santa Margarita shipwrecks.

From emeralds and gold jewelry to silver bars, gold bars, coins, and rare artifacts, each discovery represents another piece of history recovered from the ocean floor.

The artifacts below are examples of treasures recovered from the expedition and help tell the story of why investors continue to follow the hunt today.

Gold Bar

In the 1600s gold was transported in a similar bar form as silver. Gold bars are smaller than silver bars due to the weight; gold is about the same weight per ounce as lead. If they had formed a gold bar in the same size as the silver bar they would not have been able to lift it. While smaller in size the gold bars were significantly more valuable. Even then they understood the rarity of this precious metal. The markings on the gold bars are also in pristine condition, as gold does not react with salt water. This makes gold bars one of the most exciting artifacts to find underwater. As Mel said, “gold shines forever.”

Gold Filigree Locket with Gold Chain

1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet. This incredible gold locket is done in an intricate and exquisite filigree pattern which encases a pendant set behind glass on both sides. The pendant measures 2 inches wide and 2-1/2" long and weighs 166.8g. It is attached to a four strand gold chain with alternating plain round links and horseshoe shaped links. There are approximately nine links per centimeter. This enchanting artifact is characteristic of the late 17th century when the Baroque artistic style was popular. It was recovered from the 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet shipwreck known as the Douglas Beach site (Treasure Coast, Florida) in the summer of 1987.

This stunning artifact can be seen on display at the Fisher Family owned Mel Fisher’s Treasure Museum in Florida at 1322 U.S. HWY 1, Sebastian, FL 32958.

Atocha Emeralds

The emeralds of the Atocha came from the Muzo mine in Columbia, South America. Muzo emeralds set the world standard for what constitutes fine quality in an emerald. Modern industry standards allow for emeralds to be oiled to deepen the color and hide inclusions. Atocha emeralds are among the few emeralds found anywhere that have not been oiled and remain in their natural state of deep green in color. The Muzo mine still consistently produces high quality emeralds today. Atocha Emeralds were, of course, recovered for a second time from the site of the most famous treasure wreck in history and are authenticated as genuine Atocha Emeralds. This emerald is very large, is of the highest quality possible, and is quite a statement piece for the owner.

Atocha Gold Coin's

Atocha gold coins are extremely rare. Just 121 have been recovered from the wreck site. At the time Atocha sailed gold coins were not yet minted in the New World. The ones that have been found are either part of a “test batch” of coins being transported back to the King of Spain for his approval, or are coins that came over from the Old World and were now on their return journey. When you compare the number of gold coins to the some 185,000 silver coins that have been recovered it is easy to see where their rarity and value lie. Since gold does not react with salt water the markings on this coin remain pristine and highly visible. These coins represent a moment in history when Spain was attempting to expand its reach and control in the New World. The sinking of the Atocha led to the ultimate demise of Spain’s role as the world’s superpower as the King was unable to pay his military.

Gold Spoon

This elaborately decorated spoon is one of the most beautiful artifacts from the Atocha. Intricate gold spoons like this one were often reserved for ceremonial purposes, such as dispensing holy water and consecrated wine, or to distribute commodities of great value like sugar or salt. Decorative heads similar to this spoon have been found on silver ewers (pitchers) from the Atocha. The stem portion of the spoon is very short. It was not until the end of the 16^th century that the spoon stem was lengthened to allow ease of use with the new fashionable ruffled collar.