KEY WEST, Fla., June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mel Fisher’s Shipwreck Expeditions has recovered a 22.5-pound silver bar from the wreck site of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, marking the first silver bar recovered by the Fisher team from the Atocha site since June 1999.
The silver bar was recovered by Captain Drake and the crew of the salvage vessel DARE while working an active search area on the Atocha wreck site in approximately 50 feet of water off the Florida Keys. After carefully investigating a promising target, the team uncovered what would prove to be one of the most significant recoveries from the site in decades. Captain Drake personally brought the artifact to the surface.
The recovery comes nearly 404 years after the Atocha sank during a hurricane in 1622. The vessel was carrying an immense cargo of silver, gold, emeralds, coins, religious artifacts, and other valuable goods bound for Spain when it was lost in the waters off the Florida Keys.
“This discovery is a powerful reminder that the Atocha still holds secrets after decades of salvage,” said Gary Randolph, President of Mel Fisher’s Shipwreck Expeditions. “Captain Drake, Lead Diver Blake, and the crew of the DARE continue the legacy of Mel Fisher’s ‘Today’s the Day’ spirit. Every discovery like this advances our understanding of maritime history while fueling the sense of adventure and exploration that has defined this work in the Florida Keys for generations. The Atocha is not finished telling her story.”
The silver bar remains heavily encrusted after more than four centuries beneath the sea. One visible feature is an assay scoop, a section removed from the top of the bar during the Spanish colonial period to verify that the bar was solid silver throughout and not merely plated on the outside. The artifact will now undergo extensive documentation, conservation, and authentication procedures that may reveal additional markings and historical details.
The Nuestra Señora de Atocha became one of the most famous shipwrecks in the world when Mel Fisher and his team discovered the vessel’s legendary mother lode in 1985 after a 16-year search. That discovery is widely regarded as one of the most significant treasure recoveries in modern history.
Since the discovery of the Atocha mother lode in 1985, thousands of artifacts have been recovered from the Atocha and Santa Margarita wreck sites. Even so, substantial portions of the documented and undocumented cargo remain unrecovered, including thousands of silver coins, hundreds of silver bars, gold artifacts, jewelry, and emeralds from Colombia’s legendary Muzo mines, considered among the finest emeralds in the world.
The recovery of this silver bar is especially significant because silver bars were among the primary cargo carried aboard the Atocha. Several promising magnetic targets have been identified in the immediate area where the bar was discovered, adding to the excitement surrounding the find. The discovery has raised hopes that additional silver bars, coins, and other historically important artifacts may still remain buried near the location where this bar was found, waiting to be uncovered after more than four centuries beneath the sea.
“Every major discovery begins with a single artifact,” Randolph said. “This silver bar is a remarkable piece of history in its own right, but it also renews interest in the area where it was found. After 27 years without recovering a silver bar from the Atocha site, this discovery reminds us that some of the most exciting chapters of the search may still lie ahead.”
The silver bar is currently aboard the DARE and is expected to arrive at the Mel Fisher conservation laboratory in Key West in the coming days. There it will undergo high-resolution photography, conservation treatment, XRF analysis, and other scientific examination designed to preserve and better understand its historical context.
Photos and video from the recovery are available upon request.
About Mel Fisher’s Shipwreck Expeditions
Mel Fisher’s Shipwreck Expeditions continues the pioneering work of legendary treasure hunter Mel Fisher, whose famous motto, “Today’s the Day,” became part of Florida Keys history. Being the owner of the Atocha and Margarita shipwrecks and their cargo wherever they may be found via Federal Admiralty claims and operating with permits within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the company conducts ongoing research, exploration, and recovery activities on the historic wreck sites of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita.
In addition to offshore recovery operations, the organization supports artifact conservation, museum exhibitions, historical education, and public outreach through its facilities in Key West and Sebastian, Florida. Members of the public can experience the history of the 1622 Fleet through Mel Fisher’s museums, including the Fisher family-owned Mel Fisher’s Treasure Museum at 1322 U.S. Highway 1 in Sebastian, where many spectacular Atocha treasures are on display. Visitors can also follow ongoing recovery updates through MelFisher.com and the continuing search for the remaining treasure of the Atocha and Santa Margarita wreck sites as the crew carries forward one of the world’s most enduring treasure hunts.
Media Contact:
Sean Browne
Head of Investor Relations
Mel Fisher’s Shipwreck Expeditions
613 Duval Street
Key West, FL 33040
(305) 295-7925
[email protected]
www.MelFisher.com
Visitors can also view spectacular Atocha treasures on display at the Fisher family-owned Mel Fisher’s Treasure Museum in Sebastian:
Mel Fisher’s Treasure Museum
1322 U.S. Hwy 1
Sebastian, FL 32958
772-589-0435
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
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