Shipwrecks & Treasure
We all have couldas, shouldas, and might have beens, but probably not on the scale of this one.
I learned about lost treasure today in, of all places, the gym. It seems one of our regulars was in Key West, Florida at the time treasure hunters were combing the waters for one of the most famous of sunken galleons, the Nuestra Senora de Atocha. Mel Fisher had spent over 16 years looking for the Atocha with his family and small crew. They financed the expedition on something of a shoestring, culling together investors in a consortium to keep it going. My gym mate was retelling of his run-in with Mel in that fateful year of 1985.
Our friend was in Key West to get away from it all – his wife divorcing him, the moveout, and all the baggage that goes with such things. Being a neurologist at the University of Washington, he still had the means to run across country for a getaway. Naturally, it included one of the more notorious bars in Key West that by coincidence Mel Fisher also frequented. They struck up a spontaneous conversation each disclosing their vocations. Of course, Mel’s seemed much more interesting. Upon finding our friend was a neurologist, Mel started talking about some of the symptoms he would sometimes experience after diving. Dan said it wasn’t serious and recommended a solution. Mel was very appreciative and insisted he treat Dan to dinner.
As conversation continued over dinner, Mel disclosed they had found one of the cannons of the Atocha, and felt it was only a matter of time before they found the ship itself. If I remember correctly, Mel told Dan a cannon was worth about $250,000. Dan listened, fascinated by the business and adventure of treasure hunting. Mel then made a bit of a sales pitch – he wanted to do more than just dinner for the advice Dan had provided, and offered Dan a share of the treasure as an investor for a mere $2,000. As Dan was going through the divorce he was trying to be conservative with his money. He expressed real appreciation for the offer, but noted his with divorce it was probably best he pass on the deal. Mel shrugged, they shook hands and parted
ways. Dan spent a few more days in Key West and then headed home.
It took only a few days, and Mel hit paydirt – they found the Atocha the week following Dan’s return to Seattle. Ultimately, the wreck became the world’s most valuable sunken treasure find, worth some $450 million! And Dan could have had a very nice share for only $2,000. Ouch.
Even today, not all of the Atocha’s riches have been recovered. Some of the treasures include 71 pounds of Emeralds along with 40 tons of gold and silver. Mel Fisher continued searching for the rest of its lost treasure, and while a few findings were made in later years some of its cargo remains lost.
For more on the Atocha, start with Wikipedia, Nuestra Senora de Atocha.
