Lucky treasure hunter

When visiting the museum, the first thing that catches your eye is a photograph of the famous treasure hunter Mel Fisher. Who was this man? Difficult life, material difficulties and litigation with the state pushed him to study the old documents. He independently began to engage in diving and, as a competent engineer, developed special equipment, hoping to find the lost treasures of galleons sailing from America to Spain. In the museum, you will learn other details about the life of Fisher. He not only hunted for treasure, but also engaged in music, carpentry business, had very extensive and diverse interests.

Treasure worth $ 500 million

The small bays and uncomfortable straits of the Florida coast have always been a serious obstacle for seafarers. First, the Spaniards sailed the sea routes here, and a few centuries later the pirates began to work. Since those times, many wrecks have survived in the waters of Miami. One of them was Nuestra Senora de Atocha. According to the historical document, the ship got into a heavy storm and sank not far from Key West. It was he who brought Fisher money and fame. The treasure, which was raised from the seabed, is estimated at 500 million dollars. True, his search took more than 10 years.

The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is a non-profit organization whose collection includes artifacts found by the Fisher team over many years of search expeditions. Near the main entrance guests are greeted by two anchors, previously located on the Spanish ships "Margarita" and "Atochi". The tour begins with a fifteen-minute film about the life of a treasure hunter.

Chests with treasure

On a territory of 600 square meters, museum visitors will see more than 100,000 exhibits. These are chests filled to the top with precious metals and precious stones, ornaments, cutlery and ceramics, ivory, wood and leather - in general, everything that imagination of a treasure hunter can imagine.

Time is powerfully over silver and gold; therefore, even after lying on the seabed for 400 years, the jewels were not covered with corrosion. The museum has gold doubloons and silver reals imprinted in the fossils, a chain of gold weighing more than three kilograms, the same cross with Colombian emeralds and much more.

In the shop you can buy jewelry, coins and jewelry from the world famous treasure "Atochi".

A paradise for divers, archaeologists and history buffs

The excursion program also includes a visit to the laboratory, where various finds from the seabed are restored and preserved. After the treasure is taken from the sea, the work of specialists begins. Four centuries in the sea are imprinted in various ways on objects.

Museum staff are trying to stop the aging process and preserve the finds. Some procedures require an enormous amount of time; the process of restoration lasts from a couple of hours to many years. The work of archaeologists includes not only the long-term preservation of exhibits, but also the full maintenance of documents.

To increase the durability of artifacts in galleries and storage, the necessary temperature, humidity and lighting are controlled and regulated.

The rules of the Mel Fisher treasure hunter

• The first step towards treasure hunting is the study of historical documents, port records and trade reports.
• To search for treasure you need technical equipment.
• The treasure hunter must be legally savvy, because there will always be someone who wants to appropriate the treasure found to him.
• All stages of the search, from examining the archives to diving on the seabed, should be kept secret, and the curious tell a believable legend.
• The treasure does not bring good luck, and often worsens health and selects close people, therefore it is necessary to be engaged in search of standing things, and not to waste yourself on souvenirs and various trifles.
• Do not neglect these rules, because the whole life of Mel Fisher is their direct confirmation.

Novice treasure hunters and tourists

In the waters of Florida, the mass of ships not yet found has been preserved, so every year hundreds of beginning treasure hunters come here. But the rest is not limited to finding treasure. The company American Butler organizes various excursions for every taste. Constant searches of fascinating and unusual places allow you to choose the rest that suits you.