Treasure Seekers Uncover Major Find at Historic Shipwreck Site

WHO:

Fox News - Captain Drake Nicholas of Mel Fisher’s Shipwreck Expeditions is leading the treasure-hunting crew.

NY Post - The treasure galleon is identified as Nuestra Señora de Atocha.

WHAT:

Fox News - The crew recovered a 55-pound copper ingot from the shipwreck site.

Fox News - The estimated value of the copper ingot is between $18,000 and $25,000.

Fox News - Nicholas reported finding a 22.5-pound silver bar earlier in the summer at the same site.

Fox News - Nicholas mentioned having 19 high-value targets he plans to pursue next.

WHERE:

Fox News - The shipwreck site is located about 35 miles west of Key West, Florida.

NY Post - The shipwreck occurred off the Florida Keys.

WHEN:

NY Post - The Nuestra Señora de Atocha sank in a hurricane in 1622.

Fox News - Mel Fisher began searching for the Atocha in 1969 and discovered the "Mother Lode" in 1985.

WHY:

Fox News - Copper was considered a "very precious" resource in the 1600s, particularly for making bronze cannons for the Spanish Empire.

HOW:

Fox News - Nicholas used a metal detector to locate the copper ingot, following a "tight trail of coins."

Fox News - The crew is utilizing new technology to detect targets deeper beneath the mud at the wreck site.

(UPDATED September 17, 2026 18:00 UTC)

Captain Drake Nicholas of Mel Fisher’s Shipwreck Expeditions is leading a treasure-hunting crew that has recovered a 55-pound copper ingot from the Nuestra Señora de Atocha shipwreck site, located about 35 miles west of Key West, Florida. The ingot is estimated to be worth between $18,000 and $25,000, and earlier this summer, Nicholas also found a 22.5-pound silver bar at the same location, with plans to pursue 19 high-value targets next. Using a metal detector and advanced technology to probe deeper into the mud, the crew is following a "tight trail of coins" to uncover more treasures from the site where the Atocha sank in a hurricane back in 1622.