The Story Of The Atocha

Nuestra Señora de Atocha (Spanish: Our Lady of Atocha) was a Spanish treasure galleon and the most widely known vessel of a fleet of ships that sank in a hurricane off the Florida Keys in 1622.

At the time of her sinking, Nuestra Señora de Atocha was heavily laden with copper, silver, gold, tobacco, gems, and indigo from Spanish ports at Cartagena and Porto Bello in New Granada (present-day Colombia and Panama, respectively) and Havana, bound for Spain.

The Nuestra Señora de Atocha was named for the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Atocha in Madrid, Spain. It was a heavily armed Spanish galleon that served as the almirante (rear guard) for the Spanish fleet. It would trail behind the other ships in the flotilla to prevent an attack from the rear.

Rendition of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha.

The Discovery

After years of relentless searching, the wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha was discovered by Mel Fisher and his team on July 20, 1985. This monumental discovery uncovered a treasure trove that had been lost for over 360 years.


Mel Fisher and his team with recovered treasure.