03x05 - The Atocha: Secrets of the Sterncastle

[bunniefuu]

NARRATOR:
Tonight on Beyond Oak Island...

MELVIN: They've recovered
so many silver coins,

it's like visiting the bank.

We found 40 tons' worth
of gold on the Atocha,

but this one section of
the ship, the sterncastle,

- could be worth 20 times more than that.
- Wow.

MATTY: Go find
some treasure, boys.

TONY: It is a childhood dream
to dive on the Atocha wreck.

What do you got, fellas?
Over. What do you got?

My heart's pounding right now.

No way!

[whoops]

All the while we
were growing up,

my brother and I were
fascinated with finding treasure.

RICK: Pirate treasure,

cursed treasure.

Civil w*r gold.

-[laughter] -Since then,
our work on Oak Island

has shown us there's
a world of mysteries...

- Whoa.
- Waiting to be explored.

RICK: So, we like to reach
out to other treasure hunters.

X marks the spot,
right there. Brilliant.

- MARTY: We want to hear their stories...
- That's right.

- And share our insights.
- "Ill-gotten gains."

- RICK: And who knows...
- GARY: I got it.

Maybe we can help
them with their search.

MARTY: Not only in America.

Wow. That is gold.

- RICK: But all over the world.
- Yeah!

MARTY: Beyond Oak Island.

MATTY: One of the
things that we maybe

don't talk as much about

when you're talking
about treasure hunting,

is kind of the other
side of the coin,

as it were, and that's like

the toll it can take on
the treasure hunter,

maybe the mounting pressure
of trying to find something

and not being able to find
it for a long period of time...

What are you trying
to say here, Matty?

Well, I mean, I'm just,
I'm curious about that,

and you look at most of the
successful treasure hunts,

- it doesn't happen overnight.
- No, generally, no.

And I just wonder that
exacting toll it takes

on the people
who are leading it.

Well, it certainly
did on those who

- came before us, here.
- Right?

No question about it.

- You know, Dan and Fred.
- Yeah.

For the long haul,
it does take a toll.

- I mean...
- Of course it does.

Who likes to, you know,
work without having

the big find for years and
years and years and years?

[laughs] Seems like we do.

- Yeah, apparently.
- [laughter]

MATTY: But I'm wondering,
like, what does it take

for you guys to
continue a search?

The word that comes to
mind is "perseverance."

Of course...
Perseverance seems to me

to be vital in anything
worth doing, basically.

And this-this quest
we're on is worth doing.

You know, these traits
and these words we use

when we talk about
what it takes to do this,

I'm wondering... how
those words become

personified in one person.

Who's the treasure
hunter for you

that comes to mind that
stands above all the others?

Certainly, the Lagina brothers.

I think, I think if we said,

"One, two, three,"
and we all said,

- "Say the word," and be genuine.
- Okay.

Ready, one, two, three...

ALL: Mel Fisher.

- Without question.
- That's the one.

Oh, absolutely, yeah.

NARRATOR: In


Mel Fisher moved
with his wife Deo

and their five children
to Key West, Florida.

Their dream was to salvage
treasure from the hundreds

of documented shipwrecks
in the waters off the coast.

After several years
of moderate success,

Mel turned his
attention to locating

one of the most legendary
shipwrecks in history,

the Spanish treasure galleon

known as the Nuestra
Señora de Atocha.

NESVIG: The Atocha
was commissioned by

the Spanish Crown
in 1620 in Havana.

It was part of
the royal fleet that

sailed between the
Americas and Spain.

The Atocha was carrying
a very sizable treasure,

primarily tons,
literally, of silver,

lots of gold, pearls
from Venezuela,

emeralds from Colombia,

when it sailed from Havana
on September 4, 1622.

NARRATOR: Just two
days into her journey,

the Atocha was caught
in a devastating hurricane

and sank off the
southern coast of Florida.

In the coming days
a second storm

would break the ship apart,

scattering her wreckage
and valuables along

the bottom of the ocean.

In 1985, after 16 years

of searching in
vain for the wreck,

Mel Fisher and his
team made history

when they found $450 million

in gold, silver, emeralds,
and other riches

scattered across a nine-
and-a-half-mile debris field.

KIM: I think the main
reason my dad, Mel Fisher,

is so famous is because

of the persistence he
had to find the Atocha.

You know, he looked for the
Atocha for almost 17 years.

NESVIG: Mel Fisher was
someone with incredible drive

and determination
and willingness to go on

and face adversity and failure

and all of that
until the bitter end

until he's finally succeeded.

Mel passed away

in December of 1998,

but his family has
upheld his legacy

as they continue to
salvage the remaining

untold riches from the Atocha.

Today's the day we're
going to find some treasure.

I'll tell you that
much right now.

- Fantastic.
- MATTY: Love it. -All right.

- MARTY: You pretty sure of it?
- I'm confident.

NARRATOR: Earlier this year, Rick,
Marty and Matty joined the Fishers

and their boat captain Tim
Meade off the coast of Key West...

Hey, we're treasure
hunting, fellas.

MARTY: Come on, baby.
Bring me some green.

To search an area
affectionately dubbed

Emerald City due to the abundant

precious gems they have
found there in the past.

RICK: Wow.

You know, that trip
was so incredible.

The system they had

to look for emeralds
in this Emerald City

was so much fun to be

at a conveyer belt
looking for treasure.

I mean it was, it was
awesome to be part of it.

MARTY: It was an
incredible experience.

And there's more there.

- That's key.
- Of course there is.

There's more
there... after 40 years,

there's still a treasure trove

of items down there.

So, the whole
story of Mel Fisher,

you know, is like a...

You know, I grew
up with that story.

And so, a couple of months ago

I had the opportunity
to visit Mel Jr.

In the Sebastian museum there.

Oh, really?

TONY: And so, I
mentioned to Mel I would

love to come down and
do something with them.

It was and is a childhood dream

to dive on that Atocha wreck.

MARTY: Mm-hmm.

Well, the Fishers have
reached out to Tony and myself.

Uh, well, you know
what, I'm gonna

let them tell you
what they have.

They're standing by now, so

- let's say hello again.
- Let's do it.

- MATTY: There they are.
- MARTY: Hello, Mel.

- Hello, Taffi, how are you?
- [overlapping greetings]

Hi there.

Today's the day.

ALL: Today's the day.

- It's infectious, isn't it?
- MATTY: It is.

It's so great to see
you both again, and

I wanted to thank you,
first of all, for contacting

Tony and myself, and-and

you guys have some
new things going on,

so I'd love to talk
about that and have

Rick and Marty
hear all about it.

MELVIN: Yeah, absolutely.

So, since the last time
we had you guys out,

Captain Tim has been
hot on a trail of an area

he thinks is potentially
a part of the sterncastle.

Mel, I remember you mentioning

the sterncastle when
we were there before.

Can you tell me again...
That's an area of high value

for you guys, right, and why?

Yes, so the sterncastle is
the rear portion of the ship

that had the cabins
that would have housed

the wealthy passengers,

the clergymen, any high level,

high-ranking members
that were aboard the ship

as well as their
cargo, their private,

personal possessions.

Our items we've
recovered so far that could

be, you know, linked
to it are gold chains,

gold bars, discs, spits,

high-value religious artifacts,

emerald crosses,

all kinds of different,
unique artifacts.

The most recent gold
coin we recovered in July

of last year is right in line

of where Tim's working.

You know, we've found about


gold and silver...

Wow.

And copper on
the Atocha in 1985,

but this one section of
the ship, the sterncastle,

could dwarf that

and could be worth

ten or 20 times more than that.

- My goodness.
- Wow.

- Isn't that amazing?
- The emeralds that the admiral was smuggling,

allegedly, alone,

could be in the
billions of dollars.

- So, we're excited.
- MARTY: Wow.

- [laughter]
- Yeah.

- How about that?
- I should think.

This is an Atocha two-escudo.

Uh, today's market value's
a little, little under $100,000

if I had to put a dollar on it.

It's about 6.7 grams of gold.

But, so far, the one in July

was the 121st gold coin

recovered on the
Atocha shipwreck.

- MATTY: My goodness.
- Very cool.

So, fair to say,

a lot more gold's
still down there.

- I sure hope so.
- [laughter]

Uh, so, I just heard
from Captain Tim.

He did tell me that
they have a clear

weather window coming
up, and we would love for

you guys to be able
to come out and join us

and get out on the Atocha wreck
site and look for some treasure.

Wow, there's an invite.

- Yes.
- Oh, God.

Rick and I are
up to our eyeballs

on Oak Island, so
we won't be able

to come on this trip.

But we're gonna send
our number one team here.

Didn't you just say that
was one of your dreams?

Tony?

Gee, do you want to
check your schedule?

- [laughter]
- I-I think I'm free.

MATTY: Well, Mel,
this is unbelievable.

Yes, yes, yes, a
thousand times, yes.

Can I coordinate with you guys?

And we'll set up how
we're gonna get there,

but we're on our
way, 100%, thank you.

MELVIN: Absolutely...
Meet you in Key West.

- MATTY: Awesome.
- TONY: Thanks so much, guys, see you soon.

MATTY: See you soon.

MATTY: I think I see Mel there.

TONY: Oh, there's Mel.

- MATTY: Mel?
- TONY: How you doing, bud?

Hey, guys... Tony, Matty.

TONY: Good to see
you again, brother.

Great to see you again.

NARRATOR: Two
days after their meeting

at the Oak Island w*r room...

You guys ready to go out
and find some treasure?

- Oh, yeah.
- Oh, yes.

Matty Blake and Tony Sampson

have arrived in
Key West, Florida.

They're heading some 40 miles

out to sea with treasure
hunter Melvin Abt

to a location where
the Fisher family's

salvage vessel
known as the Magruder

is anchored over a debris field

related to a famous
shipwreck known as the Atocha.

We're about 15
minutes further north

of where we were the last
time you guys were here,

in a little bit of
shallower water.

An area we call
the Bank of Spain.

They've recovered
so many silver coins

there, it's like
visiting the bank.

- MATTY: Wow.
- Fantastic.

MELVIN: It's unreal,
when you pick up

a first silver
coin in 400 years,

the feeling, the
genuine surprise,

genuine shock, and a part
of the history of that coin.

MATTY: Last time
I was here, we were

at Emerald City
looking for emeralds.

And now we've come
here to the Bank of Spain.

It's shallower diving,

it's a little further
out, though,

but the hope, of
course, is to find that

sterncastle, and if
we find the sterncastle,

then you're finding what
could be untold riches.

- Let's hit it.
- TONY: Let's do it.

Captain, full speed ahead.

We move several miles
away from Emerald City,

further down the Atocha trail
to an area where we're likely to

find artifacts that would
have been in the sterncastle.

The sterncastle is the
rear section of the ship

that housed the wealthy
passengers, the clergymen,

some of the more valuable
artifacts of the Atocha.

♪ ♪

Oh, I see Captain Tim.

Let's go... let's go!

TONY: From what
I understand now,

is the bow section
and midships has been

what's been recovered
over the years,

and the part that
now is still unfound

is the sterncastle part.

- Matty!
- MATTY: Captain!

I hope you brought
the good vibes, brother.

I hope you brought
the good vibes.

NARRATOR: Having
arrived at the Fisher family's

salvage vessel, the Magruder,

Melvin, Tony, and Matty are
greeted by Captain Tim Meade,

an expert salvage
diver in his own right,

who has spent the past 13 years

serving aboard the Magruder.

MATTY: Well, uh, yeah,
you know Tony, he's a

expert diver, adventurer
extraordinaire,

and, um, he's the right guy
to help you guys out today.

Birds of a feather
flock together, bro.

You're more than welcome,
it's good to have you on board.

MATTY: This is an all-star
crew on the Magruder,

and now we just added
Tony Sampson to the mix.

One of the best
divers in the world,

so I'm very excited.

I want to know more about
how you found this spot.

Yeah, we can go into
the, uh, the chart room.

- All right.
- Show you right there where we're at exactly.

Tony, you just hang on
a little bit longer, brother.

A little bit longer.

I am very

optimistic, but I'm also

very hopeful that we can

come up with something on this,

what's been an
incredibly successful

treasure salvage operation
for a very long time.

I don't want to come
here and report back

to Rick and Marty that we
were empty-handed on this trip.

All right, Captain,

I remember a map last time.

Uh, is this different?

TIM: This is different, this
is where we are excavating.

We're currently right here.

- MATTY: Oh, so this is us here? Okay.
- Yeah.

When the wreck sank,
and she started breaking

up in the second
hurricane, she was getting

shoved this direction.

Her midsection...

was all together here,
breaking up, breaking up,

and as she's getting
tossed around in the storm,

her treasure is falling
out, falling out, falling out.

And the interesting
part about this

is you can see
there's... all these circles

represent holes
that we've excavated.

And of course,
here's the legend.

Everything's color-charted...
Yellow means gold.

Last year, my
engineer Zach Moore

recovered a
two-escudo gold coin.

Right here's the gold coin
that we recovered last year.

MATTY: Yep.

TIM: And right in line,
the same denomination.

MATTY: Holy moly,
that's a straight line.

So, we're right on
the treasure trail.

- TIM: We're right on what I...
- The gold treasure trail.

I've dubbed it the gold line.

[exhales] So, when
you start seeing gold

in a line like this, do
you think you could be

upon that sterncastle?

The thought is, there
might be a lot of wealth

hidden in that sterncastle.

There's gonna be a ton

of wealth in that sterncastle.

- And why?
- MELVIN: Well...

there is 35 chests of cargo

registered to the Church.

So, the Church didn't
have to tell the registry

what was... what they
were putting in their boxes.

It was just 35 chests of gifts.

All right, great, well,
let's continue this

trail of gold, shall we?

TONY: I think it's a great idea.

TIM: Let's go ahead and
get the yellow coloring

pencil out in
preparation, let's go

ahead and sharpen
it up, and let's do it.

- Let's go get wet. I'm amped.
- Let's get in the water.

TIM: There she goes.

NARRATOR: In order to
prepare the search area

for the dive operation,

the team will utilize

a method designed by
Mel Fisher in the 1960s

known as "mailbox blowing."

- MATTY: They're in.
- Clear to go.

NARRATOR: Using
two large steel tubes,

the Magruder's engine
wash is redirected



creating a powerful jet stream

to clear sand and silt
away from the ocean bottom.

TIM: Starboard engine fire up.

NARRATOR: It is this method
that has helped the Fishers

recover more than
$800 million in treasure

from the Atocha so far.

MELVIN: Let's put
on our dive gear.

TIM: Let's get the gear on,

let's go do this, let's
make today the day.

ALL: Today's the day.

MELVIN: I'm super excited to

go out there and
dive with Tony and see

what he and I can find.

Hopefully, we'll find a bunch
of gold, a bunch of silver,

bring up some
really cool artifacts.

MELVIN: Tony and
I will systematically

search the hole
visually and work

our way left or right
around the hole,

and Matty should
be topside on comms.

TONY: On this dive we're using

scuba gear, but
with comms masks.

And so, the comms is wireless.

It's run by a transducer
dropped in the water.

TONY: As we get our gear ready,

everything's prepped,
comms unit's prepped.

We've got the right
team, the right tools,

the right place,
today's the day.

TIM: Divers good?

Divers are clear, good hunting.

- MATTY: Go get 'em, baby.
- TIM: Diver two!

Divers in.

♪ ♪

Tony and Mel, I
can hear you guys.

I got ears and eyes on you.

I can see your bubbles, fellas,

everything looks good,
great day for treasure hunting,

let's find some gold. Over.

Mel, it's Matty on the
surface... did you say wood?

Confirm... wood? Over.

Mel, it's Matty.

Were you able to get your
hands on that wood? Over.

What do you got, fellas? Over.

What do you got?

MELVIN: Let's head up.

NARRATOR: Off the
coast of Key West, Florida,

divers Melvin Abt
and Tony Sampson

have just completed
their initial search

for lost treasure connected to

the renowned shipwreck
known as the Atocha.

TIM: Divers coming up!

Every day underwater
is a great day.

Yeah, we'll sit you right here.

MATTY: So, first
impressions, buddy,

what happened when
you got down there?

TONY: We were doing
a grid search around in

a circular pattern, and, uh,

we found some interesting
timbers down there,

but nothing shiny.

But that just means
that the shiny stuff

is just a little
bit further over.

MELVIN: So, we did find this.

It's, uh, some sort of
bone on the bottom.

- Definitely not human.
- No.

Really?

- Yeah.
- Wow.

Huh.

Or is it too...?

Really?

NARRATOR: During European
colonization of the Americas

between the 15th
and 18th centuries,

it was common for livestock
and other kinds of animals

to be transported
on galleon ships

from Central and South
America, as well as the Caribbean.

Some of these animals
would serve as sustenance

during the long journeys,

while certain species,

such as monkeys or wild cats,

were brought along to serve as

uniquely exotic companions.

We found bones on Oak
Island, and they turned out

to be way older than
anyone expected,

from the Middle East, at depth.

So, if that's an animal that was

on the Atocha, how
cool would that be?

Extremely cool.

There were animals
on the Atocha,

mainly pigs and cows.

They were using them for food

on their journey back.

The bone will be
thoroughly checked over

and inspected against
different types of animal bones.

Our conservation lab will
keep it in a stable condition.

MELVIN: Can't get
discouraged, you know.

The next hole we dive in
further down the Atocha trail

could be a million-dollar hole.

Just got to move over,

excavate again and keep diving.

TIM: Right here is where we are,

and we're going to
shift to right there,

right on the gold line.

Want to do the honors of
giving the commands out?

Can I, really?

Yeah, I'll walk you right
through it, piece of cake.

All right, tell them
to slack starboard 20,

and 20 to port.

MATTY [over radio]: Slack
starboard 20, and 20 to port.

Slack 20! 20, aye, aye.

NARRATOR: In order to
reposition the Magruder

along the so-called gold line

to their next
location of interest,

Captain Tim Meade and his
team employ a tri-anchor system,

adjusting the slack
of three rope lines

connected to the boat.

Slack the bow five!

[muffled chatter]

NARRATOR: Once
the boat is anchored

at its new position...

Hold!

- Hold!
- Great job, gentlemen!

The team will once again

use their mailbox
blower system...

TIM: All right, here we go.

To clear away sand and silt,

so the divers can
search for more valuables.

TIM: Starboard engine fire up.

MATTY: The Fishers
have learned over the years

how best to bring up treasure

from the bottom
of the ocean floor.

They are methodically,
archaeologically,

and intelligently searching.

Now, we have another chance

to get divers in the water.

We're gonna find some treasure.

MELVIN: So, according
to Captain Tim,

it's a rather large hole,
about ten feet of sand.

Little solution holes
down in the bottom,

lots of material, so...

TONY Fantastic.

NARRATOR: The powerful jet
stream of the mailbox blowers

not only uncover artifacts

but also expose solution holes.

These are sinkholes that
form naturally over time

on the ocean floor.

However, they collect debris

that is shifted by water
currents as well as the blowers,

and are ideal places to
look for hidden valuables.

Well, with those
solution holes, Mel,

I'll bring the Vibra-Probe down.

It's similar to a metal
detector or pinpointer,

except once you
turn it on, it vibrates,

and so that'll be great
in those solution holes

to see if there's any gold

or silver or anything metallic.

MATTY: Well, I like to see this,

Captain in his natural habitat.

You're going in.

[both laugh]

I don't go in as
often as I used to.

- Yeah.
- Other duties now.

But this is how
you started, right?

Diving got you into
the whole life, right?

Oh, yeah.

I started on this
boat 13 years ago.

You took to it right away?

Like, that was it,
you were hooked?

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

On my first trip out,

my first dive from this vessel

was in 60 feet of water.

And I found an emerald just
with my bare eyes on the bottom.

- Come on!
- And brought it up,

gave it to the captain.

Second trip out, I
found some pottery.

Third trip out, I got
my first silver coin.

Fourth trip out, I found
gold for the first time.

I just need to say something.
With your track record,

if there's treasure
in that hole,

you guys are gonna find it.

And if you don't,
it ain't there.

If there's treasure in it,
it's coming up with us.

- Yes, that's right.
- That's a fact.

Now the pressure's
on, holy crap!

No, we got to bring
something up, bro.

Let's go.

Okay, divers are ready?
Go find some treasure, boys.

Divers one and two are in!

All clear?

ZACH: All clear.

MATTY: So, divers are
in, they're going to start their

systematic search, like
a grid-pattern search,

on the target area,

and hopefully come
up with some treasure.

I can see them right now,

they're at depth, so now
it's just a waiting game.

I'm gonna try and
get on the comms.

Give me a dive status, fellas.

Tell me what you see.

All right, well, get cracking,

see if you can find a
coin in one of those. Over.

TONY: So, we're looking in
all the crevices, in all the holes

using the Vibra-Probe to see if
we've got a metallic signature.

[Vibra-Probe vibrating]

Go ahead, Tony.
Matty on topside. Over.

What do you got, fellas? Over.

Well, that's great news. Over.

NARRATOR: While diving a site
off the coast of Key West, Florida,

believed to be
connected to the wreck

of the legendary
Atocha treasure galleon,

Melvin Abt, Tony Sampson,

and Tim Meade have just made

a potentially
valuable discovery.

Get to the surface
when you can, divers.

Can't wait to see you, let's go!

Divers coming up!

It's Mel coming up, Captain.

I got him.

All right, Mel.

Here comes...

I got Tony up.

Hand me those
fins, mate, all right.

What do you say, nice day
for treasure hunting, mate?

I love it.

There we go. Oh...

MATTY: Captain's coming up!

How we doing, sir?

TIM: I'm doing fabulous,
how are you doing?

Got a little bit of the ocean
with you here? Let me...

Got a little bit of the
wreck with me, too.

Oh, man.

TIM: You find something
nice in the wreck,

you put it inside your glove.

That way you keep
your hand closed over it.

MATTY: Why you
guys smiling like that?

[laughter]

My heart's pounding right now.

TIM: Silver coin.

No way!

[whoops]

- You did it, oh, my God!
- Right?

- High five.
- You did it, Captain!

That is silver, oh, my God.

Probably a two-real, it's...

MATTY: A two-real
from the Atocha,

almost 400 years to the day.

You did it!

- You did it!
- We did it.

- Today's the day.
- Today's the day.

[laughter]

TONY: Everybody is buzzing.

You know, this is what
everybody's been waiting for.

This is treasure
from 400 years ago.

[whoops]

Ah, my God!

Oh, my God, holy moly!

This is the greatest
treasure find

I've ever been
present to witness.

This is a 400-year-old coin

from probably the most
famous wreck of all time.

In the entirety of the
ocean... I just want to say this,

the first impression...
The entirety of the ocean,

to find that, in this vastness,

says a lot about you guys.

That's incredible.

We kind of talk about the needle
in the haystack kind of thing.

That is... and how it's
got all the concretion on it

and everything.

Anyone untrained
would miss that.

- TONY: It's beautiful.
- MELVIN: Spanish silver coin.

So, from studying
numismatics, money and coins,

we know that the coin is
either a two-real or a four-real

based on the weight
and the size of the coin.

Depending on the grade
and the markings of the coin,

once it's conserved
and clean, shiny again,

the value could range
from $1,100 up to $5,800.

MATTY: So, this is gonna
go right into conservation?

Wet tank right here on the
boat until we get it back to shore.

Then it'll be transferred
into a conservation lab.

Bag it and tag it.

ZACH: 0-9-1-8-9-5.

Two-real silver coin.

MELVIN: It's extremely
exciting to find a coin like that.

TONY: It's a thing
of beauty, Mel!

There's another 68,000
still remaining to be found.

So, this one could be a
part of a clump or chest

very nearby.

Every time we
find another artifact,

it's like a bread crumb to the
big pile of candy at the end.

Well, where there's
one, there's another!

Where there's one,
there's another, that's right.

We found some silver, let's
get some gold on the deck.

Let's get some gold!

You want gold on the deck?

Go on out and get it.

With the excitement on board
of a silver coin coming up,

we've now decided
to blow another hole

right next to the
one we were in.

So, once the hole's been dug,

again, myself and Mel

and crew, we suit up.

Let's do it,

let's pull up some gold
up on the deck, bro.

Ooh!

We're gonna do it again,
we're all feeling hopeful.

Looks like beautiful conditions.

Dive is on, here we
go, last chance to find

that sterncastle.

- Divers ready?
- Yeah.

TIM: Diver one!

Diver two!

Again, we're fortunate:
crystal clear water,

descend down into the hole.

And again, we've got a
nice, hard-packed bottom.

I got ears on you, Tony and
Mel, hear you loud and clear.

MELVIN: Zach Moore
went down with a detector,

and he was doing a
systematic circle search

while Tony and I
did visual searches,

and Tony was using
his Vibra-Probe.

MELVIN: Tony was
checking solution holes,

making sure not to miss
any small metal objects

that get lodged
in the little cracks

and crevices of the hard bottom.

Mel, it's Matty on the surface.

Check in with me,
what's happening now?

What are you doing next? Over.

What do you think
it could be? Over.

Oh, oh, oh.

MELVIN: I noticed Zach Moore

pumping around and
doing all these crazy motions

and blasting his air out,
uh, faster than he should be.

So I swam over to him.

Ah, ha, ha. That's what I
wanted to hear, good buddy!

NARRATOR: In the waters off
the coast of Key West, Florida,

divers Zach Moore

and Melvin Abt have just made

another potentially
valuable discovery

connected to the


known as the Atocha.

Divers up.

Whoo-hoo!

I didn't quite know what
was coming to the surface.

I hear there was some
excitement down there, huh?

Oh, I think there
was, my friend.

Yeah, yeah? You think,
you think, you think?

You think or do you
know? I like absolutes.

Okay, absolute. Yes.

-Ah! -Yes, yes, yes.

But I can tell from Tony's
face that it's something good,

and that's almost better.

- Another beautiful dive.
- Beautiful.

You looked busy
down there, buddy.

You looked busy.

Let's get you over here, and...

Whew!

TONY: Absolutely beautiful.

ZACH: Oh, yeah. Gorgeous, right?

You know what's
even prettier than that?

Is what we find...

- Oh, another glove?
- On the bottom there.

I think I got a little
something here, you know.

- Oh, wow!
- Look at that.

So, what do we
think that is, Captain?

- [whoops]
- That's a silver coin.

Another one!

- Two for two.
- Unbelievable, fellas.

And she was on her edge, eh?

ZACH: Yep, right there,

recovered her right on the edge.

No signature from
the metal detector

or anything until I got
it out and laid her flat.

Very little material
left from a silver coin.

We call them razors

because there's hardly
any markings through them,

hardly any material left to it.

Fantastic.

TONY: The second coin that's
come up, possibly the eight real,

is what we call a razor.

So, a razor is really thin,

it's been eroded away,

whether by movement
on the bottom

or whether being sand,

similar to a razor blade.

So, this is a thin silver
coin from the Atocha.

ZACH: Still got the
encrustation left on it.

The silver oxidation.

MATTY: This is an
incredibly good find by Zach,

because it wasn't
with a metal detector.

And we say on the island all
the time, eyes and boots, right?

But then I like to say
on dives, eyes and fins.

And this was an eyes and
fins; underwater dive, he sees it,

he sees that little razor edge,

just enough to excavate.

I mean, if... anyone else
practically in the world

could've passed that
right over and not noticed it.

But he was able to get it, just
amazing job of treasure hunting.

Top notch.

You said bring up
something bigger, right?

- Two silver coins and...
- Oh, absolutely.

How's that feel,
buddy? Two in one day.

Piece of history.

Today was the day.

Sometimes the crew can
go days or weeks or months

without making
a recovery at all.

So to find two silver coins

is a very good indicator

that we're on the
trail of the sterncastle.

Well, Tony, I mean,
has this not been

- the greatest experience ever?
- TONY: It's been phenomenal,

guys, thank you so much.

Two coins, it's, like,
unbelievable, unbelievable.

I know Rick and Marty are
going to be brokenhearted

that they didn't
come to this trip,

because they missed
out on the treasure,

but watching your process
and how you guys work

has been an honor.

So, while the artifacts
we found today

could have been
part of the sterncastle,

we got to keep searching,

we got to get back
out, another trip out.

Maybe next time you
guys can come with us;

if not, we're going
to do it anyways,

we're going to get
out here and find it.

Oh, I believe that.

I have no doubt now that
they can find the sterncastle.

This is the right
team to do it, clearly.

The evidence is there.

They're making
finds along this trail,

and if anyone can do
it, it's gonna be them.

You guys are always
welcome aboard my ship.

Thank you, Captain,
today was the day!

- Today was the day!
- Bring it in, everyone.

All in, forever in.

[cheering]

This trip was a big success.

Safe travels, gentlemen.

Thank you.

MELVIN: The greatest failure

is really if you don't try,

so even just getting out
there and continuing the search

is good enough,

but if you can put
treasure on deck,

it's even better.

¡Vaya con Dios, mis amigos!

MATTY: May the
wind be at your back.

MELVIN: There's
little doubt in my mind

that we will finish the job,

and my confidence
levels are through the roof

that we will find the
sterncastle of the Atocha.

♪ ♪

TONY: The excitement was huge.

Matty almost jumped off the ship

when we brought
that coin up there.

MATTY: Look, it's the coin, yeah,
and you know what's funny, Tony,

I've learned so much
under your tutelage.

Before I started on this thing, I
never would have recognized it

as a silver coin, and the
second I saw that concretion

and the dark color, I
was like, "That's silver."

MARTY: That's beautiful.

To some extent we're
jealous, you know?

You guys go for one day and
you come home with a silver coin.

- Hundred percent, yes.
- TONY: It was unbelievable, guys.

You know, last time
we talked to Mel,

he was talking about he
had three points on a line...

Isn't that a fourth point, then?

Isn't that really the
significance of it?

You make a great point, Marty.

The whole object
here is for them

- to find the sterncastle, right?
- Yeah. Yeah.

So, if you don't find this...

You're going the
wrong way, probably.

So, this is very validating.

MARTY: Yeah, I think
that's, that's the significance.

Because you found
something, you're still going

- to keep going that way.
- Bingo.

Yeah, it just, it
vindicates what, you know,

what we're doing, it
vindicates that line.

Mel has an update to
fill us in on since we left,

and I think you guys
are going to like this, so...

- Great, cool.
- Let's call him up again.

MARTY: Hello, Mel!

-[talking over each
other] -Hi, guys.

- Hello again.
- How are you?

Doing well, how about you guys?

We're all right,
we're pretty enthused

about what these
guys managed to find,

and we hear you
have some updates.

Yep, so, Captain Tim was
able to get out to the site

a couple times since you
guys have been down here,

and we've been able to make
some real interesting recoveries.

Excited to share with
you what we have, uh,

this one is super unique.

- MARTY: Wow.
- TONY: Excellent!

I do have a picture
of it up on my screen,

uh, able to show you guys.

We're still looking
into it, but it's possibly

the first loose pearl

ever recovered
on the Atocha site.

- MATTY: Oh, yeah.
- Wow.

MARTY: That's beautiful.

MATTY: Pearl.

[sighs]

MARTY: How in the
hell did you find that?

- TAFFI: It wasn't easy.
- [laughs] No, agreed.

MELVIN: You guys
have been out there.

You see the kind of
operation we have,

you know, big boats
and a much bigger ocean.

-Yeah. -MELVIN: So, yeah,

to find an object like this

that's less than a centimeter
long by a centimeter wide

is a pretty big feat.

This actually came
right off the bottom?

Correct, yeah.

This was recovered by a diver
down underneath the water.

MARTY: That's amazing. How?

I know they use hand-held
metal detectors, but that...

- That ain't gonna help.
- That's a pearl, right.

H-How, just his eye?

Yeah, spotted it by
eye doing a circle search

and, um, brought it up
because it is a curious item

and it just required
further investigation

at the conservation lab.

MATTY: Incredible.
Now, would that be...

In the search for
the sterncastle,

would that be validating
to you, Mel, that you're

still heading in
the right direction?

Would something like
this be tucked away

-in that sterncastle? -Yes.

When we think
about the sterncastle,

we think of the
wealthy passengers

and the cargo they
were carrying, so a pearl

probably would be
among those items.

Exciting.

Our other find I'm
excited to share...

I have the other silver
coin that we recovered

on the same trip as well.

Oh, wow.

TONY: That's beautiful.

MELVIN: This one is more
likely to be an eight real,

the larger denomination.

And because of its
weight... it's pretty heavy,

fully encrusted, over 29 grams...

-Wow. -we're pretty confident

it's going to be a
higher-grade coin

with nicer markings, you know?

It's hard to tell

until it's cleaned up,

but just from the weight
and previous experience,

we kind of get a good idea.

Wait a second.

That's bigger than the coin
we found, Tony. [laughs]

Matty, I think
you've got coin envy.

- I think you're right.
- [chuckling]

Bigger doesn't always
mean better, you know.

On the Atocha, the smaller
denominations of coins

were more rare,

- and more valuable.
- Thank you, Mel.

I can't wait to see these
coins cleaned up, guys.

-Oh. -MELVIN: Yeah, absolutely.

Those two finds are
really encouraging.

The Magruder is
going to head out

at the end of the week,
and if all goes right,

we'll have our
second salvage boat,

a 90-foot salvage
boat, The Dare,

also out there on the
wreck site, and we'll have

twice as many boats,

and that hopefully means
twice as much treasure.

-Wow. -We're hopeful.

This trip's the trip.

We're going to find
the other mother.

Fantastic. Today's
the day, guys.

When we find the next big pile,

you guys ought to come
down and help us bring it up.

- Done. -Oh...
- I'll be there.

MATTY: I just want
to say one quick thing.

Thank you, of
course, for these trips,

but Melvin, I was so
singularly impressed with you,

the way you run things,

the way you
interact with the crew

and captain, the
way you treated us.

You are, perhaps, I would think,

your grandfather's
greatest legacy, in a way.

The treasure is awesome

and the gold chains
and everything are great,

but you are a
tremendous young man,

and I really valued meeting
you and learning from you.

That means a lot,
thank you so much.

Okay.

- Well...
- Okay, guys.

- We'll stay in touch.
- Hope to see you soon.

All right, sounds good,
and today's the day.

- Today's the day.
- Thank you, guys.

- Wow.
- MARTY: What a family.

Oh, amazing. Mel Fisher's
one of those names,

and to meet them
and to work with them

and see their
operation, it's just...

He exhibits the traits

that are necessary
to be successful.

He's carried on the
Fisher legacy, right?

Mel Senior, he was
always successful

because of the same
traits we see in this,

as you said, Matty,
in this young man.

MATTY: That's right.

- There's more coming, you know?
- Oh, they're not done.

TONY: Oh, no. No, no, no.

And I'm just super
excited, you know.

This is going to
lead to more stuff,

you know, same as
Oak Island, you know?

It just keeps giving.

All right. So we're deep into
other people's treasure hunts,

and got one ticked
off your bucket list,

let's go work on our own.

- Ah, yes.
- Awesome!

MATTY:
Yes!