Key West, that glittering gem of an island at the southernmost point of the U.S.A. is also known as Cayeo Hueso or “Island of bones” named by the former inhabitants of the island- the Calusa Indians, because of the many shipwrecks on the beautiful but treacherous reefs of the Florida Keys. It is on these shores that the washed up bones of many a sea faring voyager could be found. Today, Key West is a major tourist attraction for visitors from around the world who have arrived at our shores in a more fashionable manner.

One of the major attractions in all of the Florida Keys is Mel Fisher’s Museum, located right in Old Town Key West. Also in the building, which houses and displays to the public millions in recovered Spanish treasures, are the offices and conservation laboratories of the men and women who continue to carry out Mel Fisher’s legacy. It's from here that Mel and his “Golden Crew,” as he liked to call them, brainstormed the search for the Atocha and her sister ship, Santa Margarita. It was this unrelenting search that held a spellbound world in fascination, while one man, undeterred by government interference and financial and personal hardships continued to follow his dream.

Today, you can still find our crew busy at work in the labs restoring artifacts that are being recovered almost daily from those same two famous shipwrecks. But, if you can't make it to Key West anytime soon, we would still like you to meet our “Golden Crew”.