Mel Fisher spent over 8,000 days searching to find the $400 million treasure of gold, silver, and rare artifacts from the richest Spanish shipwreck ever recovered, the
Nuestra Senora de Atocha
, but it cost him the life of his son, daughter-in-law, and another diver in the quest. Finding the treasure was only the beginning of the battle he endured with the state of Florida and the U.S. Federal government in the U.S. Admiralty Courts over ownership, eventually winning in U.S. Supreme Court.
From a small midwestern town in Indiana, Mel, as a member of the Greatest Generation, was a 'Day-2' survivor of Normandy's 'Green Beach.' As a postwar visionary and a pioneer of underwater exploration and equipment, Mel was a fearless and determined leader of many treasure hunting expeditions from California to Florida, and around the world. In pursuit of his dreams, he relocated his entire family from California to Florida in the early 1960s on an adventurous search for sunken Spanish galleons.
Mel Fisher was no stranger to adversity and his fighting spirit and refusal to surrender are timeless examples to everyone who has ever dreamed of achieving the impossible. Even though Mel hunts for and finds "treasure," he recognizes that it comes in myriad forms, including the richness of the journey, the people who surround it, the archaeology, and the continuity of life. Mel Fisher's inspiring and motivating attitude about hard work, perseverance and the value of education enabled him to achieve his unprecedented success, one day at a time, always believing that 'Today's the Day!'