The Real Story Behind Mel Fisher’s Atocha Treasure: An Interview with Jedwin Smith
What would you do if you spent 16 years searching for something you weren’t even sure you’d ever find?
Would you keep going? Would you believe that today might finally be the day? Or would there come a point when you’d decide enough was enough?
Those were some of the questions running through my mind when I picked up Fatal Treasure by Jedwin Smith, the story of Mel Fisher and his search for the legendary Spanish shipwreck, the Nuestra Señora de Atocha.
I was absolutely riveted.
In fact, I read the book, finished it, and immediately went back and read it again. The first time, I wanted to know what happened next. The second time, I wanted to understand the people behind the adventure.
Because while the story is about gold, silver, emeralds, and one of the greatest treasure discoveries ever made, it’s also about something much bigger.
It’s about chasing a dream, believing in something when almost no one else does, and the people who stand beside you along the way.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Jedwin Smith for our Fun in Key West Book Club, and what a conversation we had! Jedwin didn’t just write about the treasure hunt. He became part of it.
And he had some stories to share that didn’t make it into the book.
📚 Want to Read Fatal Treasure?
If Mel Fisher, the Atocha, and the people behind the treasure hunt have caught your curiosity, you can grab a copy of Fatal Treasure on Amazon.
A little Fun in Key West housekeeping: This is a paid affiliate link, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through it, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend things I genuinely enjoy, and this book certainly qualifies!
A Rainstorm, a Wrong Turn, and Mel Fisher
Sometimes the best adventures are the ones you never planned.
Jedwin’s introduction to the world of treasure hunting happened almost entirely by accident.
He was a newspaper reporter visiting Key West on an assignment that had nothing to do with shipwrecks or treasure. A heavy rainstorm rolled in as he approached the island, making it nearly impossible to see the road.
Unfamiliar with Key West, he made his way through town, eventually found a parking space, and looked up.
There in front of him was Mel Fisher’s Treasure Museum.
For Jedwin, who had dreamed of underwater adventures since childhood, it was impossible to resist.
He bought a ticket, watched a film about the discovery of treasure from the Spanish galleon Margarita, and wandered into the museum.
Then something extraordinary happened.
A large man walked up, put his arm around Jedwin’s shoulder, and said:
“Pretty neat stuff, huh, kid?”
It was Mel Fisher himself.
Jedwin admitted that he had never heard of Mel Fisher or the Atocha before walking into that museum.
But that chance meeting would change his life.
What Jedwin didn’t know at the time was that Mel had reportedly gone bankrupt that very morning. After years of searching for the Atocha, facing mounting expenses and plenty of skeptics, Mel was still convinced the treasure was out there.
And he was still talking about finding it.
Mel Fisher and the Search for the Atocha
The Nuestra Señora de Atocha was a Spanish treasure ship that sank during a hurricane in 1622 near the Florida Keys.
The ship carried an extraordinary cargo that included silver, gold, emeralds, and other valuables.
Centuries later, Mel Fisher and his crew set out to find what remained of the wreck.
But this wasn’t a treasure hunt that lasted a few weekends or even a few years.
It took years of searching, research, diving, and dealing with obstacles that would have convinced many people to quit.
By the time Jedwin met Mel, the search had been going on for approximately 16 years.
Jedwin asked the question that so many people must have wondered.
Why hadn’t he found it yet?
Mel’s answer was simple:
“The ocean’s a mighty big, big place.”
And he was right.
Imagine searching the ocean floor, day after day, hoping that the next patch of sand might hold the treasure you’ve spent years pursuing.
Now imagine doing that while dealing with financial problems, legal battles, and people who think you’re chasing something that doesn’t exist.
Yet Mel continued to believe.
His famous motto was “Today’s the day.”
Not someday. Not maybe next year.
Today.
And that belief became something Jedwin would carry with him long after the treasure hunt.
From Newspaper Reporter to Treasure Hunter
When Jedwin first interviewed Mel Fisher, he expected to write an interesting newspaper story and return to his regular job.
That plan didn’t last long.
During his visit, word came from the salvage boat Dauntless that the crew had recovered 12 gold bars.
Suddenly, the story was getting much bigger.
Jedwin returned to Atlanta and wrote about Mel Fisher and the treasure hunt. The article appeared on the front page of the Sunday newspaper.
He was thrilled.
But when he arrived at work the next day, two editors called him into a meeting and informed him that he had written his last story for the newspaper.
They believed Mel Fisher wasn’t credible and thought the newspaper had made a terrible mistake by publishing the article.
Then the publisher walked into the room.
Instead of firing Jedwin, he gave him a remarkable assignment.
Go back to Key West. Join the salvage crew. Stay until Mel Fisher finds the Atocha.
There was just one problem.
The crew had already been looking for 16 years, and there was no guarantee they would ever find it.
But Jedwin took the assignment.
And before long, he was aboard a salvage boat, surrounded by people whose lives revolved around finding a treasure that had been underwater for centuries.
The Day Jedwin Smith Almost Died Finding Emeralds
One of the most remarkable stories Jedwin shared during our conversation was about his early experiences diving with the treasure crew.
He wasn’t an experienced diver when he joined the operation.
In fact, he kept asking the other crew members what it felt like to find treasure.
Eventually, one of the divers, Don Jonas, had heard enough.
He told Jedwin that the next day, he was going diving.
And what happened underwater was something Jedwin would never forget.
While searching the ocean floor, Jedwin was using a vacuum hose to move sand when he noticed something green.
Emeralds.
Not just one or two.
He described seeing beautiful, thumb-sized emeralds coming out of the sand.
He was so excited that he completely lost track of time.
And his air supply.
By the time he realized what had happened, his tank was empty.
Jedwin managed to reach Don Jonas, who helped him ascend safely using their shared air supply.
During our interview, Jedwin made one thing very clear.
Don saved his life.
What struck me about this story wasn’t just the danger. It was the excitement that had completely consumed Jedwin.
He had spent his childhood dreaming about finding treasure, and suddenly there he was, holding emeralds that had been hidden beneath the sea for hundreds of years.
It was the kind of moment that made him understand why the Fisher crew kept searching.
But it also showed how dangerous that search could be.
The Difference Between a Treasure Hunter and a Treasure Finder
There’s a wonderful distinction Jedwin shared that I hadn’t really thought about before.
Anyone can be a treasure hunter.
But becoming a treasure finder is something entirely different.
Jedwin remembered Mel Fisher telling him that thousands of people throughout history had searched for treasure, but very few had actually found it.
Eventually, Jedwin found his first silver coin from the Atocha.
And that little piece of history changed his status.
He was no longer just a treasure hunter.
He was a treasure finder.
During our interview, Jedwin showed me the necklace he wears with that first Atocha coin.
He explained that new divers were allowed to keep their first coin.
For him, it was more than a valuable artifact.
It represented an experience that very few people ever get to have.
He had gone from imagining underwater adventures to participating in a real treasure discovery.
And he still speaks about it with the excitement of someone who can hardly believe it happened.
The Hidden Cost of Finding Treasure
It’s easy to look at the Atocha discovery and think about the incredible wealth recovered from the ocean floor.
Gold bars. Silver coins. Emeralds. Jewelry.
But that’s only part of the story.
The search also involved enormous financial struggles, exhausting work, dangerous conditions, and heartbreaking losses.
Jedwin spoke about the lives lost during the years of searching, including tragedies that deeply affected the Fisher family and the crew.
He also shared how difficult the daily work could be.
This wasn’t simply jumping into clear blue water, picking up a few gold coins, and heading back to shore.
Divers spent long hours searching, often making repeated dives, carefully working through sand and debris.
Some continued working through financially difficult periods because they believed in Mel and the dream they were pursuing.
And through it all, Mel kept saying:
“Today’s the day.”
When I asked Jedwin what kept Mel believing, his answer wasn’t about money.
It was about Mel’s extraordinary optimism.
Jedwin told me he never heard Mel speak negatively about the search, even through the most difficult circumstances.
That determination left a lasting impression.
But Fatal Treasure doesn’t ignore the human cost of that determination.
And I think that’s one of the reasons the book stayed with me long after I finished reading it.
What Key West Was Like During the Atocha Discovery
Another part of our conversation I found fascinating was hearing Jedwin describe the Key West he remembered from the 1980s.
It wasn’t quite the bustling destination you experience today.
He recalled a time when many storefronts along Duval Street were boarded up and the island was still dealing with the economic changes that followed reductions in the military presence.
The treasure discovery brought extraordinary attention to Key West.
According to Jedwin, reporters, television crews, and other media from around the world descended on the island as the news spread.
The Atocha wasn’t just a treasure story.
It became part of Key West’s identity.
And even after all his years traveling the world as a journalist, Jedwin still talks about Key West with tremendous affection.
He fell in love with the island.
That part I can certainly understand!
A Treasure Hunt That Lasted Three Days Longer Than Expected
Of course, not every story Jedwin shared was serious.
One of my favorites involved a trip to Key West with his wife, June.
They were planning to spend about a week together on the island.
But when Jedwin ran into members of the salvage crew, they invited him to join them on another trip to the wreck site.
June agreed.
What Jedwin failed to explain was that the trip out to the site would take hours and that he wouldn’t necessarily be coming back that evening.
Then the crew started finding emeralds.
And Jedwin got caught up in the adventure.
Three days later, another crew member reminded him that his wife was still back in Key West.
Three days!
He had been so absorbed in the treasure hunt that he’d completely lost track of how long he’d been away.
When Jedwin finally returned to the hotel, he was so excited that he told June he wanted to quit his newspaper job and become a full-time treasure finder.
June had a different perspective.
They had four children, a mortgage, and bills to pay.
Needless to say, Jedwin returned to his journalism career.
But I couldn’t help laughing when he told this story. Even decades later, you could hear how much excitement those emeralds had created.
The People Behind the Atocha Treasure
One of the things I appreciated most about talking with Jedwin was how often he came back to the people.
He talked about Mel Fisher, of course.
But he also shared memories of divers, captains, researchers, and others who made the search possible.
He spoke warmly of Don Jonas, the man who saved his life underwater.
He recalled the encouragement and help he received from crew members who taught him about diving and treasure hunting.
And he explained how, over time, they began trusting him enough to share stories they had never told other reporters.
In fact, Jedwin told me he still has approximately 54 hours of recorded interviews from his time researching the story.
Imagine the history captured in those recordings!
Those firsthand accounts helped him write Fatal Treasure, giving readers a look beyond the headlines and the enormous value of the recovered treasure.
And as our conversation continued, I began to realize something.
For Jedwin, the lasting treasure wasn’t simply the artifacts recovered from the Atocha.
It was also the relationships and friendships formed during the search.
Jedwin Smith’s Favorite Key West Stops
You know I couldn’t let Jedwin leave our conversation without asking a few Key West questions!
And his answers offered a little glimpse into the island he remembers.
Favorite Key West breakfast spot: Two Friends
Jedwin didn’t hesitate to name Two Friends as his favorite breakfast spot.
His order?
Three eggs, bacon, hash browns, and white toast.
Nothing fancy. Just a good, hearty breakfast before another adventure.
The one place he’d recommend to a first-time visitor
The Mel Fisher Treasure Museum.
No surprise there!
For Jedwin, seeing the actual artifacts helps bring the entire story to life.
It’s one thing to hear someone describe holding a gold bar, finding emeralds, or discovering a silver coin that had been hidden underwater for centuries.
It’s another thing to stand in front of those artifacts and imagine everything that went into recovering them.
And if you’re exploring Key West, I think the museum is a wonderful place to discover a piece of the island’s history.
One more underwater adventure: A very big fish
Jedwin also shared a story about diving with his brother when an enormous shark passed between them.
His brother had been adjusting an underwater camera and completely missed the shark swimming past.
Jedwin and the other diver were considerably less enthusiastic about continuing their dive!
After everyone returned to the boat, his brother explained their quick return by saying they’d seen a fish.
A very big fish.
I think that would have been enough underwater excitement for me, too.
What Does Treasure Really Mean?
Near the end of our conversation, I asked Jedwin a question that had been on my mind throughout the interview.
After all the adventures, discoveries, stories, and places he’d been, what did the word treasure mean to him now?
His answer brought the entire conversation back to Mel Fisher.
To Jedwin, treasure means having the faith, determination, and perseverance to keep going.
To believe in what you’re pursuing.
And to refuse to give up.
He talked about sharing Mel Fisher’s story with his grandchildren and encouraging them to hold on to their own dreams.
Of course, not every dream involves gold bars or emeralds buried beneath the sea.
Sometimes the treasure you’re searching for is an opportunity, a place where you feel at home, a new adventure, or something you’ve spent years hoping to accomplish.
And perhaps that’s why Mel Fisher’s story continues to connect with so many people.
Because at some point, we’ve all had something that felt just out of reach.
Something we wanted badly enough to keep trying, even when the odds weren’t particularly encouraging.
Discovering the Stories Behind Key West
One of the reasons I love exploring Key West is that there are so many stories hiding in plain sight.
You might walk past the Mel Fisher Treasure Museum and know that someone discovered a famous shipwreck.
But there’s so much more behind that discovery.
There’s the story of a man who refused to give up.
A family that endured tremendous losses.
A crew that believed in the search even when others doubted it.
And a newspaper reporter who took a wrong turn on a rainy day and became part of the adventure himself.
Those are the stories I love sharing through Fun in Key West.
Because when you know the story behind a place, you experience it differently.
The next time you walk past that museum, perhaps you’ll think about Mel Fisher and his famous words:
“Today’s the day.”
And maybe you’ll think about what those words could mean for whatever you’re pursuing in your own life.
Read Fatal Treasure and Hear My Conversation with Jedwin Smith
If you enjoy Key West history, shipwrecks, treasure hunting, or just a really good story, I encourage you to pick up Fatal Treasure by Jedwin Smith.
It’s a fascinating look at the search for the Atocha, told by someone who was actually there.
And if you’d like to hear Jedwin tell these stories in his own words, you can listen to our full Fun in Key West conversation. We explore his experiences with Mel Fisher, his adventures underwater, the people who shaped the treasure hunt, and even some of his other remarkable experiences as a journalist and author.
[Embed the Fun in Key West interview video or podcast episode here]
Grab a copy of Fatal Treasure on Amazon.
And if you enjoy reading stories that connect you to Key West, I’d love to have you join the Fun in Key West Book Club. It’s free, there’s no pressure to keep up, and you can discover some wonderful stories along the way.
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Planning a Key West visit?
If you’re interested in exploring the history of Key West for yourself, there’s no shortage of fascinating places to discover.
From historic museums to guided tours through Old Town, you can experience a side of the island that goes far beyond Duval Street.
You can explore some of those options through my affiliate partner, Trusted Tours, at FunInKeyWest.com/conch.
This is an affiliate link, which means I may earn a commission if you book through it, at no additional cost to you.
And before you go, I have one question for you.
If you believed there was treasure waiting to be found, how long would you keep searching?
I’d love to know what you think.
