The Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is a 501 (c) (3) accredited, not-for-profit organization existing to research, interpret, and exhibit the maritime history of Florida and the Caribbean in ways that increase knowledge, enrich the spirit, and stimulate inquiry.
Archaeology & Research / Henrietta Marie
The Henrietta Marie an English Merchant Slave Ship, wrecked 1700
In the summer of 1700, the English merchant-slaver Henrietta Marie sank in unknown circumstances at remote New Ground Reef, thirty-five miles west of Key West, Florida. There were no survivors. Shortly before this mishap, she had sold a shipment of 191 captive Africans in Jamaica.
The shipwreck was first found by Mel Fisher’s divers in 1972, but only partially excavated. Their brief work revealed that it was later than the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, which they were searching for, as well as being English. It was dubbed the "English Wreck," the name it was known by for the next ten years. It was not until July of 1983 that divers returned, when a team of archaeologists and shipwreck explorers made an arrangement with Mel Fisher to work at the site. They knew that what lay below was not a treasure vessel, but suspected it would be able to make an important contribution to history.
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