Pirates & Shipwrecks · Spanish galleon, 1622
Nuestra Señora de Atocha
Florida Keys, USA
What happened
Nuestra Señora de Atocha was a Spanish treasure galleon built in Havana in 1620. In September 1622 it sailed from Havana with a 28-ship convoy bound for Spain, and a hurricane in the Florida Straits sank it and other ships off the Florida Keys.
Why it matters
It was heavily laden with copper, silver, gold, tobacco, gems and indigo from Spanish America, so it shows how much wealth Spain shipped across the Atlantic.
What came next
Mel Fisher's team searched for the Atocha for sixteen and a half years, and its treasure was recovered in 1985.
Did you know?
The convoy left Havana on 4 September 1622, six weeks late, and the hurricane struck two days later.
Timeline
- 1620The Atocha is built in Havana.
- 4 September 1622The 28-ship convoy leaves Havana.
- September 1622A hurricane sinks the Atocha.
- 1985Mel Fisher's team recovers the treasure.