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.
Henrietta Marie Video Gallery
Documenting the Slave Ship Henrietta Marie
Archaeologists map, measure, and photograph the Henrietta Marie’s wooden hull remains. The wreck sits in 20 feet of water at New Ground Reef, 35 miles west of Key West, Florida. Only between 5-10% of the ship has survived, primarily the area of the lower stern.
Placing the Henrietta Marie Monument, 1993
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On May 15, 1993, the National Association of Black Scuba Divers carried a one-ton concrete monument to the wreck site of the Henrietta Marie. The monument was dedicated to the Africans forced to sail aboard the Henrietta Marie and all other slave ships like it. This video is a document of the day the memorial was dedicated and placed on the sea floor.
Diving to the Slave Ship Henrietta Marie Monument
This video shows the NABS Henrietta Marie monument as it appears today, in its underwater setting at New Ground Reef.
The Ring of the Henrietta Marie Bell
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Ship’s bells were used to measure time in half hour increments through fourth-hour watch cycles. The bell was rung once to mark the first half-hour of the watch; “eight bells” marked the completion of the fourth hour of the watch. A ship’s bell could also be used to sound a general alarm, and it could be rung in bad weather to signal the ship’s location. The Henrietta Marie bell is 36cm tall, with a mouth 41cm dia.; it weighs 24kg. Though the original iron clapper is missing, striking the bell by other means sounds a D5 note. The ring of the bell would have been a regular, persistent sound throughout the slave ship’s voyage.
