Marine Archaeologist Jim Sinclair on Atocha Treasure, Titanic Dives & Saving Shipwreck History
Episode notes
Curt (Deadfoot Diver) interviews marine archaeologist Jim Sinclair about how Cousteau inspired his diving and how a Florida Keys underwater archaeology course led him to Mel Fisher and the Atocha/Margarita projects. Sinclair recounts starting broke, becoming a conservator, and managing the overwhelming lab workload after the 1985 “main pile” discovery—thousands of coins, heavy silver bars, and dozens of intact treasure chests—plus early computer inventory and coin imaging. He describes legal battles with Florida and the federal government, the Supreme Court ruling granting Fisher ownership, and later IRS tax issues and a randomized treasure division for investors and employees. Sinclair also discusses work on other wrecks, becoming the first archaeologist on a 2000 Titanic expedition, and recent Nova Scotia “Death Coast” dives with the McKinnons and the Nova Gold foundation to document at-risk wrecks and support veterans and first responders.
00:00 Podcast Introduction
01:27 Diving Origins
02:40 Florida Keys Field School
04:39 Mel Fisher Encounter
06:34 Joining The Crew
10:12 Conservation Lab Life
11:22 Atocha Main Pile
14:45 Treasure Chest Haul
18:04 Sorting And Early Tech
20:04 Treasure Division System
21:15 Court Battles Won
23:50 IRS And Taxes
26:37 Hard Times Key West
27:48 Beyond Atocha Projects
35:15 Trunk Shows On Road
37:12 Path To Titanic
42:02 Tampa Titanic Offer
43:07 Keldysh And First Dive
44:32 Mapping Stern Debris
46:42 Artifacts And Human Stories
49:05 Souvenirs And Shrink Cups
50:36 Atocha Coins And Values
54:50 Beads Medallions And Trade
59:34 Canadian Death Coast Dives
01:03:19 Preservation Versus In Situ
01:09:37 Family Diving And Shark Tales
01:13:39 Wrap Up And Dry Suit Talk