Big Blue Wreck Salvage, Inc. (BBWS) has specialized in marketing and selling shipwreck recovered artifacts in the United States since 1988. Our specific expertise is the identification and valuation of Spanish Colonial material.

The story of BBWS begins with the story of our founder and President, Mel King. Mel is a marine artifact expert and historian. His appreciation for history and antiques began as a teenager in North Carolina digging up his first coins and artifacts. His lifelong passion of underwater exploration began with a trip to Key West in 1975. He eventually relocated to South Florida and was employed at Broward County Medical Center. Mel spent his leisure time exploring and searching numerous shipwreck sites in Florida and the Bahamas.

Spanish Colonial coins and shipwreck artifacts became Mel’s specialty. In 1988, he founded BBWS to accommodate requests for items salvaged from shipwrecks around the world and his efforts have fostered a global network of shipwreck and numismatic experts beyond compare. Mel has brokered and sold millions of dollars in artifacts from numerous recoveries, including the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, 1715 Fleet, El Cazador, Hollandia, Rooswijk, et al. He is currently consulting with recovery projects in Florida, the Caribbean and South America.

In addition to being President of BBWS, Mel is a board member of Nautical Research and Recovery Corporation, a member of the National Maritime Historical Society, American Numismatic Association, Society for Underwater Exploration, Archeological Institute of America, Rocky Mountain Map Society, and consultant and Committee Member to Denver Art Museum’s Alianza de las Artes Americanas.