John Arnone
Red Bank, NJ (USA)
Role(s):
Founder/Owner/Principal
Blue Water Ventures of Key West
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Startup
Location:
Red Bank
Industry:
Entertainment
Year Founded:
2004
Number Employees:
10-50 people
Description:
(URL removed) is a company engaged in the archaeologically sensitive exploration and recovery of shallow water shipwrecks, treasures and artifacts from the wrecks of Spanish galleons lost in Florida waters. In the Florida Keys Blue Water conducts historic shipwreck recovery under a federal permit inside a national marine sanctuary. Our work is done under the supervision of historians, marine archeologists, conservation specialists and a federal court judge. We plan on keeping a representative sample of what we recover for exhibition and to make available for further study. The balance of recovered artifacts will be restored and returned to a stream of commerce, which it was originally intended for. We employ advanced state-of-the-art technology, including side scan sonar, and other advanced technology, that enables us to locate and recover shipwrecks in shallow water in an economically feasible manner; we then market these treasures and recovered artifacts. Blue Water has acquired and re-fitted three key vessels to conduct search operations, excavation and recovery work on two sites off the Florida coast. The initial search effort has located the artifact scatter of the Santa Margarita (1622 fleet) off the coast of Key West, Florida and recently we have engaged in search and recovery efforts directed at treasures and artifacts from eleven vessels lost in the 1715 hurricane off the coast of Fort Pierce, Florida. The continuing search objective off the coast of Key West, Florida is to locate the main wreck site of the Margarita where the bulk of the treasures and artifacts are expected to be found. The Florida recovery projects are PHASE ONE and the base of our plan to build an integrated search, salvage and artifact merchandizing company that will operate on an international basis. The Santa Margarita and the 1715 fleet were targeted as the initial projects for Blue Water as it has highly promising potential; the wrecks are readily accessible and offered the Company the opportunity for a fast start with limited exposure.
While the U.S. operations of Blue Water have expanded from the 1622 fleet outside of Key West, Florida to the 1715 fleet known as the Treasure Coast between Ft. Pierce and Sebastian Inlet, Florida. Blue Water management, has entered into negotiations to obtain permits in Caribbean and South American waters. The new locations are a natural fit for the company’s International growth plan and are consistent with the Blue Waters goals to transform the Company to an International Company and become a leader in shallow water recovery.
Areas of interest have been surveyed by Blue Water personal and consultants with two wreck sites in international waters as possible targets. In-country partnerships are being formed at this time to insure a stable relationship with the governments involved. Blue Water foresees a need for additional vessels and equipment that would work outside the U.S. exclusively.