Deep Blue Marine

From Captain Billy:
Here are some photos from yesterday over our site. I think the photos do not do it much justice. Wow, what horror those people on that ship must have gone through. Especially at night. And this is only the fringe of a storm. It sure makes it believable that nothing of this ship was left after the storm. Vanished with out a trace.
For the other photos click on the Pictures section. For video, click on the Video tab.

We are extremely pleased to announce that we have hired Giovanni Mercedez as manager of Deep Blue Marine’s new Shipwreck Museum located in Samana, Dominican Republic.
Gio is an American, born in New York, but has returned to the land of his heritage, the Dominican Republic. He is a graduate of Valencia Community College in Orlando, FL and received an honorable discharge from the United States Marines as a Communication Specialist. His expertise is in retail and guest services. We knew that it was mandatory to have a qualified bilingual individual to run the museum as it was impractical to even try to manage it from a distance. Gio now lives in Samana and can be reached at gio@alldeepblue.com. We are very fortunate to have him and we are looking for great things in the future.

This is the current plan for the shareholder’s meeting in Samana, RD. There are many factors – especially weather – that can change these plans so don’t think of them as being etched in stone.
Sept 14th arrive in the DR and take transportation to Samana.
The airport is SDQ in Santo Domingo. You are welcome to arrive earlier in the week but please let us know of your travel plans. It is about a 2.5 hour trip to Samana from the Airport and 3 hours from Santo Domingo. Check in hotel and get settled in the rooms. Meet as a group after dinner for a meet and greet including the crew and talk about the next few days’ activities.
Sept 15th Sightseeing and trip to: Rio San Juan (North Shore Area) lunch and return to Samana. Perhaps a short cruise on the Karli Ann in Samana harbor.
Sept 16th Sightseeing and trip to: Playa El Valle – a spectacular beach that you need to traverse a river to get to. Great yellowtail fish or chicken for lunch on the beach. Shareholder’s meeting that evening at the Hotel Bahia Principe.
Sept 17th Lunch at Playa Anadel and relaxation on the private beach. Grand opening festivities at the Shipwreck Museum in the evening.Tour of the boats, (Karli Ann, Keri Lynn and Lady Laura).
Sept 18th Head back to Santo Domingo for return flights home.
If you are planning on returning home on Sunday the 19th, of September, or later, we can arrange for you to return to Santo Domingo on Saturday and then you are on your own. There is great shopping for souvenirs and of course tours of the colonial forts in the Old City. There are European style hotels located in the Old City but for an early flight we suggest staying at the Quality Inn.
The Quality Inn is located between Santo Domingo and the airport. It is a very nice hotel and clean. It is located on the Avenue of the Americas.

We have received some inquiries about the new contracts and what it all means. The first and best answer is that it means we will be busy in the Dominican Republic for many years to come. But the two contracts are different in the administration and accountability of the execution.
The Punta Cana contract is basically a sub-contract with Foundacion PuntaCana, who is the permit holder, for a portion of the coast near Punta Cana. We have a designated parcel of that area to survey and recover located shipwrecks. The contract is for one with year with an option to continue based on numerous criteria such as performance, weather, discovery, etc. We work very closely with a liaison from Foundacion PuntaCana to ensure smooth operations and they are welcome on our boats to observe both survey and recovery operations. Foundacion PuntaCana is responsible for requesting government inspectors when notified by us that the boats are ready to head out a certain time. All recoveries go to the Subaquatico office in Santo Domingo with all divisions constituting a 50-50 split with the government and Foundacion PuntaCana. Of the 50% share that goes to Foundacion PuntaCana our division with them constitutes 50% of that share or, in other words, 25% of the gross recovery at division. This area is an exciting area and we are pleased to be able to work this particular section of coastline. The topography is unique and it is well known that this was a very important shipping lane from the time of Christopher Columbus onward. We are looking for some significant shipwrecks in this area including the ill-fated 1502 treasure fleet (some accounts say 28 ships, others 32) that was headed for Spain from Santo Domingo. A major hurricane hit and only one small ship made it to Spain. A couple of ships made it back to Santo Domingo but the rest were lost.
The newest contract that we just announced is our own contract directly with the government of the Dominican Republic. It is significant for a number of reasons, primarily in that the work we have done for the last two and a half years has proven that we are there to recover heritage in an archaeologically sensitive manner and also for the fact that we get 50% of the gross recovery. We have developed a relationship with the Dominican government that has shown we are interested in more than just “treasure hunting”. We have brought and distributed humanitarian supplies to needy people, have set up our base of operations in Samana and we are nearing completion of a brand new museum in Samana to allow tourists and locals the opportunity to view the historical recoveries from under the sea. We will continue to do projects in the country to help the people who have been so kind to us.
The contracting process has changed in the DR. The standard contract for new areas is 30 months with the first six months being survey only followed by 2 years of recovery. Contracts for existing sites are for 2 years as obviously no surveying needs to be done. You can re-apply every 2 years for a site you are currently working on and if you are actually working on the site, renewal is probable. If work is not being done on a certain contracted area within a reasonable amount of time, your contract is in jeopardy. Contractors must work the area they have been given or they will lose their area to someone who does want to work. During the six month survey time on new areas, potential sites are cataloged and a specified radius on each site is claimed as part of the site. At the end of the 6 month survey period recovery can begin in earnest.
The government will still supply inspectors and they must be on board when you pull away from the dock. Each company must also have a government approved archaeologist on board the boat and if you happen to be working 2 completely different areas then you must have an approved archaeologist on each boat. The archaeologists must submit dive plans for the sites and all recoveries must be handled in accordance with the guidelines given to them which, generally speaking, are that areas must be surveyed, gridded, and photographed. All artifacts must be photographed in location before they are removed and are tagged with identification tags immediately upon recovery. The government inspector then records each tagged artifact in his log which obviously must match when the artifacts are delivered to the conservatory.
I remember talking to a “treasure hunter” (by the way, that term is fading away) in Florida a few years ago who said that he had found a wreck site and he was going to get a clamshell excavator and dig up the whole wreck, deposit the pieces on a barge, go through them to find gold, silver and valuables and then dump the debris back in the ocean in a pile. Well that just ain’t gonna happen anymore (and he didn’t do it!). Underwater archaeology is quickly catching up to land archaeology as far as processes for recovery. Can you imagine going to Mesa Verde or Teotihuacan and start digging up the site with a D9 Caterpillar? The areas that have significant historical interest must be protected. Well, that line of thinking is starting to happen with underwater work too and Deep Blue Marine is proud to be at the forefront.

July 29, 2010 9:30 AM EDT

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — (MARKET WIRE) — 07/29/10 — Deep Blue Marine, Inc., (PINKSHEETS: DPBE), announced today that the company has entered into a second major contract in the Dominican Republic. Under the direction of the Government of the Dominican Republic, and working under the supervision of the Marina de Guerra Dominicana and an inspector from the Oficina Nacional de Patrimonio Cultura Subcuatico, Deep Blue Marine, Inc. has signed an agreement to provide services in the area of survey and recovery of artifacts for an undisclosed permitted area on the North Shore of the Dominican Republic. The company-owned dive and recovery vessels will be on site within days to begin work.

Deep Blue Marine, Inc. has been in the recovery business for several years and has recovered airplanes, modern sunken vessels, industrial equipment and historical shipwrecks. The company houses many of its artifacts in a company owned museum located in Samana, Dominican Republic and plans to open similar venues in that country in the near future.

Wilf Blum, President and CEO, stated, “We are very excited about this new contract, as this area of the Dominican Republic is in the heart of the major shipping lanes of the new world. From the time Columbus discovered this country in 1492 until present day, ships have traversed this area. The historical impact of shipping in this area cannot be overestimated. We have charted many significant wreck sites and have determined this is indeed a very important historical area. Over the centuries, ships have washed up on the reefs and shores of this stretch of land as hurricanes, storms and poor navigation took their toll. The company is pleased to be given this incredible opportunity to recover history and preserve history for future generations. Deep Blue wishes to publicly thank and commend Captain Billy Rawson and archaeologist Alejandro Selmi, plus the crews of both the ‘Lady Laura’ and the ‘Cap’n Tracy,’ for all the work they have performed in securing this incredible opportunity for our company.

“As a company, we look at this area as perhaps one of the most important areas ever to be explored as there were several significant vessels of record that washed up on the north shore during hurricanes. Adding this part of the country to the recently announced area in Punta Cana, which contract exists under the auspices and existing contract that Fundacion Puntacana has with the Ministry of Culture of the Government of the Dominican Republic, will provide us with the ability to explore the two most historically important shipping lanes of the New World that touch on this island nation. In the Punta Cana area, we are most interested in the 1502 fleet that lost over 20 vessels in one storm. The losses in both of these areas were staggering and our work allows us to bring to light the conditions under which the men lived. We hope to recover many of the incredible historical artifacts that lay on the bottom of the ocean. These items have remained lost to history for hundreds of years. Upon recovery they will be turned over to the Oficina Nacional de Patrimonio Cultura Subcuatico for cataloging and restoration. Fundacion Punta Cana’s division of items recovered will be housed in a museum that Fundacion Punta Cana is constructing within the Altagracia Province. The items recovered on the North Shore will be housed in the National Museum in Santo Domingo and also in The Shipwreck Museum owned and operated by Deep Blue Marine, Inc., located in Samana, Dominican Republic.”

Journalists and individuals seeking interviews and photos of artifacts are encouraged to contact Mr. Randy Champion at Deep Blue Marine’s head office in Salt Lake City, Utah, at 801-586-1873, cellular 801-631-2904 or email at media@alldeepblue.com. All media will be directed through Mr. Champion.

On July 4, 2010, Deep Blue Marine signed a research and recovery contract with the Fundacion Punta Cana, under the auspices of an existing contract that Fundacion Punta Cana has with the Ministry of Culture of the government of the Dominican Republic. Deep Blue Marine president and CEO Wilf Blum and In-House Counsel Brad Simpson traveled to Punta Cana for the contract signing. Pictured below are the officials from Deep Blue Marine and Fundacion Punta Cana that signed the contract. Starting from the left and going clockwise are: Jose Oliva, Director of Institutional Relations, Paul Beswick, Director of Community Affairs, Patricia Losada, Attorney and Manager of Legal and Regulatory Contracts, Bradley Simpson, esq., In House counsel for Deep Blue Marine, Wilf Blum, President and CEO of Deep Blue Marine, and Frank J. Llibre, Senior VP of Administration and Finance for Fundacion Punta Cana.
Working under the supervision of the Marina de Guerra Dominicana and an inspector from the Oficina Nacional de Patrimonio Cultura Subcuatico, Deep Blue will survey and recover artifacts for a permitted area in the waters off the Altagracia Province of the Dominican Republic. It is anticipated that the company-owned dive and recovery vessel “Kerri Lynn” will be on site within days to begin work. Management hopes the boat will be on site for approximately 20 days per month weather permitting. The prospects for this site are very exciting as the area is rich in maritime history dating back to the time of Christopher Columbus. For more information on Fundacion Punta Cana go to their website at www.puntacana.com.

It has been our honor to have received officials from the Ministry of Culture to our new museum in Samana. Our visitors were:
The Director of Museums, Ana Maria Conde,
The Director of Cultural Cooperation, Nerva Fondeur and Martha A. Roquel, National Bureau of Underwater Cultural Heritage. The visit was to exchange professional experiences and to improve didactic aspects in the construction of the Museum.

On agreement with ORRV, we have been working on upgrading the Deep Scan to head down to the Dominican Republic to work on specifically shallow water sites. As mentioned in an earlier press release, the twin to the Karli Ann (formerly the Cap’n Tracy) was purchased, renamed the Kerri Lynn and outfitted to join it’s sister ship in the DR soon. We have applied to see if the Kerri Lynn could be of use in the Gulf for oil cleanup, but we are forging ahead as if that will not happen. The plans are to have it head south as soon as the next container of supplies arrives in Florida in the next two weeks. If required, it will head to the Gulf after that. The boats currently in the Dominican Republic are not going anywhere other than the waters we are currently working. Check out the pictures of the new boats.

It would have been nice to receive an apology with this, but we know that ain’t gonna happen!!
Copy and paste the link!

http://www.dtcc.com/downloads/legal/imp_notices/2010/dtc/ope/6882-10.pdf

Check out the video of the almost completed museum. We thought we would give the new video camera a try as it is HD. Obviously not very forgiving due to the small size and High-def when it comes to shakiness. This really was just an experiment so we could see how to shoot video in the DR and post it on our website the same day, but then I decided to show it to you anyways. Previously we had to upload tapes and had file limitations, but this looks like it will work. Now we just have to train the camera man!