Deep Blue Marine (DPBE)

[Capt Billy]

When DBM was sub-contracting under Mr. Bowden’s DR Contract there was no requirement for an archeologists. I put myself in charge of that endeavor. We mapped and measured the entire wreck as we excavated. Then to keep Sub-Autico in the loop we donated a laptop computer with the same three-d program that we had on the ship. Data of excavation and photos of recovered artifacts while in situ and after recovery was also mailed to Sub-Autico on a daily basis. Though I had no qualifications in underwater archeology but skills in drawing and GPS positioning and three-d computer programs made for a very impressive site plan. So much so that the work we completed on the Scipion site was rewarded by this government. After our sub-contract ran its course with Mr. Bowden our company was awarded a contract of our own. Also during those early days our official Navy inspector was a diver. Everything we did was closely monitored. It is a well-known fact that after DBM finished its excavation of the Scipion site that another company did several dive trips to that site. And if any damage was done by DBM other than what is needed to extract historically significant artifacts concreted in hundreds of years of a naturally occurring process may be attributed to local fishermen. In this country they steal man hole covers to sell for scrap iron. So a pile of cannon and cannon balls sure would be very enticing. More reason to keep qualified on going salvage operations on these historical sites especially when it cost the DR government absolutely nothing. And they actually receive payments from these salvage companies. Which helps in the DR’s conservation process of these artifacts.
No French dive team ever dove that site while we were there or anytime thereafter. To do so would require a Navy “despacio” and with our cooperation with this government we gained some great friends in the Navy. And because there are no secrets on this island and anybody who has lived here understands this that any joint dive by Dominican officials and French archeologists would have been very hard to hide. So I very much doubt that. Also each trip when we returned to the site Mother Nature recovered the site. So each time we had to uncover the site using very large and sophisticated dredging equipment and techniques, hardly anything that a French dive team would have brought with them in there suitcases. So I am not buying that story. Nice try though.
DBM was paid in full right up till the contract expired. If some outside entity was to try and make problems for DBM at least get your facts straight.
The Marquis de Gallifett was shown to DBM by local fishermen. This wreck was initially discovered by one of our divers thirty years prior to him working for us. He showed Burt Webber. Webber donated a ships bell to the DR government with the name of the ship inscribed on the bell. DBM worked that wreck for three years. With a very qualified archeologists recommended to us by Sub-Autico. And he wasn’t cheap and DBM picked up that tab. The artifacts recovered from that site well most certainly adorn a museum for many more years to come and thanks to DBM was not pillaged by the local fishermen and sold on the streets to tourist or scrapped for metal.
The Preciosa site or Rawson’s site was discovered after I purchased a coin from a very old local fisherman. We ran down all the leads that pinpointed where he had found that coin. Then that excavation was also overseen by the same archeologist Sr. Alejandro Selmi.
That site will go down as one of Dominican Republic’s most significant historical sites. And that site and its contents will be viewed from here to the end of time. Thanks to DBM. But because of some government glitches the site remains open and I hear each day the fishermen are looting this site. Nebula in this business there is much jealousy. Some university wished they could have played a role in the discovery and excavation of these sites. Because they were not involved their only recourse is to stop these companies like DBM from more discoveries that they themselves one day hope to make on their own.
In the seven years we have been here there has never been any accusation by this government of DBM stealing cheating or any of these new accusations that we are reading here. Not even a diving accident or ship grounding NOTHING. What is happening is these sites are being looted and nine of my favorite dedicated Dominicans are without jobs. And that is very sad.