American Underwater Explorer Honored In Monaco

I first met Carl Allen after hurricane Dorian had ravaged the Bahamas. He’d just donated the use of his industrial-grade 182-foot-long Yacht Support Vessel AXIS to facilitate significant personal hurricane relief efforts in the Abacos.

During that first meeting I was impressed and inspired by how much Allen and his family care about the Bahamas. But I was also intrigued and wondered why a successful American businessman would need such a serious support vessel in the Bahamas? Back then, all he would say was… “We like to search for stuff underwater.”

Since then I found out what he was searching for. Turns out he and his Allen Exploration team have found and recovered a significant collection of priceless artifacts from the Spanish shipwreck Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas which sank in 1656 off the northern Bahamas.

The shiny 5-foot, 9-inch-long solid gold chain that weighs nearly two full pounds usually gets the most attention. But that’s only one piece. Other priceless and historically significant discoveries they’ve made include: a gold pendant with the Cross of Santiago, second gold pendant that features a Cross of St. James over a large Colombian emerald, silver bars weighing up to 60 pounds, hundreds of silver and gold coins, numerous loose gems, and countless other artifacts including weapons and pottery.

And the cool thing is since his Allen Exploration team has not only found lots of priceless artifacts, they’ve also built the Bahamas Maritime Museum in Freeport, Grand Bahama to conserve, study and share their discoveries with the world.

So, I wasn’t surprised when I heard that he and his Allen Exploration team had been nominated to win an award to be presented by The Explorers Club in collaboration with Yacht Club de Monaco during the club’s 13^th Environmental Symposium held in Monaco earlier this year. And frankly, I wasn’t surprised when his Serene Highness, Prince Albert II of Monaco presented Allen with the Explorer Award in Adventure and Environmental Ethics in a ceremony highlighting the intersection of adventure and environmental stewardship.

The way Allen and his team have worked with the Bahamian government to find, recover, study, conserve and share such important historical artifacts with the world shows just how powerful public-private partnerships can be when it comes to underwater exploration and conservation.

“We are immensely proud to receive this recognition from the Yacht Club de Monaco and Prince Albert II,” said Carl Allen. “Our work in The Bahamas reflects our dedication to uncovering the past and preserving our marine environment for future generations.”

The award underscores Allen Exploration’s commitment to ethical exploration practices that respect historical significance and environmental integrity. Their efforts go beyond recovery and include extensive education programs for Bahamian school children to promote maritime heritage.

In fact, Allen and his team have always worked to redefine how treasure hunters are perceived because they’ve revolutionized the industry by forming a powerful public-private partnership with the government of The Bahamas. Their goal of leaving a legacy and creating opportunities for future generations takes precedence over any short-term monetary missions.

“I got a little emotional when Prince Albert presented the award to me,” Allen said. “I realized that the being honored that way shows that we are changing the perceptions about the type of treasure hunting that we are doing in the Bahamas and elsewhere. By working with the government, we’ve been able to save artifacts that will eventually turn into sand they are just left where they sank. And better still these artifacts can make a positive difference for the Bahamas and the world.”

Carl Allen’s dedication to adventure and environmental ethics is also evident in his stewardship of the island Walker’s Cay. Allen purchased the island in 2018 and pledged to return the ‘Northern Gateway of The Bahamas’ to its former glory. His redevelopment plan promotes sustainable tourism, marine research, and the protection of Walker’s Cay National Park.

Congratulations Carl. And honor well deserved!