This article reviews and examines the role of a maritime salvor in salvage operations in shipping law. It explains who a salvor is and the ingredients a salvor should satisfy for there to be compensation. These ingredients include the fact that the ship must be in danger; the service must be voluntary; the salvage service must be partially or fully successful and the subject matter of salvage must be maritime in nature. Furthermore, the legal framework in Nigeria that addresses the issue of maritime salvage will be reviewed. It concludes by recommending that salvage operation carried out on land be legally recognized in deserving cases for compensation in line with the state of affairs in maritime salvage.