In the world of treasure-filled shipwrecks, nothing in history has quite matched the San José—a galleon that went down off the northern coast of Colombia in 1708.
Loaded full of gold, silver, emeralds, and other artifacts, the ship was the target of treasure hunters for decades. Lost for 300-plus years, the “holy grail” of shipwrecks has now been found, and its treasure will finally start coming to the surface as a result of an effort by the Colombian government.
The Spanish-owned San José galleon was no match for the British Navy. Near Cartagena in 1708, the ship—heading home from the American continents with 200 tons of gold coins, among other treasures—was sunk by the British. Only a few of the 600-person crew survived after the gunpowder store on the ship exploded.
The 64-gun, three-mast ship lay on the ocean floor for over 300 years until Colombia announced its discovery in 2015. Of course, there’s a legal battle around the ship, as U.S.-based Sea Search Armada—which laid claim to the wreck after saying it located the San José in 1981—is being largely shut out of any treasure by the Colombian government. That case is now before the United Nation’s Permanent Court of Arbitration.
The actual location of the shipwreck is being kept secret for obvious safety and security reasons.
With conservative estimates place the worth of the treasure at billions of dollars, the Colombian government stated that (possibly by the end of April) it will start hauling valuables to the surface.
“For the first time in history, a model of comprehensive public management of the archaeological site and property of cultural interest is being put forward, protected by regulations and public missionality,” the Colombian government wrote in a translated statement.
The government states that the San José galleon signifies an “invaluable cultural heritage” site for Colombia, and will be managed as such. That includes spending more than $1 million on the recovery effort.
A remotely operated vehicle in 2022 showed that the treasure won’t be hard to spot. Dipping nearly 3,000 feet into the ocean, the video from the ROV showed gold ingots and coins, cannons from the 1650s, and a variety of collectibles.
Those remotely operated vehicles will be put back into action. The plan calls for the underwater robot to bring items on the galleon that are comparably easy to access above water, allowing scientists to see how different pieces of the ship (and the treasure it holds) react to being brought to the surface.
Finally, this “holy grail” will be recovered.
