Shipwreck worth 20 billion dollars. It's about to be recovered
The Colombian navy continually patrols the section of the Caribbean Sea off Colombia's coast, owing to the sunken Spanish galleon, San Jose. The ship, filled with treasures and resting underwater since the 18th century, has led to Spain, Colombia, and Bolivia asserting their rights to the shipwreck's bounty.
12:49 PM EST, November 14, 2023
The Spanish ship, laden with gold, silver, and other treasures, was sunk in 1708 during a naval battle with the British fleet. The Colombian authorities have not disclosed the precise location of the ship. Still, according to a Spanish newspaper "El Mundo" source, the Colombian navy diligently monitors the waters where the ship is believed to have sunk round the clock.
Wrecked Galleon Worth Billions of dollars
Approximately 1000 shipwrecks rest on the seabed off the Colombian coast; however, only a few hold hidden treasures. And the most significant among these is indeed the San Jose - the veritable Holy Grail of sunken ships.
The newspaper estimates the sunk galleon's treasure to be worth up to 20 billion dollars. Historians believe that the ship was carrying up to 200 metric tons, or about 220 short tons, of treasures.
The purported location of the San Jose ship is said to be the Caribbean Sea near the Colombian port of Cartagena de Indias. The shipwreck supposedly rests about 600 meters, or approximately 1968.5 feet, below the water's surface.
"El Mundo" suggests that following the wreck's discovery in 2015 and its announcement to the world, there's a possibility that the valuable items might be pilfered from the deep-sea floor gradually.
Contention Over the Galleon's Treasures
To recall, during a visit to Bogota in 2018, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, declared Spain's claims over the wreck. However, two years later, the Vice President of Colombia, Marta Lucia Ramirez, stated that the items in the wreck belonged to the Colombian national heritage.
The contention doesn't end there, as Bolivia also stakes a claim to the treasures buried in the San Jose wreck. Bolivian authorities argue that the precious metals transported by the Spanish sailors were extracted from Bolivian mines.
UNESCO argues that the buried treasure should be recognized as a heritage of all humanity, citing the convention on the protection of underwater cultural heritage.
