- Colombia is sending a deep-sea expedition to investigate the 300-year-old San José shipwreck.
- A Spanish galleon discovered in 2015 is thought to contain up to $20 billion worth of treasure.
- The expedition, which will utilize state-of-the-art underwater technology, is scheduled to begin in the spring.
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a 300 year old shipwreck in the Caribbean It is thought to contain $20 billion worth of gold, silver coins, emeralds, and other buried treasure.
The Colombian government announced Friday a ground-breaking deep-sea expedition to explore the legendary galleon San José, dubbed the “Holy Grail of shipwrecks.”
The 62-gun, three-masted galleon sank in 1708, falling victim to a British squadron en route to Cartagena. The ship’s hold contained riches from the Spanish colonies in South America, including emeralds and 116 steel boxes filled with millions of gold and silver coins.
The government has committed to investing approximately $4.5 million this year alone in archaeological research for historic artifacts.
The first phase of the scientific investigation will focus on using state-of-the-art technology to explore the deep sea around the wreck and gather vital information.
Oceanographer and Rear Admiral Hermann Leon Rincon told reporters the operation will use underwater robotics, naval vessels and cameras that closely track movements, according to the Associated Press.
The wreckage lies at a depth of 600 meters (approximately 2,000 feet).
Colombia discovered San José in 2015, causing many legal and diplomatic disputes and its exact location being shrouded in secrecy.
The legal battle over the rightful ownership of the ship has spread to the United States, Colombia, and Spain.
Sea Search Armada, an American investor group, claims the galleon’s treasure is worth $10 billion, or 50% of its estimated value. bloomberg report.
The group claims to have discovered the sunken sailing ship in 1982.
The Colombian government announced that it has begun arbitration proceedings with the company.
The Colombia expedition is scheduled to depart in the spring, depending on weather conditions.
Colombian authorities insist the expedition was for family reasons, not financial exploitation.
Carlos Reyna Martínez, an archaeologist and expert on underwater cultural heritage, said the purpose of the expedition was to investigate the lives and deaths of the 600 people on board the galleon before it sank, according to the Associated Press. He said his goal was to find out what happened.
“History is a treasure,” said Juan David Correa, Colombia’s Minister of Culture.