Around 300 years ago, the San José galleon sank in the Caribbean. The ship is also known as the “Holy Grail of shipwrecks” as it is believed to have carried a load worth 20 billion dollars when it sank during a battle off Barú Island, south of Cartagena. Since its (re)discovery in 2015, Colombia, Spain, Bolivia, Peru and Panama have all claimed the rights to its contents.
Now, Colombia has launched the first stage of an underwater expedition meant to map the shipwreck and eventually retrieve the treasure inside, which will cost 4.5 million dollars in 2024 alone. According to the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH), the first part of the expedition will solely concentrate on photographing the ship using “non-intrusive” remote sensors. That information may then be used to get a clear idea of the structure of the wreck and its inventory, which could help when retrieving the contents of the galleon. Meanwhile, ICANH has designated San José as a national “protected archaeological area”, a title meant to protect the shipwreck, its surroundings and its contents.
“This government is doing something that is unprecedented… exploring the sinking of the galleon as the possibility of understanding history and culture,” Colombian Culture Minister Juan David Correa said during a news conference in Cartagena on 22 May, when the expedition was launched.
The remains of the Spanish galleon San José, estimated to be worth nearly $20 billion, has been located off the coast of Colombia. pic.twitter.com/Tsb02Cgu87
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) December 16, 2023
As one might expect though, a 20 billion dollar shipwreck doesn’t go unnoticed and the rights to the San José are heavily disputed. For example, US-based marine salvaging company Sea Search-Armada (SSA), previously known as Glocca Morra, claim to have discovered the shipwreck in the 1980s, long before the Colombian government and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 2015. SSA is therefore asking for 10 billion dollars in the Colombian Permanent Court of Arbitration, which the government is disputing.
Moreover, Colombia has to compete with Spain, on the grounds that the ship was theirs to begin with. Bolivia says the treasure was mined by the indigenous people of the Qhara Qhara nation under Spanish colonial rule, while Peru and Panama, claim the goods were stolen from their lands. Only time will tell whether or not the treasure will actually be found and who will be able to claim it.
