A long-awaited expedition to an 18th-century shipwreck in the Caribbean Sea has reportedly begun.
The Colombian government last week launched the deep-sea expedition of the San José shipwreck, which is rumored to contain cargo worth billions of dollars.
The galleon sank in 1708 en route to Cartagena, Colombia, after being ambushed by an English squadron. Historians believe that approximately 600 people aboard the ship died and very few survived.
The wreck is believed to contain 11 million gold and silver coins, along with emeralds and other valuable cargo. The San José was carrying chests full of jewels and gold coins when she sank en route to King Philip V of Spain.
A woman out for a walk stumbles upon a once-in-a-decade discovery
The expedition to the mythical San José shipwreck site began last week, authorities say. (Reuters)
The shipwreck had a mythical reputation before being discovered in 2015, about 600 meters deep. It has been called the “Holy Grail of shipwrecks” due to the large number of valuables it contained.
Oceanographers have been able to map the wreck with robotic equipment attached to a warship. The robotic team has taken images of the wreck, showing several coins deposited at the bottom of the wreck. Some of the coins were photographed scattered on the ocean floor along with seashells.
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Robotic images show that there were coins at the bottom of the wreck. (Reuters)
In February, the Colombian government announced that it would invest $45 million in exploration. The treasure is believed to be worth up to $20 billion.
The Minister of Culture of Colombia previously said that the mission of the expedition is “to vindicate the heritage elements for which the remains of the galleon should be valued.”
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The exact location of the San José shipwreck is a state secret. (Reuters)
“History is the treasure,” added Minister Juan David Correa.
The rights to the ship's sunken treasure have been claimed by Colombia, Spain and the United States. Its exact location in the Caribbean is a state secret.
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Coins from the 1708 San José shipwreck were found scattered among seashells on the ocean floor. (Reuters)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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