Current:Home > MyPlan to recover "holy grail" of shipwrecks holding billions of dollars in treasure is approved over 3 centuries after ship sank-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Plan to recover "holy grail" of shipwrecks holding billions of dollars in treasure is approved over 3 centuries after ship sank
View Date:2024-12-24 09:41:51
More than three centuries after the legendary San Jose galleon sank off the coast of Colombia while laden with gold, silver and emeralds, the nation has officially approved a plan to recover the wreck and its treasures, officials announced this week.
Dubbed the "holy grail" of shipwrecks, the 316-year-old wreck has been controversial since it was discovered in 2015, because it is both an archaeological and economic treasure -- estimated to be worth billions of dollars.
"For the first time in history, a model of comprehensive public management of the archaeological site and asset of cultural interest, protected by regulations and public missionality, is advanced," the Colombian government said in a news release Tuesday.
Colombian will invest more than $1 million in the recovery process, which is expected to get underway next month, officials said.
Last month, Culture Minister Juan David Correa told Agence France-Presse that an underwater robot would be sent to recover some of its bounty.
Between April and May, the robot would extract some items from "the surface of the galleon" to see "how they materialize when they come out (of the water) and to understand what we can do" to recover the rest of the treasures, said Correa.
The robot will work at a depth of 600 meters to remove items such as ceramics, pieces of wood and shells "without modifying or damaging the wreck," Correa told AFP aboard a large naval ship.
The location of the expedition is being kept secret to protect what is considered one of the greatest archaeological finds in history from malicious treasure hunters.
The San Jose galleon was owned by the Spanish crown when it was sunk by the British navy near Cartagena in 1708. Only a handful of its 600-strong crew survived.
The ship had been heading back from the New World to the court of King Philip V of Spain, laden with treasures such as chests of emeralds and some 200 tons of gold coins.
Before Colombia announced the discovery in 2015, it was long sought after by treasure hunters.
The expedition to start recovering the shipwreck's trove comes as a case is underway at the UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration between Colombia and the U.S.-based salvage company Sea Search Armada -- which claims it found the wreck first over 40 years ago.
In June 2022, Colombia said that a remotely operated vehicle reached 900 meters below the surface of the ocean, showing new images of the wreckage.
The video showed the best-yet view of the treasure that was aboard the San Jose — including gold ingots and coins, cannons made in Seville in 1655 and an intact Chinese dinner service.
At the time, Reuters reported the remotely operated vehicle also discovered two other shipwrecks in the area, including a schooner thought to be from about two centuries ago.
- In:
- Shipwreck
- Colombia
- San Jose
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Fighting conspiracy theories with comedy? That’s what the Onion hopes after its purchase of Infowars
- Wisconsin Senate to vote on GOP-backed elections amendments to the state constitution
- South African government minister and bodyguards robbed at gunpoint on major highway
- Dean McDermott Packs on the PDA With Lily Calo Amid Tori Spelling's New Romance
- The Daily Money: Markets react to Election 2024
- A lawsuit denouncing conditions at a West Virginia jail has been settled, judge says
- Louisiana police chief facing charge of aggravated battery involving 2022 arrest, state police say
- Jeremy Renner has undergone 'countless hours' of 'every type of therapy' since snowplow accident
- New Jersey will issue a drought warning after driest October ever and as wildfires rage
- Mississippi woman sentenced to life for murder of her 7-week-old daughter
Ranking
- Mike Tyson emerges as heavyweight champ among product pitchmen before Jake Paul fight
- Half the people on the planet eat rice regularly. But is it healthy?
- Garth Brooks just released a new album. Here are the two best songs on 'Time Traveler'
- Where the Republican presidential candidates stand on climate change
- 'Full House' star Dave Coulier diagnosed with stage 3 cancer
- A man with a gun is arrested in a park near the US Capitol
- An Alabama mayor ended his life after a website showed pictures of him cross-dressing
- Military-ruled Myanmar hosts joint naval exercise with Russia, its close ally and top arms supplier
Recommendation
-
Are banks, post offices, UPS and FedEx open on Veterans Day? Here's what to know
-
Voters are heading to polling places in the Maine city where 18 were killed
-
Former Missouri teacher who created OnlyFans account says she has made nearly $1 million
-
Blinken, senior diplomats seek G7 unity on Israel-Hamas war and other global crises
-
DWTS’ Sasha Farber and Jenn Tran Prove They're Closer Than Ever Amid Romance Rumors
-
Chile shuts down a popular glacier, sparking debate over climate change and adventure sports
-
Brittany Mahomes Shares Glimpse Into Girls’ Night Out With Taylor Swift
-
David Beckham Playfully Calls Out Victoria Beckham Over Workout Fail