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Expedition to Colombia’s San José shipwreck begins

May 26, 2024

A long-awaited expedition to an 18th century shipwreck in the Caribbean has reportedly begun.

The Colombian government last week launched a deep-sea expedition to find the San Jose wreck, which is rumored to be carrying billions of dollars’ worth of cargo.

The galleon was ambushed and sunk by a British fleet while en route to Cartagena, Colombia, in 1708. Historians believe that around 600 people on board were killed, with very few survivors.

The wreck is believed to have contained 11 million gold and silver coins, along with emeralds and other valuable cargo. The San Jose was carrying chests full of jewels and gold coins when it sank en route to King Philip V of Spain.

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Authorities say the expedition to the site of the legendary San Jose shipwreck began last week. (Reuters)

The wreck enjoyed a legendary reputation before its discovery in 2015, about 600 metres below sea level, and has been dubbed the “Holy Grail of shipwrecks” due to the large amount of valuables it contained.

Oceanographers were able to map the wreck using a robotic device attached to a Navy vessel that took images of the ship and several coins lying at the bottom of the wreck, some of which were photographed scattered on the ocean floor along with seashells.

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Coins found at the bottom of a shipwreck

Robotic photography revealed the coins lying at the bottom of the wreck. (Reuters)

In February, the Colombian government announced it would spend $45 million on the exploration, with the treasure reportedly believed to be worth as much as $20 billion.

Colombia’s culture minister previously said the expedition’s mission was to “claim the valuable heritage elements of the galleon’s remains.”

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