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Hundreds of years old shipwreck found in Colombian waters. The ship found while monitoring the historic ancient ship Galleon San Jose contains treasure.
Gold coins and other treasures appear in footage taken from the Galleon San José. This week Colombian authorities announced that they had found two additional wrecks not far away.
The Galeon San José sank in 1708 near the Port of Cartagena, Colombia in the Caribbean region. Quoted from the BBC, Thursday (9/6/2022) some historians believe the treasure inside the ship is estimated to include at least 200 tons of gold, silver and emeralds which could be worth billions of dollars.
Colombian President Ivan Duque and naval officials confirmed that this remotely operated underwater vehicle was sent 900 meters below sea level and was able to take new photos and videos of the wreck.
The Colombian Navy, which examined the contents of the images and videos, has confirmed the presence of gold coins in several places. Also, other treasures are gold ingots, cannons made in Seville in 1655, and intact Chinese-style diner kits.
The underwater vehicle that found it also found two other shipwrecks in the area, including a schooner thought to date back about two centuries.
Gold coins found in shipwrecks. Photo: Screenshot
"We now have two other finds in the same area, which indicate another option for archaeological exploration," said naval commander Admiral Gabriel Perez.
CBS News reports that the wreck of the San José was first discovered off the coast of Colombia in 2015, but has not been touched since Spain, Bolivia and Colombia tried to determine who was entitled to the loot.
When the ship sank, Colombia was a Spanish colony, and its treasures included gold from modern day Peru and Bolivia. Earlier this year, Colombian Vice President Marta LucÃa RamÃrez said in a statement that every artifact from the wreck will be placed in the museum, and it will be a source of pride for Colombia, the Caribbean and the world.
He also said that the Colombian government is in no way responsible for the behavior of collecting and selling treasure for profit. Under a presidential decree released last week, those interested in excavating the rubble will have to sign a 'contract' with Colombia, and will be asked to submit their plans to deal with the items found along with a detailed inventory.
According to history, the sunken ship was transporting gold, silver and precious stones to King Philip V of Spain when it was sunk by the British navy at Cartagena de Indias. Only a few of the 600 crew members survived.