Colombia | Unprecedented photos of San Jose Galleon and its treasures

The Colombian Navy carried out four observation campaigns at a depth of approximately 950 meters, using high-tech equipment, especially a remote-controlled vehicle, to check the status of the wreck, according to an official press release.

This work, carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, “made it possible to verify that the galleon ship San Jose It has not undergone any interference or alteration due to human action.”

In these pictures we can see in the lower part of the water cast-iron cannons, pieces of ceramic cutlery, pottery, glass bottles, and also pieces apparently made of gold. We also see part of the bow of the ship covered with seaweed and shells, and the remains of the hull hull.

“Thanks to the technological equipment and the work of the Colombian Navy, we were able to take pictures of the galleons San Jose With a level of precision never seen before, while preserving and protecting the integrity of this human heritage, with the aim of later extracting this human heritage,” said President Ivan Duque.

According to the Colombian authorities, “during these monitoring campaigns, two wrecks were identified in another nearby area.” It will be a colonial-era sailing ship and a Republican-era schooner.

There will remain 13 sites to be explored off Cartagena de Indias, corresponding to the “probable shipwrecks” areas at the same time.

The wreck of the Galleon, sunk by the British fleet on June 7, 1708 off Cartagena, contains, according to experts, at least 200 tons of gold, silver and emeralds.

At the end of 2015, while treasure hunters of all stripes had been tracking San Jose for decades, then-Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced the discovery of the exact location of the wreck, thanks in particular to his cannons. Made of unique bronze, with dolphins engraving on it.

Mr. Santos then presented it as “the most valuable treasure discovered in the history of mankind” and offered to finance the rescue with a portion of the wealth found.

But his successor, Ivan Duque, ordered a freeze on awarding contracts to private operators to ensure that recovered loot would remain in Colombia. The authorities have since announced their intention to promote this heritage in the Museum of Sunken Boats in the future.

Indigenous Spain and Bolivia continue to claim ownership of the Gauls, who held a fortune from the Viceroy of Peru. But Colombia insists that the boat’s remains and its precious cargo are its “full” property.