The Colombian government has announced plans to conduct a deep-sea expedition to the renowned San José galleon next spring, with the aim of extracting artifacts from the 18th-century Spanish shipwreck located some 40 nautical miles northeast of Cartagena de Indias. The galleon, laden with a treasure trove of gold and silver coins, sank in 1708 during a fierce naval battle with 600 sailors on board.
The marine archaeological expedition, spearheaded by the Colombian Navy, is scheduled to take place between March, April, and May, timed strategically to align with favorable sea conditions. The extracted materials that could include canons, large vats filled with gold coins and emeralds will undergo meticulous scientific analyses at a specialized laboratory within the Colombian Armada, and a subsequent decision on a potential second extraction will be contingent on the success of the initial phase, as stated by Juan David Correa, Colombia’s Minister of Culture. “This is an opportunity for us to become a country at the forefront of underwater archaeological research,” highlighted Correa.
The year 2023 witnessed a flurry of announcements and controversies surrounding the San José galleon. Despite President Gustavo Petro’s determination to retrieve the remnants from the depths of the Caribbean Sea, the alleged misplacement of a sealed envelope containing critical coordinates and reports of systematic looting, voiced by the Oversight Committee for Submerged Heritage, became focal points of public discourse. Efforts were made to establish a technical committee, and a debate with researchers and historians in Cartagena aimed to delve into the historical significance of the sunken vessel.
The San José Galleon was part of a Spanish fleet attempting to transport a vast treasure, including gold, silver, precious gemstones, and artifacts, from the South American colonies to Spain. The English privateer ship, the “HMS Expedition,” under the command of Captain Charles Wager, along with other British ships, engaged the Spanish fleet in a fierce battle near the Barú peninsula.
The Colombian government, under the coordination of Minister Correa, aims not only to salvage historical artifacts but also to promote international recognition of the San José galleon as a valuable archaeological site rather than a mere repository of sunken treasure estimated to be worth at US$13 billion. The San José is referred to as the “Holy Grail of Shipwrecks.”
Minister Correa met with Spain’s Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, on December 12, with both officials expressing a commitment to foster greater cultural ties, although the future of the Quimbaya Treasure and San José galleon were not unaddressed. The discovery of the San José galleon was announced on December 4, 2015 by oceanographers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. The majestic hull rests and some 65 canons rest more than 900 meters deep on the ocean floor. The galleon was extensively photographed by a Rembus submersible during the government of President Juan Manuel Santos in 2018.
The head of the culture portfolio emphasized that the timing of the extractions, scheduled for March to May of 2024, would hinge on weather conditions and tidal patterns. The results of these extractions, he assured, will be made public, marking yet another milestone in the ongoing saga of the San José galleon. The San José can give us an account of our colonial past,” believes Correa. “We are going to (recover) as quickly as possible – following the Presidential order – but also as professionally and technically as possible,” he said.
Colombia may have lost coordinates of San José Galleon shipwreck
