Treasures under the sea: the Colombian mission to recover the remains of the San José galleon

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In 2022, a high-tech recording showed the legendary Galeão São José at the bottom of the sea. Two years later, the Colombian Government has just announced an unprecedented mission to refloat part of the remains of the wreckage that, since 1708, has rested more than 600 meters deep in the waters of the Caribbean.

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Nobody knows exactly where it is. Since Colombia obtained its coordinates in 2015, the location of the galleon – which today would be understood as a train – has been a national security secret. The fascination surrounding the galleon is explained by its history, its hidden treasures and the disputes that continue to this day.

The San José, flying the Spanish flag, was sunk by a fleet of English privateers while heading to Cartagena de Indias loaded, according to chronicles of the time, with around 11 million gold and silver eight-escudo coins that it had collected. at the Portobelo fair (Panama).

The treasures on board are estimated to be worth millions of dollars. In addition to a piece of the ship’s bow, almost camouflaged with algae and shells, the images released two years ago show gold ingots and coins, swords, 1655 cannons made in Seville and Chinese crockery. The loot has not been looted or altered since it was discovered.

The galleon, with treasure hidden inside, was pursued by bounty hunters for decades. (Photo: AFP)

The task launched by Colombia has a roadmap for initial exploration, which is expected to remove pieces of the wreckage for scientific study. The project will be implemented over the next few months, as maritime conditions permit.

To achieve this, the government of that country has cutting-edge technology. On the surface, the base for exploration will be the modern multipurpose hydrographic vessel ARC Caribe, a 3,200-ton Colombian Navy ship manufactured in China and which has already carried out “non-intrusive explorations” of the galleon’s wreckage. The boat has “an azimuth system” that allows the propeller to rotate 360 ​​degrees and face waves and wind in all movements in six directions, according to Colombian authorities.

Infographic about the San José galleon published in the El Dominical supplement of El Comercio, in 2016.

Underwater, the star of the mission will be the Saab Seaeye Lynx underwater robot. Developed by the Swedish company Saab, a world leader in this field with its remotely operated vehicles (ROV), this robot has claws and is capable of reaching a depth of 900 meters. It was its high-definition cameras that obtained the images released in 2022.

The Saab Seaeye Lynx underwater robot can descend to a depth of 900 meters. (Photo: EFE) (Ricardo Maldonado Rozo/)

What is expected to be recovered? Researchers are looking to collect some samples of surface parts to analyze their materials. The objects, which can range from coins to lead plates, will have to receive special treatment before being brought to the surface because the pressure of seawater at that depth could damage the remains when they reach the surface.

#GaleónSanJosé @ArmadaColombia presented in Cartagena to the ROV the vehicle with which the Colombian government will reach the bottom of the sea in search of the submerged cultural heritage of the galleon that sank in 1708. @THE TIME @ColombiaET @mincultura pic.twitter.com/t9n1JrLgTT

— João (@PilotodeCometas) February 24, 2024

Héctor López Aréstegui, a lawyer specializing in the matter, highlights that these operations are extremely expensive and sophisticated and require investment and long-term planning, which is why he questions whether Colombia will be able to sustain the mission. “Anyone can carry out exploration, the Colombian Navy has already done this, but removing the remains is another story”, he tells El Comercio.

Although for many the possibility of rescuing the treasure from the shipwrecks may be the most striking, Colombia emphasized that its objective is to recover the submerged cultural heritage of San José. Researchers linked to the project stated that their objective is to discover what life was like aboard the 600 people who lived on the boat, as well as studying the customs and goods of colonial times in this part of the world.

The researchers discovered that the remains of the galleon are scattered and among them are metals, crockery and cannons, among other objects. (Photo: AFP)

“History is the treasure,” said the Minister of Cultures and Arts, Juan David Correa, who insisted that the wreck has cultural and not monetary value. “We are not going to recover treasures, they are archaeological debris”, he stressed.

In fact, there will not be a total extraction of the galleon, but only the recovery of some of its objects or parts.

The Colombian mission ruled out legal disputes over the wealth of the wreck and clashes over ownership of the galleon.

The government has not only formally initiated an arbitration dispute with the American company Sea Search Armada, which demands a sum for half the treasure of the galleon it claims to have discovered in 1982, but also maintains a tense situation with Spain, which claims ownership of the galleon protected by a UNESCO convention.

Despite this, Spain defended the possibility of participating in the investigation of the wreck using scientific and heritage criteria, while Colombia was open to treating the San José as part of the heritage shared between both countries and other peoples.

Our country is also part of this story. López Aréstegui remembers that San José is linked to Peru because the galleon left Callao and because a large part of its treasure came from the Viceroyalty of Peru. However, he clarifies that legally we have nothing to demand in this dispute.

The expert, for whom Spanish ownership of the galleon is unquestionable, considers that Colombia goes against the international trend in terms of conservation of underwater cultural heritage and the rules of maritime law, which is why he highlights that the main mission of nations must be to protect and respect the remains that lie at the bottom of the sea.

Source: Elcomercio