2017-07-15 Sat

On 5th July, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santas Calderón announced that the government is closely working with salvage specialists to recover the San José, which sank in 800 feet of water off the island of Baru, near Cartagena.

The President said that public and private partnership is required to solve the problem.

The San José was part of the fleet of King Philip V, who fought the English, during the War of Spanish Succession. The tragedy was so bad that nearly 600 people died in the shipwreck, which happened when British ships under the command of Adm. Charles Wager attacked three warships leading the 17-ship fleet.

The British were successful in their attempt to board another warship, the Santa Cruz, but a small treasure was found. San Joaquín, the other warship couldn’t be captured and other 14 ships too reached the safety of Cartagena’s ports.

On 5th December 2015, the Colombian President disclosed that they had located the shipwreck. President Santos also added that throughout the history of mankind, such big findings have never been discovered.

Santos said that the ship was loaded with earthly treasures of silver, gold and emeralds that are at least worth $ 1 billion in today’s times.

According to Daniel Frank Sedwick, president of the coin firm of the same name, “the San José really would be among the most important Spanish wrecks of all time, filled with gold and silver cobs and ingots from Peru and Colombia.”

Sedwick’s firm specialises in shipwreck coins, and his auction catalogues include a list of famed wrecks in which coins were recovered.

Sedwick’s book, The Practical Book of Cobs states that the San José wreck carried 5 million to 7 million pesos in gold and silver coins. Some rumours suggested that 116 chests of emeralds were also on board in the ship. Sedwick also added in his book that the San José is potentially the richest single-ship recovery of all time.

Santos said that the nation has found an investor partner that would follow all the protocol of recovery and would help them with the historical and cultural patrimony. It will also develop a technology to ensure the recovery of the shipwreck.

On 14th July, a public hearing was scheduled in Cartagena, where the terms of the agreement were to be disclosed to the public.

President Santos said that the person, who is helping them recover the shipwreck, is an underwater archaeologist. He has been in the field for more than 40 years.

The archaeologist discussed the seriousness of the matter, after which Santos invited the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History to begin an investigation. They were joined by archaeologists, historians, engineers, Marines and oceanographers, from Colombia and all across the world.

Three-quarters of the galleon remains in the seabed where it sank, according to Santos’ announcement. So far, sonar images revealed bronze cannons, arms, ceramics and other artefacts in the wreckage.

Santos adds that after the team has fully investigated the wreck, we’ll have answers to questions related to world trade and costs of colonialism. He also said that the wreck and its contents will reveal to the world, the social, cultural history of its time.

Colombia’s Ministry of Culture will control the museum housing the artefacts that were found in the wreck. The museum will be funded by investors.

President Santos said that everyone will remember Cartagena and history of the galleon San José. It will be enjoyed by Colombians and all tourists, scholars, students and lovers of what was once just a legend.