'Holy Grail Of Shipwrecks' To Be Recovered With Treasure Worth Up To $20 Billion

Credit: Presidencia de la República

The ingredients for another hilarious action Disney film about explorers are shipwrecks, treasure, and a secret location.

However, this isn't a scene from a movie; rather, it's happening in real life, off the coast of Colombia.

The San José Galleon sank to the bottom of the Caribbean Sea back in 1708.

In all, the ship carried 200 tonnes or more of gold, silver, jewelry, and other items that had been gathered in Spain's territories in South America.

Credit: Presidencia de la República

To support King Philip V's struggle against the British, the enormous cargo of treasure was being transported to him.

However, the Royal Navy attacked the San José, causing it to sink.

And after that, for centuries, no one knew where it was.

The Columbian navy is said to have only discovered the shipwreck in 2015, despite earlier reports of finding the treasure.

The estimated value of the wealth hidden beneath the ocean floor is a staggering $20 billion (£16.1 billion).

Photos of the wreck have recently surfaced, despite the fact that the San José's location is being kept under wraps to deter treasure seekers (I told you it's like a movie).

The photos display gold coins and Chinese porcelain tea cups resting in the sand, among other treasures strewn across the seafloor.

Since the San José holds one of the biggest sums of riches ever lost at sea, it has been dubbed the "holy grail" of shipwrecks.

The results were announced by Adm. José Joaquín Amézquita, director-general of Colombia's navy's maritime section: "Using the inscriptions found, it was possible to determine the manufacturing sites of the ship’s cannons: in Seville and Cádiz, in the year 1655."

“You also can see the different objects of gold, including the 'macuquinas' [a type of coin] and the date they were minted.”

And now, disputes over who is actually entitled to the haul are leading to a legal situation.

Spain maintains that since it was on a Spanish ship, it is their property.

The native Qhara Qhara people of Bolivia have the same beliefs since they were the ones forced to mine the valuable metals.

Furthermore, because the ship was discovered in Colombian territorial waters, the country regards it as a part of its cultural legacy.

However, getting the ship to the surface isn't going to be a simple task, so it will take some time.

The administration of President Gustavo Petro has been instructed to excavate the San José as soon as feasible.

Before his tenure ends in 2026, the president wants the ship recovered, according to Culture Minister Juan David, who spoke with Bloomberg about this.