Cast iron cannons, porcelain dishes, pottery, bottles and even gold coins… The Colombian army recently revealed never-before-seen images of the wreckage of the legendary galleon San José, one of the largest in the Spanish armada, sunk three centuries ago with its exceptional treasure off the coast of the country.

Four observation campaigns have been carried out by the Colombian navy in nearly 950 meters of water.

High-tech equipment and in particular a remote-controlled vehicle made it possible to check the condition of the wreckage, indicates an official press release.

This work, carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, showed that "the San José galleon has not suffered any intervention or alteration due to human action".

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Two other wrecks identified nearby

In these images, we can see part of the bow of the ship, covered with seaweed and shells, and the remains of the hull's framework at the bottom of the water.

"We have been able to have images of the San José galleon with a level of precision never seen before, while keeping intact and protecting, with a view to later extraction, this heritage of humanity", welcomed the president. Ivan Duque.

“During these observation campaigns, two wrecks were identified in another nearby area,” according to Colombian authorities.

It would be a colonial-era galleon and a republican-era schooner.

There would remain 13 sites to explore off the city of Cartagena de Indias (north-west), corresponding to areas of "possible shipwrecks" at the same time.

200 tons of gold, silver and emeralds

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 the San José for decades, the Colombian president at the time, Juan Manuel Santos, announced the discovery of the exact location of the wreck, thanks in particular to his cannons. in unique bronze, with dolphins engraved on it.

He then presented it as "the most precious treasure ever discovered in the history of mankind" and offered to finance the rescue operation with part of the wealth found.

But his successor Ivan Duque ordered a freeze on the award of contracts to private operators to ensure that the recovered loot remained in Colombia.

The authorities have since announced their intention to enhance this heritage in a future "museum of shipwrecked boats".

Spain and indigenous Bolivians continue to claim ownership of the galleon that was carrying wealth from the Viceroyalty of Peru.

But Colombia maintains that the remains of the boat as well as its precious cargo are its “entire” property.

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