Fresh Discoveries on Colombia’s Massive San José Shipwreck Treasures
Recent explorations of the 18th-century Spanish galleon San José, known as the “holy grail of shipwrecks,” have uncovered new artifacts off Colombia’s coast. However, the ownership of its estimated £16 billion treasure remains fiercely contested.
In the deep waters off the coast of Colombia lies the San José, an 18th-century Spanish galleon often referred to as the “holy grail of shipwrecks.” Sunk by the British Navy in 1708 during the War of Spanish Succession, the vessel carried one of the largest treasure hauls ever lost at sea—an estimated £16 billion in gold, silver, and emeralds. Discovered in 2015 at a secret location, the ship has remained largely undisturbed until now. In May 2024, the first robotic exploration of the wreck began, revealing a new trove of artifacts and reigniting debates over the rightful ownership of the ship’s priceless cargo.
The San José was no ordinary ship. As part of the Spanish Navy’s fleet, it was tasked with transporting vast wealth from the New World back to Spain. In 1708, the ship set sail from Portobelo, Panama, laden with gold and silver coins, emeralds, and other valuable goods to fund Spain’s ongoing war against Britain. But the San José never completed its journey. On June 8, 1708, it was intercepted by a British squadron near Cartagena, Colombia. In the ensuing battle, the ship was struck, igniting its gunpowder magazine and sending the vessel—and its nearly 600 crew members—plunging to the bottom of the Caribbean Sea.
For centuries, the exact location of the San José remained a mystery, fueling legends and inspiring treasure hunters. It wasn’t until 2015 that the Colombian government finally located the wreck with the help of advanced technology. The discovery was celebrated as one of the most significant maritime finds of all time, but it also set the stage for a complex legal battle over the ship’s ownership and its treasures.
New Discoveries: The 2024 Exploration
Nearly a decade after its discovery, the San José is again in the spotlight. In May 2024, the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History, alongside other research institutions, launched the first robotic exploration of the wreck. Using advanced underwater technology, researchers have begun uncovering new artifacts that provide deeper insights into the ship’s final moments and storied past.
Among the recent finds are an anchor, glass bottles, and even a bedpan—items that, while seemingly mundane, offer a glimpse into the daily lives of those aboard the ship. According to Alhena Caicedo, director of the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History, these discoveries include “a series of new materials that we hadn’t seen before,” such as remnants of the ship’s wooden hull, nails, jars, and ceramics.
Caicedo emphasized the importance of these findings, noting that they have “greatly expanded our knowledge” of San José. The preservation of these artifacts, submerged for over three centuries, offers invaluable archaeological evidence that could shed light on the ship’s construction, the conditions aboard, and the exact circumstances of its sinking.
Who Owns the San José?
While the San José’s treasures remain buried under the sea, the debate over their rightful ownership has surfaced with renewed intensity. At the heart of this controversy are three main claimants: the Colombian government, Spain, and Bolivia’s indigenous Qhara Qhara people. Each has claimed the ship’s riches, invoking history, international law, and moral arguments to support their cases.
Colombia, where the San José was found, has asserted its claim over the ship and its contents. President Gustavo Petro has made the recovery of the shipwreck a priority of his administration, vowing to retrieve and preserve the artifacts before his term ends in 2026. San José represents a significant archaeological find for Colombia and a potential source of national pride and economic benefit.
Colombian officials argue that the shipwreck within the country’s territorial waters falls under its jurisdiction. Moreover, they emphasize the importance of preserving the artifacts as part of Colombia’s cultural heritage, with plans to display the recovered items in museums for the public to appreciate.
Spain’s Claim: A Ship of State
Spain, however, contests Colombia’s claim, arguing that the San José remains the property of the Spanish state. According to Spain, the galleon was a “ship of state” at the time of its sinking, meaning it was part of the Spanish Navy and thus enjoyed special protections under international law. Spain has cited the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which protects sunken warships and their contents as sovereign property, to bolster its position. However, Colombia is not a signatory to this convention, complicating the legal landscape.
Spain’s argument is not just about ownership but about the historical and cultural significance of the San José. Spanish authorities view the ship as a symbol of the nation’s maritime history and desire to repatriate its contents to Spain.
Another layer to the debate is the claims of Bolivia’s indigenous Qhara Qhara people. The Qhara Qhara assert that Spanish colonizers initially extracted the gold and silver aboard the San José from their ancestral lands. They argue that the wealth was unjustly taken from them and should be returned to its rightful owners—the descendants of those who suffered under colonial exploitation.
The Qhara Qhara’s claim highlights the broader issue of colonial-era artifacts and the ongoing struggle of indigenous communities to reclaim their cultural heritage. For them, San José is not just a shipwreck but a symbol of historical injustices that have yet to be fully addressed.
The Legal Battle: Sea Search Armada
The involvement of the U.S.-based salvage company Sea Search Armada (SSA) complicates the ownership dispute further. SSA claims that it first discovered the location of San José in the 1980s and has since taken legal action to assert its rights to a portion of the treasure. The company has filed a lawsuit against Colombia at the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration, seeking £7.8 billion in compensation.
SSA’s involvement raises questions about the role of private companies in the recovery of historical shipwrecks and the ethics of profiting from cultural heritage. The legal outcome of SSA’s claim could set a precedent for future cases involving underwater archaeology and treasure hunting.
As the exploration of the San José continues, so too does the debate over its future. The Colombian government faces a delicate balancing act—recovering the ship’s treasures while navigating the complex legal and ethical issues surrounding their ownership. President Petro has expressed a commitment to preserving the artifacts for public display, but questions remain about how the wealth, if recovered, will be used and whether it will benefit the Colombian people or be subject to international claims.
There are also concerns about the potential for commercial exploitation of the shipwreck. While the Colombian government has pledged to protect the site, the involvement of private companies and the immense value of the treasure could lead to conflicts over the preservation versus exploitation of the San José.
A Shipwreck of Global Significance
The San José galleon is more than just a sunken ship; it is a nexus of history, archaeology, and international law. The artifacts and treasures it holds have the potential to provide invaluable insights into the past, but they also raise challenging questions about ownership, justice, and the legacy of colonialism.
As the world watches the ongoing exploration of the San José, the decisions made in the coming years will have far-reaching implications—not only for Colombia but for the global community. The way in which this shipwreck is handled could set a new standard for how the world approaches the recovery and preservation of underwater cultural heritage.
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In the end, the San José is a reminder that history is never truly buried. The stories of those who sailed on it, the wealth it carried, and the battles fought over its contents continue to resonate, shaping our understanding of the past and our approach to the future.
