Colombia has unveiled plans to recover treasures from the 316-year-old San Jose galleon wreck using a robotic device.
According to CBS News, the Spanish crown galleon, laden with emeralds, silver, and gold estimated to be worth billions, met its demise in 1708 following an engagement with the British navy en route to King Philip V of Spain’s court from the New World. The tragedy claimed the lives of nearly all of its 600 crew members, with only a handful surviving.
Juan David Correa, the Colombian Culture Minister, disclosed, eight years after the wreck’s discovery, that an underwater robot will be employed in April and May to salvage a selection of items from the galleon’s surface. This initial retrieval aims to assess the feasibility of extracting further treasures by examining how these objects respond once removed from the water.
Correa further elaborated that the robotic operation would focus on collecting items such as pottery, wood debris, and shells, ensuring the wreck remains undisturbed and intact.
The cost of this ambitious retrieval mission is projected to exceed $4.5 million.
To protect one of the most significant archaeological finds in history from treasure hunters, the precise location of the expedition remains confidential.
The San Jose galleon has also been at the centre of an international legal dispute involving the United States, Colombia, and Spain concerning the ownership rights to the submerged riches.
