Archaeologists Discovered the ‘Holy Grail’ of Shipwrecks a Decade Ago. Now, They’re Finally Beginning to Unravel the Secrets of the ‘San José’
A new book by author Julian Sancton explores the lengthy quest to find the Spanish galleon—and the political firestorm that has engulfed the wreck ever since

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But one of the most notable traces of Cartagena’s history remains hidden underwater: the San José, a Spanish galleon often referred to as the “world’s richest shipwreck.” Resting some 12 miles offshore at a depth of nearly 2,000 feet, the vessel was once the flagship of a Spanish Empire Tierra Firme fleet. In June 1708, the San José ran afoul of an English warship while transporting silver, gems, up to eight tons of gold and other precious cargo back to Spain.

The galleon sank with a payload of roughly 7 million to 12 million pesos on board. Its wreckage was only discovered in the Caribbean Sea in November 2015, under secretive circumstances involving an English hedge fund manager and a former employee of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. The ship has rested on the seabed ever since, ensnared in a tug of war over its ownership and fate.