Archaeologists Discovered the 'Holy Grail' of Shipwrecks a Decade Ago. Now, They're Finally Beginning to Unravel the Secrets of the 'San Jose'

"Cartagena de Indias, a port city in northern Colombia, boasts a rich history. Behind massive walls erected after English privateer Francis Drake ransacked the city in 1586, a stronghold called the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas dominates the shore. The Palace of the Inquisition, where a tribunal tried people for magic, witchcraft, heresy and blasphemy, offers a stark testament to the tortures endured by the accused. Less than a mile away, shoppers browse for wares at Las Bóvedas, a former munitions storage space"

"But one of the most notable traces of Cartagena's history remains hidden underwater: the , 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."

Cartagena de Indias contains colonial-era fortifications and institutions such as the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas and the Palace of the Inquisition. The Spanish galleon San José sank in June 1708 while carrying silver, gems and up to eight tons of gold, with an estimated payload of roughly 7 million to 12 million pesos. The wreck lies about 12 miles offshore at nearly 2,000 feet. The shipwreck was discovered in November 2015 under secretive circumstances involving an English hedge fund manager and a former employee of Fidel Castro. The discovery has become enmeshed in international legal and political disputes over ownership.

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