You know all those treasure movies where there's a mad race to recover Spanish gold mined from deep in the jungles of South America?
It seems we're currently living through one:
If you don't hablas español, here's the scoop:
Naval officials in Colombia announced Monday that they have uncovered new video and images of the San Jose galleon, which sank off the coast of the country in 1708, along with two other shipwrecks from the time.
The ship was carrying potentially billions of dollars worth of treasure when it sank not too far from the Caribbean port of Cartagena, ABC reported. Images from the wreck of the San Jose suggest that much of this treasure is still intact, including gold ingots and other types of coin, cannons made in Seville in 1655, and even an intact Chinese dinner set, ABC reported.
A British ship sunk the San Jose, sending most of her 600-person crew to a watery grave 3,000 feet below the waves. Her treasure is estimated upwards of $17 billion USD in today's money.
In the process of surveying the wreck, Columbian officials said they actually discovered two additional sunken ships (the high seas are treacherous, y'all) nearby. One is believed to be of similar age, while the second is estimated to be from the 1820s.
Who gets the treasure at the end of the day is going to be a major battle. If Colombia can keep the likes of Jack Sparrow, Indiana Jones, Laura Croft, and Dirk Pitt at bay, it also has to contend with foreign governments and reparation claims.
Spain disputes Colombia's ownership of the treasure, as the ship belonged to the Spanish navy when it sank, another BBC article reported. The Qhara Qhara nation, an indigenous population in Bolivia, has also laid claim to the treasure, as their ancestors were reportedly forced to mine the treasure from their lands in the 1500s, ABC noted.
Let's hope none of the treasure is cursed!
P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇
