(TOP BANNER IMAGE: Samuel Scott / Wikimedia / public domain)

The San José, a three-decked galleon approximately 150ft long and armed with 64 guns, sank during a battle with British ships in 1708. It is believed to contain 11 million gold and silver coins, emeralds and other precious cargo from Spanish colonies. Researchers have identified bronze cannons, ceramic and porcelain vases, and personal weapons among the artefacts, confirming the wreck’s identity.

Hidden beneath the serene waters of The Bahamas lay the remnants of approximately 5,000 shipwrecks, entombed for centuries. These relics are finally seeing the light of day, thanks to an innovative project called The Bahamas Lost Ships Project, kickstarted in 2023 by Allen Exploration and In Search of Shipwrecks (ISOS).

176 shipwrecks traced

The project has shed light on the maritime heritage of The Bahamas, particularly along the eastern flank of the Straits of Florida, a maritime corridor frequented since the 15th century.

According to a press release from the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), on Nov. 18, 1914, the Steamship C.F. Curtis was towing the lumber-loaded, schooner barges Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson from Baraga, Michigan to Tonawanda, New York. They were carrying more than 3 million board feet of lumber.

The 144-foot Nucleus had a “checkered past” after previously sinking twice, and once rammed and sank another boat on Lake Huron, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum said in a news release announcing the discovery.

This is a pretty significant shipwreck…considering its age, the fact that it is a barquentine and we can’t overlook the vessel’s checkered past. The wreck site is littered with shovels too…and a few dinner plates, which speaks to their work and shipboard life.

Shipwreck Society Executive Director, Bruce Lynn

Interview and text by Mimo Moqvist

Translation edited by G. Symes

“Yes, it is actually a slightly special story. We were really looking for a completely different wreck, from the 16th century. As early as 2005, I got in touch with a man whose father had found a wreck outside Dyngö when he was fishing for trout,” said von Arbin.

The father who found the wreck was no longer alive, but the son tipped off von Arbin about the find and told him that he had material that von Arbin and his team could see.

The Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas (Our Lady of Wonders) sank with a cargo of gold, silver, and gems on the western side of the Little Bahama Bank in 1656. The Spanish galleon was part of a fleet sailing to Spain from Havana with royal and privately-consigned treasures from the Americas. Failing to navigate shallow waters, however, it collided with the flagship of the fleet and hit a reef. Of the 650 people on board, only 45 survived.

After the recent elaborate diving expedition at a depth of 950 meters (3,117 feet), the Colombian Navy has published new footage of the legendary ship and its treasures.

The Gloucester ran aground some 28 miles off the coast of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on 6 May 1682, nearly killing the Duke of York, who became King James II of England. The incident happened after a dispute about navigating the treacherous Norfolk sandbank which the ship hit at about 5.30 and sank within the hour. Between 130 and 250 people died.

The San Jose galleon which was sunk by the British in 1708 near Colombia's Caribbean port of Cartagena and located in 2015 has been described as the holy grail of shipwrecks, as the ship was carrying one of the largest amounts of valuables ever to have been lost at sea.

Based on where the timbers were found, it was long believed that they were from the 12-meter (40ft) ship. The Sparrow-Hawk is the oldest known shipwreck in English Colonial America. Until now, there has always been some uncertainty about its true identity.