Shipwreck with $1.1 Billion Treasure Found After 363 Years

Bright Side

Imagine stumbling upon a shipwreck that’s been lost for over three centuries—with over a billion dollars in treasure still on board. Sounds like a movie, right? Well, this is real, and it just got discovered after 363 years underwater. In this video, you’ll uncover the secrets of the ship, the legends surrounding its cargo, and how modern explorers finally found it. We’ll also dive into other shipwreck mysteries that still keep treasure hunters up at night. If you love hidden history, gold, and a little bit of ocean drama—this one’s for you.  Animation is created by Bright Side.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV  Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Our Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00For years, the world's most valuable shipwreck was just a legend, until now.

00:06It has finally been found, and among the wreckage was a real treasure worth $1.1 billion.

00:13To understand this better, we need to go back to 1622.

00:17That year, the mighty Spanish galleon, Nuestra Señora de Atocha, set sail from Havana,

00:24packed with riches belonging both to King Philip IV of Spain and to the wealthy members of the crew.

00:30We're talking about gold, silver, copper, and emeralds from Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and Venezuela.

00:37The cargo was so large, totaling more than 40 tons, and so vast that it took two months to transport it to the ship.

00:45The ship was also packed with people. There were 265 people on board.

00:51At first, everything went well.

00:53But then came the Florida Straits, and trouble.

00:57The crew found themselves lost in the night that was not only cold, but also stormy.

01:02And before long, they were facing a powerful hurricane.

01:05The wind tore the masts apart, giant waves destroyed the rudder,

01:10and soon, the Atocha was sinking toward the darkness of the seabed.

01:14The disaster that night meant a huge loss of wealth for King Philip IV.

01:19But even worse was the loss of life.

01:21Of the original 265 crew members, only five survived.

01:27They managed to climb up the mizzen of the ship, the only part that remained above water.

01:32With all that treasure gone, the Spanish were quick to spring into action and devised a salvage operation.

01:39Five ships were sent to recover the cargo.

01:42The plan seemed simple and easy.

01:44After all, the hatches were securely locked, so the treasure could still be there.

01:48But almost immediately, things went wrong.

01:52For example, one of the five ships ran aground before it could even begin its journey.

01:57In the end, the search dragged on for 60 years, and many factors contributed to the mission's failure.

02:02That may not seem so bad today, but back then, divers didn't have the technology or safety equipment that we have today.

02:12Exploring the seabed was risky, and more often than not, it led nowhere.

02:16While searching for the Atocha, the rescuers found traces of another vessel, the Santa Margarita, the Atocha's sister ship.

02:26Another hurricane passed through the region a month after the sinking.

02:29The seabed became a jigsaw puzzle with pieces of the ship scattered everywhere.

02:35The rescue mission became almost impossible.

02:37Over time, the Spanish managed to recover part of the Santa Margarita's cargo, but Atocha's treasure seemed lost forever.

02:46Even so, no one forgot that story.

02:49Then, in 1969, more than 300 years after the sinking, everything began to change.

02:55An experienced deep-sea diver, Mel Fisher, stepped in and decided to rewrite history.

03:01Mel had already spent a big part of his life at the bottom of the sea.

03:04He and his wife even ran a diving school in California.

03:09So, Mel gathered his family and moved to the other side of the country.

03:13He led a new team of hunters whose mission was clear, to find the lost treasure of the legendary Atocha.

03:20They had little more than a boat, some diving equipment, and metal detectors, but that was enough to get them started.

03:27They focused on a region called the Matakumbe Keys, mentioned in several 17th-century documents.

03:33In the first year, they traveled more than 100,000 miles, but found absolutely nothing.

03:39It seemed like an impossible dream.

03:42But Mel still had a card up his sleeve.

03:46Eugene Lyon

03:47A historian who would change the course of the search.

03:52Eugene delved into the Spanish archives in search of clues about the shipwreck.

03:56It was there that he found an important document that mentioned a group of people trying to save it.

04:02On the last page, it was mentioned that an area 100 miles from where Mel was searching had been the scene of the main exploration.

04:11This little piece of information was the needle in the haystack they needed.

04:15They rerouted the ship and soon arrived at the new location.

04:18But there was a challenge.

04:21That part of the ocean was deeper and the visibility there was almost zero.

04:25It was difficult to see your own hands.

04:28However, Mel knew how to deal with the adversities of diving and came up with a simple and brilliant solution.

04:34He installed two large tubes on the boat called letterboxes.

04:39Those tubes could be lowered in front of the propellers.

04:41The idea was ingenious.

04:44They sucked clean water from the surface and directed it to the bottom of the sea, exactly where the divers were.

04:49This technique not only cleared the murky water, but also helped to reveal objects that had been hidden for centuries.

04:56And still, the search took 16 years.

05:00During that time, Fisher found many lost items.

05:04Then, in 1971, they discovered a huge anchor.

05:08This was the first clue that they were close to finding the Atocha.

05:12In the following days, more objects appeared.

05:15Cups, swords, and ancient nails turned up.

05:18To keep everything organized, the team created a circular map.

05:22On it, they marked the exact location of each item they found.

05:26They also used radio transmitters on land and a receiver on the boat, which allowed them to know precisely where they were.

05:32The system was so efficient that it could measure the position with a margin of error of just one foot.

05:39Over time, a line began to form on the map, pointing to where the Atocha's main treasure might be hidden.

05:46They followed this trail for two years.

05:49Just when they were starting to lose hope, they found silver bars.

05:53It was the year 1973.

05:55This opened the door to much bigger discoveries.

05:58The silver alone was worth over $100,000, but the real treasure was yet to come.

06:04On July 20, 1985, valuables that would be worth around $1.1 billion today were finally discovered in the main hull of the ship.

06:15The treasure included 180,000 silver coins, 24 tons of silver bars, 125 gold bars, a collection of pearls, and 66 pounds of emeralds.

06:27Some of these finds were priceless, not only because they were rare, but because of their history.

06:33The Atocha Cross, the Royal Orb, and the Atocha Ring, three royal artifacts, were found in near-perfect condition.

06:41The Atocha Cross was the most valuable of all the artifacts.

06:44It had nine brilliant green emeralds set in 22-karat gold, a true treasure from the past, shining once again after centuries underwater.

06:54Soon after the discovery, the state of Florida thought, wait a second, we want a piece of that treasure.

07:01They went to court, demanding a whopping 25% of the value.

07:06A bitter legal battle ensued, and it lasted eight years.

07:09It even went all the way to the Supreme Court.

07:12But in the end, treasure hunter Mel emerged victorious.

07:15He was even invited to The Tonight Show, showing off a massive gold chain found in the wreckage, wrapped around his waist like a belt.

07:25People called it the money chain, and for good reason.

07:29The find was so big that the wreck was declared the world's most valuable by the Guinness Book of Records in 2014.

07:35After the initial excitement, Mel sold some of the gems, but the bulk of the treasure remained in the family for a while.

07:44What was left was auctioned off.

07:46No one knows exactly how much the jewels were sold for, but one thing is for sure.

07:50Their value has skyrocketed over the years, and it's not just about the sparkle.

07:55It's about the legend that lives behind them.

07:57Today, these treasures are part of the particular Muzo collection, the largest private collection of the Atocha artifacts in the world.

08:07And no, they're not for sale.

08:09But the good news is that you can still see them.

08:12They're on display, shining brightly in homage to Colombia's rich history and the famous mine from which they came.

08:18The people behind them say that these emeralds are as iconic as the rubies of Mogok or the sapphires of Kashmir.

08:26And honestly, they're right.

08:27That's it for today.

08:31So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.

08:36Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the bright side.

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