A British company has committed to this search, claiming that they are following its trail.
The ship, named “Merchant Royal,” set sail from the New World in 1641, loaded with 100,000 pounds of gold, 400 bars of silver, and thousands of precious gems.
The value of the cargo is estimated today at 1.5 billion euros.
How the Ship Sank
In September 1641, the “Merchant Royal” was finally approaching the shores of England, but its crew was battling incessantly against the water pouring into the ship.
A stormy wind blowing from the Atlantic Ocean had battered the ship, while a southwestern wind pushed it towards the sharp reefs of the Scilly Isles and the coast of Cornwall.
The damaged ship fought against the storm but could not survive. The pumps gave way to the water, and the ship sank. Eighteen men drowned, while another 40 managed to survive.
What the Search Company Says
Former fisherman and expert diver Nigel Hodge is leading a team of 11 people from Multibeam Services. This company specializes in discovering lost shipwrecks and has started the search.
They plan to spend the rest of 2024 searching for the wreck, covering an area of 200 square miles in the English Channel.
Nigel believes the wreck could easily be worth several billion euros.
He says the allure lies in discovering the answers, with valuable cargoes that will become items of cultural heritage.
New technology may help solve this mystery, as the company has unmanned underwater vehicles worth 3.5 million euros, capable of reaching depths of nearly 6,000 meters—deeper than the deepest part of the search zone—as well as new sonar technology.
When the Ship’s Anchor Was Found
In 2019, a fishing vessel pulled up the anchor of the legendary ship in its nets.
Experts identified the ship’s remnant by its size and age.
Treasure hunters were disappointed, as the anchor was found at a depth of 92 meters, where only a few people can dive.
Nigel says that the search will be difficult. There are many shipwrecks, and the Merchant Royal is just one of them. Therefore, researchers must investigate many wrecks and then accurately identify them.