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PANAMA CITY: Some 400 years ago, English admiral Sir Francis Drake swashbuckled his way through the seas of the Spanish Americas, seizing riches from its treasure-laden ports.
Today, following the discovery of several Spanish Conquest-era shipwrecks off Panama’s Pacific and Caribbean coasts, treasure hunters are back.
This time they don’t sport pirate’s hooks or carry parrots on their shoulders. Instead they pose as salvagers of modern-day ships to loot the ancient vessels, Panama’s government says.
More than 30 Spanish Conquest-era galleons laden with treasure worth hundreds of millions of dollars are scattered along Panama’s seabeds, according to Panama’s National Culture Institute.
Three wrecks with treasure have been located so far.
But seven search and recovery vessels registered in Panama and owned by US companies are plundering the wrecks, said Rafael Ruiloba, Panama’s de facto culture minister.
Ruiloba, who heads the national culture institute, said the ships, fitted with marine survey and metal detection equipment, can enter Panamanian waters because they get permission from the Finance Ministry to recover modern ships such as tankers.
The companies then steal from the galleons, which are Panamanian property by law.
“We know about the exact location of the wrecks because salvage companies find them first,” said Ruiloba.
PRICELESS GOLD: During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, Panama served as a vital point for gold and silver shipments between the mines of Peru and imperial Spain.
But many galleons floundered in the choppy waters of the Pacific before booty could be unloaded in Panama City and taken to ports in the Caribbean. Ships leaving the Caribbean ports for Spain were often attacked by pirates.
“The many wrecks mean Panama is sitting on a great museum of the maritime archeological world. But it is at great risk,” said Ruiloba.
Coral-encrusted pistols and silver bracelets taken from the ships are being hawked to tourists for around 100 dollars in Panama’s beach resorts, Ruiloba said, holding up a photo of artifacts on display in shops taken by a hidden camera.
“These items shouldn’t be for sale. They are priceless and part of the world’s heritage. If they were auctioned they would fetch 15,000 dollars each,” said Ruiloba.
Interest in Spanish wrecks grew after vacationers diving off Panama’s Caribbean coast in November chanced across the hull of the Vizcaina ship, part of the fleet used by Christopher Columbus on his final voyage to the Americas in 1501.—Reuters
