After 350 years, sea gives up jewels of Spanish shipwreck

When a Spanish galleon laden with treasures sunk in the Bahamas in 1656, it sparked repeated salvage attempts over the next 350 years. Few thought there could be anything left. But exquisite, jewel-encrusted pendants and gold chains are among finds that have now been recovered.

The Nuestra Señora de las Maravillas (Our Lady of Wonders) went down 70km offshore, but the newly discovered treasures were found across a debris trail spanning more than 13km. Allen Exploration, with Bahamian and US marine archaeologists and divers, was licensed to explore the wreck and is committed to displaying the finds in a new museum in the Bahamas.