Untapped treasures: Portugal's 250 shipwrecks await discovery

This discovery is quite literally a treasure! Led by Alexandre Monteiro from the Institute of History, Territories, and Communities, scientists from the New University of Lisbon conducted extensive research to determine the location of all the wrecks that sank off the coast of Portugal. This endeavour was not without its challenges.

Research leader Alexandre Monteiro managed to create a database detailing the location of 8,620 shipwrecks that sank off the coasts of the Azores, Madeira, and mainland Portugal, reports the Portuguese agency Lusa. Near Portugal itself, there are up to 7,500, and around 1,000 near the Azores. The fewest, about 120, sank off the coast of Madeira. Of these, up to 250 wrecks are ships that carried various valuables, which may still lie at the bottom of the ocean.

The entire database includes ships that sank after the year 1500, as documentation of such cases only started from then.

One wreck in particular has captured the researchers’ attention.

I know that in front of Troia there is a Spanish ship from 1589, called Nossa Senhora do Rosário. I investigated and I even know the name of the commander’s mother and there are officially 22 tons of gold and silver there, Monteiro told the Lusa agency.

Wrecks can also be spotted while diving. However, despite promising data, further research might not be straightforward due to the Portuguese government, which is doing nothing about the sunken wrecks.

The Portuguese government provides no protection for the discovered wrecks. Admittedly, looting is not a concern because the wrecks are mostly covered by sand, but according to scientists, various sports activities may soon emerge that could threaten these valuable historical findings.