Underwater archaeologist Alexandre Monteiro has identified over 8,620 shipwrecks in Portuguese waters, including approximately 250 vessels believed to be laden with treasures. Monteiro, a researcher at the Institute of History, Territories, and Communities at Nova University Lisbon, compiled the extensive database covering shipwrecks along the mainland coast of Portugal, as well as around the Azores and Madeira.
According to a report by Expresso, Monteiro's findings document approximately 7,500 wrecks along Portugal's mainland coast, 1,000 around the Azores, and 120 near Madeira. Many of these shipwrecks date back to after 1500, when documentation began to exist.
Among the shipwrecks identified is the Nossa Senhora do Rosário, a Spanish ship that sank in 1589 near Troia, carrying 22 tons of gold and silver. “I studied the history of this ship; I even know the name of the captain's mother. According to official records, the ship was carrying 22 tons of gold and silver,” Monteiro stated, as reported by Euro Weekly News.
Monteiro has spent over 25 years diving and studying underwater finds, during which he has mapped these sunken ships. He dedicated four years to researching the Nossa Senhora da Luz, which was lost in 1615 near Faial in the Azores. “I wanted to find that ship. I spent four years researching in various archives, and after those four years, I dove, and on the first dive I did, I found the wreck point,” he recounted, according to Observador [https://observador.pt/2024/12/23/cerca-de-250-navios-com-tesouros-nas-aguas-territoriais-portuguesas-revela-arqueologo-alexandre-monteiro/].
Despite the wealth of information available about these shipwrecks, Monteiro expressed frustration over the lack of government response and the absence of a protection plan. “We know that there are 250 ships with treasures, and we know that sooner or later, a port work, anything is going to find something like this. There is no contingency plan to protect a find like this,” he lamented, as reported by Correio da Manhã.
Monteiro warned that many treasures remain buried under layers of sand, making them vulnerable to treasure hunters. “It's difficult because everything is going to be under the sand,” he said, according to news.faharas.net. Without proper protection plans, these historical artifacts could be lost forever.
When asked if the Portuguese government is aware of this information, Monteiro said that it is published, but that no one has done anything. He noted that the absence of a contingency plan leaves these wrecks vulnerable to accidental discoveries during construction projects or similar activities.
As interest in treasure hunting grows, Monteiro emphasized the critical need for a comprehensive preservation strategy to safeguard Portugal's maritime heritage. He explained that the identification of these shipwrecks is just the first step, a starting point to pursue the ship. “If I were a month doing the project, I would find the ship,” he asserted, indicating his confidence in locating the wrecks with dedicated effort.
Monteiro's findings are based on a detailed database of shipwrecks dating back to the 1500s, compiled from historical records. The discovery of approximately 250 treasure-laden shipwrecks in Portugal enriches our understanding of maritime history but poses challenges for preservation. He downplayed the risk of treasure hunters looting the sites, believing the likelihood of the shipwrecks being looted is low.
However, he cautioned that the absence of a contingency plan leaves these wrecks vulnerable. “When treasure hunting companies started knocking at the door of the Azores regional government, our biggest drama was that we didn't know how many ships and where they were. It was known, it was suspected, but our knowledge was zero,” Monteiro recounted, according to Expresso.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.