# U.S. Naval Institute 2026: Recovery of the 'Holy Grail of Shipwrecks' Begins amid Decades-Long Legal Battle

> Naval History U.S. Naval Institute, 2026. 10 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The clearest short account of the legal history in English.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D4VY43T19ED/recovery-of-the-holy-grail-of-shipwrecks-begins-amid-decades  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[San José galleon](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/san-jose-galleon)U.S. Naval Institute 2026

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# Recovery of the 'Holy Grail of Shipwrecks' Begins amid Decades-Long Legal Battle

Naval History U.S. Naval Institute, 2026. _Naval History, April 2026_.

A naval-history magazine's summary of the dispute: the 1982 Glocca Morra claim, the 1984 decree cutting the finder's share to 5 percent, the Colombian court ruling for a half share, the 2015 state discovery at different coordinates, the November 2025 recoveries, Spain's UNESCO argument and the Qhara Qhara claim.

**San José galleon** Articledoi: **[10.1007/springerreference_70392](https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_70392)** Checked against the original0

## What it's used for here

The clearest short account of the legal history in English.

## Cited by on this site 10 records

[Sea Search Armada is entitled to half the treasure under the 2007 Supreme Court ruling because its 1982 find…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/san-jose-galleon/answers/ANS0D4VYKQT3R2X/sea-search-armada-is-entitled-to-half-the-treasure-under-the)

Answer

ANS

[The programme is in practice a salvage of value under a heritage label.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/san-jose-galleon/answers/ANS0D4VYPXC1BGM/the-programme-is-in-practice-a-salvage-of-value-under-a)

Answer

ANS

[Colombia has not ratified the 2001 UNESCO Convention, so its sovereign-immunity rule does not bind it by…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/san-jose-galleon/evidence/EVD0D4VYKG026WV/colombia-has-not-ratified-the-2001-unesco-convention-so-its)

Evidence

EVD

[Colombia located the wreck in 2015 at a position it says differs from SSA's, and has exercised control since.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/san-jose-galleon/evidence/EVD0D4VYK86501F/colombia-located-the-wreck-in-2015-at-a-position-it-says)

Evidence

EVD

[The 2007 ruling granted an equal split of anything at SSA's registered coordinates.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/san-jose-galleon/evidence/EVD0D4VYKZM2B8T/the-2007-ruling-granted-an-equal-split-of-anything-at-ssas)

Evidence

EVD

[Colombia reduces the finder's share from 50 to 5 percent by decree](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/san-jose-galleon/events/EVT0D4VYA74194C/colombia-reduces-the-finders-share-from-50-to-5-percent-by)

EVT

[Glocca Morra (later Sea Search Armada) reports finding the wreck and lodges coordinates](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/san-jose-galleon/events/EVT0D4VY9ZA0KRW/glocca-morra-later-sea-search-armada-reports-finding-the)

EVT

[The San José galleon](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/san-jose-galleon)

The mystery article

MYS

[Sea Search Armada, LLC (formerly Glocca Morra)](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/san-jose-galleon/organisations/ORG0D4VY8R81Q9B/sea-search-armada-llc-formerly-glocca-morra)

ORG

[Who has the right to the wreck and its cargo?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/san-jose-galleon/questions/QST0D4VYD4W4VHT/who-has-the-right-to-the-wreck-and-its-cargo)

Question

QST

## Cite it

```
U.S. Naval Institute, N. H. (2026). Recovery of the 'Holy Grail of Shipwrecks' Begins amid Decades-Long Legal Battle. Naval History, April 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_70392
```

[Read it free at usni.org](https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history/2026/april/recovery-holy-grail-shipwrecks-begins-amid-decades-long-legal)

Key

**SRC** 0D4VY43T19ED

Kind

Journal article

Rights

The publisher's

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