"Off the waters of the Azores, Madeira archipelago, and the mainland of Portugal, there may be 250 sunken ships with treasures", reported underwater archaeologist Alexander Monteiro from NOVA University in Lisbon. He analyzed shipwrecks that occurred off the coast of Portugal since 1500.

The archaeologist's database mentions thousands of ships

Monteiro, who has been involved in diving and studying underwater finds for 25 years, compiled a database of 8,620 shipwrecks, 7,500 of which occurred off mainland Portugal, about 1,000 near the Azores, and another 120 around Madeira. He explained that the database includes ships that sank after 1500, when documentation began.

Monteiro asserts that about 250 of the sunken ships in the region carry treasures. The archaeologist believes that sooner or later, these treasures will be discovered by someone, and it will be impossible to protect them, as there is no plan in place for such a situation.

One Ship Carries 22 Tons of Gold and Silver

According to Monteiro's findings, off the peninsula of Troia (Portugal), a Spanish ship named Nossa Senhora do Rosario sank in 1589. "I conducted an investigation and even discovered the name of the captain's mother", said the archaeologist. According to him, the ship officially carried 22 tons of gold and silver.

In analyzing the documentation, Monteiro also found a reference to a 1615 ship named Nossa Senhora da Luz, which sank near the island of Faial (Portugal). He wanted to locate the wreck and spent four years studying archives. "After these four years, I dived, and on my first dive, I found the wreck site," shared the expert.

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