Plunge into Wealth: 11 Stunning Underwater Finds That Amaze & Profit

6. The Esmeralda

The Esmeralda: Echo of Exploration’s Dawn Estimated Value: $100 million* Year Lost: 1503 Year Found: 2008 The Esmeralda, part of Vasco da Gama’s fleet, is the oldest known European shipwreck from the Age of Exploration. Swallowed by a brutal storm in the Arabian Sea in 1503, its remains stayed hidden until 2008.

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The Esmeralda Shipwreck: A Timeless Discovery First spotted in 1998, excavations kicked off in the early 2000s. Treasures included rare coins, a ship’s bell, and a mariner’s astrolabe, possibly the oldest ever found, dating to the late 1300s.