SAN JOSE Plantation Key

The San Jose, or as she was officially named San Joseph Y Los Animas, was part of the famous 1733 Silver Plate Fleet. She was built in New England in 1728 and originally named Saint Joseph. The Spanish purchased the vessel to help carry their treasure from the New World back to Spain. She sunk on September 15, 1733, off Plantation Key, when a hurricane destroyed the fleet. She was discovered on May 27, 1968, by Marine Tech Salvage Company, Inc. Tom Gurr, president of Marine Tech, identified the wreck as the 36 gun, 900 ton San Joseph Y Los Animas based on her size, location and cargo. After removing three feet of dirt off the wreck, the salvagers recovered flintlock pistols, clay pottery, 25 gold wedding rings, silver coins, and artifacts of all kinds. 

Unfortunately, a long legal dispute with the state ended with Gurr being forced to throw many of his artifacts back onto the wreck site and the state owning most of her treasure. Today the wreck sits in 35 feet of water, one mile east of Little Conch Reef. She reportedly still turns up a few coins from time to time.

Photo: Three gold rings recovered from the San Jose wreck. Photo courtesy Bob Marx.

Basic shipwreck information and images for this section of this site was taken with permission from the book Florida Shipwrecks by Daniel Berg. You are invited to submit your shipwreck related articles, images and information. As long as the text, photographs, sketches etc are of professional quality we will showcase them. Full credit will be provided and a same page link to your web site can be arranged.