Discovery of the galion “San Diego”

Sunk on December 14, 1600
In front of Fortune Island, at the exit of Manila Bay

Research mission in front of Fortune Island - April 9th-26th 1991 - By Gilbert FOURNIER

On April 4, 1991, at 9am I came back from Puerto Princesa, after one survey mission on Breaker Reef, in the South West coast of Palawan.

I already had to think of leaving once again, at this time only 42 miles off of Manila, in front of “Fortune island” for a survey mission of the Spanish galleon wreck: the “SAN DIEGO “. At 4pm Franck Goddio, from WWF (World Wide First) together with the technicians of CEA: Gérard Shnepp, Jean Jacques Groussard, and Michel L'Hour from DRASM arrived from France.

The following days were entirely occupied in preparing and loading the Kaimiloa with all that was necessary for the mission.

On April 9, at 2am we left Manila to Fortune Island. Franck Goddio was with us, at 7am we were in front of Fortune Island.

Immediately we went to shore to locate where it will be necessary to install three beacons which will send their signals to the receiver beacon on board the Kaimiloa, a system linked up with computers, that will allow to draw the parallel lines performed during the survey as well as recording the position of possible magnetic anomalies.

Knowing the configuration of the Island according to the determined zone for the research, the locations to install these beacons were very easy, one on each point of the island and the third one in the center, above the island where there was a lighthouse. These beacons are supplied by batteries and automatically recharged by solar panels.

From the beginning of the mission, it turned out that the batteries were not powerful enough, it was therefore necessary to leave again for Manila to buy another set, it was Raul Teves, our cook, who was in charge of this mission.

On April 13 at 11am, the french ambassador in Philippines, Olivier Gossot arrived from Manila with Michel L'Hour Director of DRASSM, Dr. Bong Dizon and Noel Cuevas the representatives of National Museum of Manila:.

The following morning, the engineers of CEA and Franck, on board the Kaimiloa, continued to adjust all the very sophisticated electronic equipment and then tested by going back and forth in front of the island. All these adjustments were not an easy job but Gérard and Jean-Jacques knew very well their equipment, even better, since it was them who developed it.

Given that I couldn’t help them on this matter, I used this time to satisfy the wish of our Ambassador which was to learn how to dive. I gave him a “baptismal dive”. Everything took place very well and he seemed delighted.

The sea became stormy, in the evening we had to stop the job to take shelter behind the island for the night.

In the morning of April 15, ambassador Gossot and Franck Goddio left the site and went back to France and Dr. Dizon to Manila,

April 16, we worked well and we performed 16 lines, but once again we had to stop working because of the sea's bad condition and lived in a quiet cove near Nasugbu. We still came across problems the mechanics of Kaimiloa and with the engine of the rubber boot. We went back to Manila for a repair and bought a new engine.

On April 21, Gerard and Jean-Jacques analyzed the lines on the recorded bands, they remarked some anomalies, we passed again on the said lines, we drop buoys on the exact place of these anomalies and I dived on them.

In fact the first anomaly I visited was at 21m, it was a wreck of a small wooden boat 16m long with stones and bags of sand for the ballast and two iron drums; the second anomaly was at 30m, from the stern of one 8 meters high of an iron modern boat of which was voluntarily thrown in that place to make an artificial reef to the advantage of the diving resort just in front of the island, then I didn't found anything on the 3rd anomaly at 38m.

This day, Eddie Connesse from the National Museum arrived on site as a reliever of Norman Nicolas.

On April 22, we followed up the research, but at 12:30pm, the captain had not seen the anchoring of a fisherman’s banca, the “fish” that we dragged, in passage hooked the rope and the rubbing of the 60 meters of this anchoring harms the cable which is connecting the “fish” to the computer and the system takes water. We have no other choice but to go back to the small calm harbor of Nasugbu to repair.

April 23 at 9am we left again to continue the survey, but at 3pm, once again the cable took water, another problem! And in fact for only few hours of work. We went back to Nasugbu for again repairing the cable. Problem again!

On April 24, at 9am, we departed to the site. At the exit of the Nasugbu pier, there was a rock going to 1,5 meters of the surface, the captain knew his site well, but this time, did he forget it? Anyhow, under the Kaimiloa, there was a two-meter boom at the end of which is fixed an apparatus of recording, called “acoustical head”, and it touched the high bottom, folded the boom and harmed the apparatus. Following this accident Gerard decided, one more time, to go back to Manila to repair.  I opposed to this decision, I suggested to go back to the site, so that I could dive on the 2 anomalies detected the 22th. They did not agree, I got angry, I imposed myself and finally, reluctantly, they acquiesced in my wish.

From our arrival, we dropped a buoy on the top of the first anomaly, this one had the  reference A 30.

We knew that in this specific location the depth of water was 52 meters, by security, in case of current, I put a 60 meters rope under the buoy and a weight of 10 kg. I stood at the back of the Kaimiloa, holding weight, 60 meters of rope coiled clearly to go down without getting tangled up and one buoy to stay on the surface; at the exact instant when the point of the coordinates of anomaly appeared on the screen, Gérard shouted “GO” and I promptly threw the weight in the water. The 10kg weight went down very fast, the buoy was on the surface, the Kaimiloa continued its road. Later, with the rubber boat, I came back on the point to dive and know what this magnetic anomaly was.

On board of Kaimiloa, there were the captain Jean-Marie Bertran, Eddie Conese from National Museum, Raul Teves the cook, 2 engineers of CEA and me, the only diver for the project and nobody else. It was 11am, I dressed up, of course without any assistance, my double tank (2x 12 liters) is filled under 200 bars. For a first deep diving, in a place which I did not know, I took with me only the minimum of accessories, it was always that way when I was unaware of everything that awaited me: current, visibility, fauna etc, although I felt in an optimum physical and psychological condition, it was for me a simple instinctive question of security, therefore I did not take my photo equipment but only my “Toshiba” torch .

Kaimiloa did not anchor, it stopped and stood by at around 50 meters from the buoy. Raul drove me with the rubber boat near the buoy. Raul knew that he will have to stay here, of course without being held in the buoy for fear of moving it, he also knew that he will have to fix an air tank at 6 meters under the rubber boat, as well as ropes equipped with hooks so that when I arrive I could hang my equipment, Raul was well-trained in these assistance operations, he knew me well, he could be patient to wait for me and he was unfailing, he always made exactly all that was needed to ensure my security from the surface and I completely trusted him.

Therefore, I had no worry about the safety, I knew that Raul would be there when I got back up and was able to assist me if necessary, he was my guardian angel. I was ready, I jumped in the water. I knew that I left for a deep dive, No worry or fear crossed my mind, then I did not know why, but that day I wonder what would have been able to stop me. As usual, from the immersion, by reflex, I used the BTV method (Béance Tubaire Volontaire), which allowed me to quickly dive deeper, this allowed me to earn precious seconds which I can benefit from in the bottom.

The more I went down, the visibility decreased, some forms appear, these were of coral reefs, it was dark grey, of course I followed the rope of the buoy until the bottom and suddenly, at one meter of the lead of ballast fixed at the end of the rope, I saw one jar put down beside of a long straight bar, I observed it longer, it was an anchor, it looked like a galleons anchor; at five meters from here, put down similarly, I saw a second one.

I had the immediate reaction to think that the anchors were fixed in the front of the ship, so if there was a ship, necessary it could be at my back, so I turned round, and there I saw a tumulus, I pointed out that it was not a coral’s massif, I went on the top, I estimated its height at about three meters, I advanced and discovered a bronze cannon put down from side to side,  I remembered the story of the battle of San Diego against the Dutchmen saying that during the battle, the Spanish had taken a cannon up on the upper deck of the ship. On the surface I observed so many artefacts covered with corals, nevertheless thanks to my torch, I saw that these were blue and white dishes.

I went on swimming as calmly as possible, to minimize my efforts and not to raise the sand; I arrived at the bottom of the tumulus and I saw other cannons, on the one my lighting allowed me to read: “PHILIPPUS…. ANIARRD 1598”.

I realized that I have just discovered the “SAN DIEGO” galleon. I couldn't stay longer, I couldn't rejoice, nor to get excited, which would only increase my air consumption, with all the unfortunate results that can happen.

I was at the foot of the wreck, at 52.60m and I was very aware that I was alone. It has been 26 minutes since I left, it is a lot, my computer indicated that I already have a long time of decompression, without any doubt the quantity of air in my tank will not be enough but I thought of Raul who was waiting for me. I started my ascent by respecting the speed allowed to me by my computer, if I exceeded it, an alarm started. The decompression time lasted more than one hour. Of course the extra tank sent by Raul was welcome. After ended time we joined the Kaimiloa and I was happy to announce to Gérard, Jean-Jacques, Jean-Marie and Eddie Conese the results of my diving and of my discovery of SAN DIEGO.

That morning, while from Nasugbu we had had this breakage problem, and while I had to get angry so that we did not leave again for Manila, I think that a subconscious pushed me, that something said to me that I have to go to dive to check the anomalies, I do not know which force pushed me to have insisted so much like that and finally to impose the captain my will to go on the site. It was my day, I had to go there. The result well justified my authority and my determination paid off. What rewards!

Early in the afternoon, we went back to Nasugbu. I went to the post office. Upon arrival, I gave my name and the person whom I wanted to contact and his number. A switchboard operator gave me a small paper and said “wait, I will call you..”. It was in Paris, France, she must first be connected with Manila, I saw her non-stop threading plugs in the holes, fast and forcefully to get communications, finally after 1 hour of efforts, it was then that I could inform Franck Goddio of my discovery. I must admit that I was quite disappointed by his rather flat reaction and without more comments.

For me, what I consider important is the dive that all divers in the world would have wanted to accomplish.

The following day, April 25th, at 6 am we left again on the site, I needed more documents to establish a most complete possible file, with most possible information for the National Museum, for World Wide First and Elf group already contacted to sponsor an excavation mission probably to come in near future. From the arrival on the site, I dress up and in the same conditions as the day before, alone, I go down, this time I took my camera. Again I arrived precisely on the San Diego wreck.

From my arrival I kneeled down, I took out my Nikonos III with its 15mm lens and its flash Master Imasub, and I took photos of the anchors, cannons, jars and all that I could, then I took the measures of the site, the height, the length, width and also the bearings, I wrote all that on my plastic slate. This second dive allowed me to realize that the San Diego galleon was there, complete, which nobody has seen since the day of its wreckage on the December 12, 1600; I was astounded to discover this wreck with such quantity of objects. 

For all these actions of shooting and to taking a maximum of measurements, it was necessary to put to the benefit every gesture, every second, to collect the maximum information because I knew that I would not go back there.

As the previous day, I knew that I will have a long decompression time before reaching the surface. In fact this time I spent 33 minutes at 52,6m, so I had to stop 2 mins at 12m, 6 mins at 9m, 11 mins at 6m and 40 mins at 3 m. Again Raul Teves was for me a precious help.

After this dive, we took back up the buoy located on the top of the wreck and after some rest hours, we went at the back of Fortune Island for filming the fish of the side scan sonar during the operation, but the water was too cloudy, and we had to stop and decided to go back to Nasugbu, it was 17:45.

April 26 - 7:30am, having filled up with fuel oil in Nasugbu, we left again in front of Fortune Island to dive on the second anomaly. This one was at 42 meters, located in front of the island. There was a strong current in the bottom, I could not stabilize myself, the only advantage was to have very clear water; in the end I saw nothing special. After this dive, we went on the island, we disassembled the three beacons and having loaded all equipment on the Kaimiloa, at 3pm, we weighed anchor and left for Manila.

I still did not realize the importance of this discovery, especially how we are reminded of the Philippine’s history, and also the quantity of work which I will have for the years to come.

I took the following photos during my dive on April 25th, 1991, these are the first pictures taken of the San Diego galleon :

For 1 year, I kept all these discoveries very secret, so that nobody else would visit the site, which could be plundered.

After my discovery, when I walked in the fortifications of Intramuros, I thought of the canons I had seen and which had been taken on these fortifications just before leaving.

During that time, I have prepared all the necessary equipment for an excavation mission, to bring back all artifacts onboard the galleon.

The search of the wreck

On February 1992, we began the excavation of the San Diego. An excavation consists of bringing to the surface all the contents of the wreck, under the archaeological standards.

For that mission, there were approximately 50 persons: professional divers, a staff of National Museum, cooks, doctors, archaeologists, observers, journalists, photographers, reporters, etc... Also, in Manila, people prepared everything we needed every day (oxygen, communication, reception of visitors, etc...) It was Angelita Fournier, who was in charge for all this logistics.

A big supply boat was needed so that everyone could work in good conditions.

To do this work, it was also necessary to install a lot of equipment on the bottom (water dredges, strainer, air for safety, work tools, baskets to collect artifacts)…

To feed the water dredge (vacuum cleaners) which sucks the mud, 3 submersible electric pumps such as these were used.

I made this very powerful water dredge, 25cm in diameter, supplied by three electrical submersible pump, to be able to evacuate the tens of tons of stones that were used as ballast for the San Diego galleon. This made it possible to completely remove the hull of the galleon and study its construction in all aspects.

The contents of this galleon was very important; we brought up 806 jars, they contained water, food, oil, meat, dried vegetables and everything else that people needed.

Markings on jars :

These marks engraved on the jars were of the owner.

European origin, these marks appear only on jars carried on board the Manila galleons, a practice of the Spaniards who travelled in the southern seas.

A lot of blue / white dishes, Ming dynasty period:

The 14 cannons taken on the fortifications of Intramuros were found.

Some pictures I took during the excavation work of the wreck...

In fact, more than two thousand ceramic items were found in the wreck of the San Diego, Covered by the mud or the sand; we found them in perfect condition, practically intact; which means also that the boat sank gently to the bottom of the ocean.

Philippines earthenware jars :

Before and after restoration :

Text and photos by Gilbert Fournier

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