Espiritu Santo Wreck Site (1554)

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Espiritu Santo Wreck Site (1554)

Lost Treasure TX • Kenedy County County
Description
Offshore Padre Island wreck of the Spanish nao Espiritu Santo (1554 plate fleet) — Platoro Ltd. salvage in 1967 recovered gold crucifixes, astrolabes, and silver that triggered Texas shipwreck protection laws.
Historical Notes
The Espiritu Santo went aground with the San Esteban and Santa Maria de Yciar on April 29, 1554. Indiana salvagers Platoro Ltd. excavated the site before the state injunction of 1967–1968. A seventeen-year court battle ended in 1984 when Texas paid Platoro $313,000 and retained artifacts including a small solid-gold crucifix and rare navigation instruments. Coordinates approximate the wreck area a few miles north of the Port Mansfield Channel. Remaining cargo may lie buried in sand and shell offshore.
Status / Verification legend — Legendary or approximate

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