Now some background history:
Flor de La Mar was a Portuguese ship that was built in Lisbon in 1502. According to my research (please see below references), this 3-masted carrack weighed 400 tons, with a length of about 120 feet and height of about 110 feet. By all accounts, this was one of the largest ships of its time.
(Flor de La Mar. Retrieved from Public Domain)
(Thrifty Traveler. (Sept.25, 2018). Melaka Lifestyle. Retrieved from here)
Portugal was in the golden age of exploration at the time, and in the next 9 years since she was built, Flor de La Mar played an important role in many explorations and wars in the Indian Ocean. She had a couple of captains, before being retained by Alfonso de Albuquerque, a famous conqueror and explorer. Albuquerque led Flor de La Mar in some of its successful conquests, of which the most notable was India and Malacca.
(Alfonso de Albuquerque. Retrieved from Public Domain)
Sinking of the Flor de La Mar
In 1511, Portugal set his sights on Malacca (now a port city in current day Malaysia). At the time, Malacca was known as being the Trade City of the Asia, and the Portuguese King Manuel wanted to claim the goods. As such, Albuquerque led Flor de La Mar and a small fleet and was able to successfully conquer Malacca. Albuquerque then took conquered treasures (some of it offered from King of Siam [Thailand]) and set to sail back to Portugal via India. According to the current reports, the ship was caught in a storm along the coast of Sumatra (Indonesia) in November 1511, which caused it to sink. Alfonso de Albuquerque ultimately survived the shipwreck, along with a few other people, however, most of the people on the ship and the treasure sank into the ocean.
What was the treasure?
There are varying, and possibly exaggerated, accounts of what Flor de La Mar actually carried when leaving Malacca. These reports state the that the ship carried 60 tons of gold, 200 chests filled with valuable gems and jewels, an encrusted table on which the Queen of Malacca supposedly ate her meals, as well as various other valuable objects. Some say the current monetary value of this lost treasure would be $2.6 billion.
Conclusion
There have been many speculations and alleged sightings of this sunken ship and its treasures, however, some believe that due to the time passed and the state of the ocean, the lost treasures of this vessel may never be found. Nonetheless, the romantic adventurer in me wants to believe that someday, someone can find this treasure, and that someone could very well be you!
References
Thrifty Traveler. (Sept.25, 2018). The colourful history of Melaka's Flor de La Mar. Retrieved from: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2018/09/25/the-colourful-history-of-melakas-flor-de-la-mar/
DHWTY. (July 5, 2016). The lost treasure of Flor de La Mar, Flower of the Sea. Retrieved from: https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/lost-treasure-flor-de-la-mar-flower-sea-006236
Constanca. (July 31, 2015). Flor de la Mar. Retrieved from: http://www.worldheritageofportugueseorigin.com/2015/07/31/flor-de-la-mar/
Allison McNearney. (Aug.1, 2017). The $2.6 Billion Treasure Still Lost at the Bottom of the Sea. Retrieved from: https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-dollar26-billion-treasure-still-lost-at-the-bottom-of-the-sea?ref=scroll
Pascal Kainic. (Sept.30, 2013). The elusive wreck of the Portuguese carrack Flor do Mar. Retrieved from: https://www.thescubanews.com/2013/09/30/the-elusive-wreck-of-the-portuguese-carrack-flor-do-mar/
Nation. (Apr.7, 2014). Sunken Portuguese galleon sighted in Java Sea. Retrieved from: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2014/04/07/drones-may-have-found-treasure-ship-sunken-portuguese-galleon-sighted-in-java-sea/
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