Join a $24 million treasure hunt in the sacred waters of Panama

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In today’s newsletter:

• Top story: Join a $24 million (USD) treasure hunt in the sacred waters of Panama.

• Top charter updates: Cruise around the Bahamas with Aspen Alternative, bathe in luxury onboard the 58-metre Skyfall, explore the South Pacific with Big Sky, charter around Corsica and Sardinia onboard Kathleen Anne, and In The Zone joins the Fraser charter fleet.

• Zairos: FX & Cross-Currency Solutions for Charter & Asset Payments

• Charter photo: Your sunbed, your jetski, your next glass of rosé - already sorted. That’s life onboard @superyachtlaurenl

TOP STORY

Join a $24 million (USD) treasure hunt in the sacred waters of Panama

Over three centuries ago, Maurepas, a French frigate sent by King Louis XIV, sank off the coast of Panama. Its location has remained a secret, closely guarded by the indigenous Guna Yala people of the San Blas islands. No explorer has been allowed to search the sacred waters. Until now.

Permission to search the sacred waters of the San Blas Islands, off the coast of Panama, is rare and must be granted by the indigenous Guna Yala community. For the first time ever, The Guna people have given Deep Blue Explorers (DBE), a team of Ocean X, permission to search for the lost frigate Maurepas, and you’re invited.

To realise this incredible opportunity, DBE teamed up with Pelorus Travel to create a sacred treasure hunt. Not only will guests get to search for the gold, silver, and jewels that remain in the shipwreck, they also get to meet and spend time with the Guna Yala peoples, with whom the treasure will be shared. 

Worth an estimated $24 million USD, the treasure will be divided among the Guna Yala, the DBE-team, and you. Of the total found, 70 percent will be returned to the indigenous Guna Yala. Of the remaining 30percent*, you’ll get to share 4.94 percent of the treasure with your travel party.

Why now and why Deep Blue Explorers?

For more than three centuries, the treasure of Maurepas has been sitting in an unknown location off the coast of Panama. The shipwreck is protected by the indigenous Guna Yala tribe, who inhabit 49 of the 300 Panaminian San Blas islands. The water surrounding the islands is considered sacred by the Guna people, which has made it impossible to legally search for the treasure. Now, the Guna Yala have decided to share this secret with the DBE-team.

To understand why, we have to travel back to 2011 and 10,000 kilometres East. The Ocean X team discovered the ‘Baltic Sea Anomaly’, a strange object sitting at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. To this day, no one knows exactly what it is, but the Guna Yala claim it is the interstellar vessel in which their ancestors descended from space. In 2012, a legal representative of the Guna Yala contacted Ocean X, and for the last thirteen years, with the hindrance of the pandemic, the two are finally teaming up to recover the long lost treasure.

What to expect

During a seven-day stay onboard a catamaran or superyacht, you’ll get to experience what it’s like to be a modern-day-explorer. Each day you’ll dive into the sacred waters, enjoy evening lectures on the shipwreck’s history, and have the rare chance to share meals with the Guna Yala while listening to generations-old stories. 

At the end of the day, after scanning the seabed with a magnetometer, salvage diving and observing the recovery process of the treasure, you’ll get to enjoy gourmet meals, prepared by a 5-star chef, while relaxing in airconditioned spaces.

Besides crew and your fellow travellers, the expedition will also be filmed and turned into a documentary by renowned filmmaker Mikael Flodell. Flodell has played an important role in organising the expedition, sitting in on multiple meetings with the Guna Yala Congress and community leaders, who decide collectively whether something or someone is welcome. By joining this special expedition and featuring in the documentary, guests will receive an additional $25,000 per person.

A luxurious expedition

While the DBE-team will take care of all the logistics, equipment, and contact with the Guna Yala, Pelorus Travel will take care of the guests. Whether you want to stay onboard the 16-metre catamaran, Cocoloco, or prefer more luxury onboard a superyacht the likes of Kontiki Wayra, La Dea II or Firebird. 

Kontiki Wayra is a boutique yacht that blends wellness and discovery, making her an ideal choice for a yachting expedition. Built a mere four years ago, this 40-metre motor yacht can accommodate up to 18 guests and 13 crew members, ensuring you’ll explore in comfort. The 49-metre La Dea II, instead, is a veteran to the open seas, built in 2007, and can accommodate up to 12 guests and 9 crew members. Another great option is the 70-metre Firebird, built by Feadship, who can accommodate up to 17 guests and 19 crew members.

No matter what yacht you choose, joining this adventure will be an incredible opportunity to find a lost treasure, enjoy its riches, and forever become a part of history. 

*post all associated fees.

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