http://www.gibfocus.gi/details_headlines.php?id=1549
A change in ministers within Spain’s Culture Ministry this week will see the first significant effects on Gibraltar as reports suggest that the Ocean Alert, one of the two Odyssey Marine Exploration vessels, is due to leave Gibraltar tomorrow morning.
The Ocean Alert is expected to depart Gibraltar at around 8 - 8.30 am tomorrow, Thursday morning. The vessel is expected to leave by itself, with the Odyssey Explorer staying behind at its present berth in Gibraltar.
Official sources have today confirmed that the vessel is expected to be boarded in an orderly and predetermined way by Spanish officials, in which they are expected to search the vessel. The boarding is, however, not expected to take place within Gibraltar waters and is likely to take place away from Gibraltar, further reducing the political significance of the boarding.
The departure of the Ocean Alert, and the expected boarding of the vessel is expected to reduce the tensions between Spain and the US company, in which the presence of the vessel has already further tainted the image of Gibraltar.
The same sources have this evening indicated that the presence of Odyssey Marine Exploration has been viewed as a political irritant in which Gibraltar has gained nothing out of the activities of Odyssey Marine Exploration in Gibraltar. Suggestions that there has been some gain from the treasure being exported has been denied, with well informed sources indicating that under current laws there was no necessity for an import licence to be applied for. The licence only having been obtained as a way of obtaining a record through which any political wrangling over the actual cargo in transit could be verified officially. Suggestions that this has resulted in gains for Gibraltar have been dismissed by the same high level sources.
Gibfocus also understands that the location of the treasure is off the coastline of El Faro, Portugal and not as first suggested off the coastline of Lands End in the UK. Whilst the treasure is believed to be from a Spanish colonial era vessel, the location of the shipwreck is believed to be within international waters off the Portuguese coastline. Official sources have this evening suggested that the vessel is a Spanish colonial vessel. Odyssey Marine Exploration has, however, continued to keep the location and name of the vessel a secret. Experts have nevertheless suggested that the vessel could be la Mercedes, or Nuestra Senora de Las Mercedes which sank off the Portuguese coastline in the early 1600’s. Tracking positions of the Odyssey vessels indicating that the company did operate in the same area the vessel was believed to have sank.
Many experts believed that the recent treasure find was that of the Merchant Royal. The suggestion that it may be the Nuestra Senora de Las Mercedes is the latest twist in this story.