
How to find a billion-dollar shipwreck
From HistoryExtra podcast by Immediate
April 16, 2026 · 36 min · Episode 2520
About this episode
This episode discusses the search for the sunken Spanish galleon San José and the efforts of maritime archaeologist Roger Dooley.
In 1708, the Spanish galleon San José was sunk by a British warship off the coast of Colombia, vanishing beneath the waves with a treasure trove of unimaginable riches. The wreck's exact location remained a mystery for centuries – until a maritime archaeologist named Roger Dooley made it his life’s mission to find it. In this episode, Julian Sancton tells Jon Bauckham about Dooley’s incredible search, set against a backdrop of secrecy, sacrifice and Cold War tensions. ----- GO BEYOND THE PODCAST Don't miss our alternate history feature on the War of the Spanish Succession, and what might have happened had Charles II produced an heir: https://bit.ly/4lUL7h1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
People in this episode
Host: Jon Bauckham
Guest: Julian Sancton
Topics covered
- shipwreck
- maritime archaeology
- treasure hunting
- Cold War
- Spanish galleon
- historical mystery
Keywords
- shipwreck
- San José
- treasure
- archaeology
- Cold War
- historical mystery
- Julian Sancton
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: San José
Places: Colombia
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