Neptune's Fortune - An interview with author Julian Sancton

About this episode

This episode features an interview with author Julian Sancton discussing the sunken treasure galleon San José and the history surrounding it.

This is the story of the world's most valuable sunken treasure galleon - the San José - lost off the coast of Colombia in 1708. "Neptune's Gold: The Billion-Dollar Shipwreck and the Ghosts of the Spanish Empire" recounts the events surrounding the sinking of the vessel - and then 300+ years of searching to find the $1 billion in gold and silver that was lost in the wreck. This includes a cast of characters as colorful as they are mysterious - including Cuban-American shipwreck fanatic Roger Dooley. In this episode we interview author Julian Sancton (who also wrote the amazing "Madhouse at the End of the Earth") who talks about the book, the people involved, the legacy of Spanish gold and silver, and the future of the treasure. Learn more about Neptune's Fortune: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723956/neptunes-fortune-by-julian-sancton/ Sponsors: Quince. Get free shipping with your order by using code EXPLORERS at quince.com/explorers Factor. Go to factormeals.com/explorers50off and use code explorers50off for 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year. New subscribers only, varies by plan. 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year while subscription is active. The…

People in this episode

Host: Matt Breen

Guest: Julian Sancton

Topics covered

• treasure hunting
• shipwrecks
• Spanish Empire
• historical events
• interviews
• literature

Keywords

• San José
• shipwreck
• treasure
• Julian Sancton
• Colombia
• Spanish gold
• history
• interview

Sponsors

Quince, Factor

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Airwave Media Network

Books & works: Neptune's Gold: The Billion-Dollar Shipwreck and the Ghosts of the Spanish Empire, Madhouse at the End of the Earth

Places: Colombia

More episodes of The Explorers Podcast

• Heinrich Barth - Part 4 - Kingdoms of Africa · June 5, 2026 · 38 min
• Heinrich Barth - Part 3 - Into the heart of Central Africa · May 20, 2026 · 39 min
• Heinrich Barth - Part 2 - Across the Sahara · May 12, 2026 · 36 min
• Heinrich Barth - Part 1 - Africa Calls · April 28, 2026 · 35 min
• Juan Ponce de León - Part 2 - Explorer · April 7, 2026 · 31 min
• Juan Ponce de León - Part 1 - Conquistador · March 31, 2026 · 32 min