Joe Rogan isn’t often caught speechless, but during a recent episode of his show, he was left wide-eyed when his guest started talking about the possible discovery of the legendary city of Atlantis.
The conversation took a fascinating turn as independent researcher Ben van Kerkwyk explained the latest findings off the coast of Spain.
Revisiting Plato’s Ancient Descriptions
For centuries, Atlantis has lived in myth and legend.
Plato’s writings describe it as a thriving civilization with temples, canals, and massive harbor walls before it was suddenly swallowed by the sea over 11,000 years ago.
Many have dismissed the story as allegory—but recent discoveries are stirring fresh debates.
A Bold Claim from Spain’s Coastline
Van Kerkwyk told Rogan that archaeologist Michael Donnellan believes he may have located part of Atlantis near Cádiz, a city in Andalusia.
According to him, structures resembling concentric walls and canals have been spotted under the water.
Rogan, clearly stunned, could only reply with a single word: “Wow.”
What the Technology Revealed Beneath the Sea
Donnellan has spent eight years scanning the seabed around Cádiz using advanced sonar, LiDAR, and satellite imagery.
These tools uncovered enormous circular walls—some over 20 feet tall—stretching across the ocean floor.
Canals sat between the walls, and at the center was a rectangular ruin that Donnellan believes could match Plato’s description of Poseidon’s temple.
Signs of Sudden Destruction
The evidence also suggests disaster struck long ago.
The outermost wall appeared heavily damaged, as if smashed by a colossal tsunami.
Other walls were split apart and displaced.
These findings seem to echo Plato’s account of a civilization destroyed in a single catastrophic event.
Linking the Findings to Ancient Myths
Donnellan says the details line up too neatly to ignore.
Plato’s texts describe fertile lands, advanced farming, and animals such as horses, bulls, and elephants helping daily life.
Remarkably, the region of Andalusia has a history of fighting bulls, ancient horse breeds, and even evidence of prehistoric ivory trade connected to elephants from as far away as Asia.
The Cataclysm Theory
Part of Donnellan’s argument ties into the controversial Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis, which suggests that around 12,000 years ago, Earth passed through a comet’s debris field.
The resulting impacts and flooding may have wiped out advanced civilizations.
While many mainstream scholars remain skeptical, Donnellan believes these findings are impossible to dismiss.
More Than Just Myth?
While many historians have long written Atlantis off as a legend, Donnellan insists the ruins under the sea near Cádiz point to a real civilization.
He argues that Plato’s accounts—from temples to animal life—match the evidence in striking detail.
A Glimpse at the Upcoming Documentary
Rogan also mentioned Donnellan’s upcoming documentary, Atlantica, which will showcase sonar scans, aerial photography, and footage of the submerged ruins.
If true, it could change the way history books talk about the world’s oldest civilizations.
What Comes Next in the Search for Atlantis
The debate is far from over.
Donnellan and van Kerkwyk are convinced they’ve found something manmade, but the mainstream academic world will need far more evidence.
For now, the mystery continues—was Atlantis really just a myth, or are we standing on the edge of rediscovering one of history’s greatest lost cities?