Josh Gates is famous for chasing mysteries around the world.
But behind the discoveries and television cameras, some of his expeditions have involved very real danger.
Gates himself once described Expedition Unknown as an uncontrolled environment where the crew has to constantly manage risk. He has filmed in jungles, caves, flooded tombs and dangerous waters.
Here are some of the most serious situations he has experienced.
The Yangon River Dive
Gates has called his dive in Myanmar's Yangon River one of the most dangerous things he has ever done.
The conditions were almost unbelievably difficult.
The water was extremely muddy with virtually no visibility. There were strong currents, pollution, debris, ropes and wreckage beneath the surface.
The team was searching for a historic bell, but the environment itself became the biggest challenge.
Gates later explained that people had actually died attempting to dive in those conditions.
In another interview, he specifically identified the Yangon River diving as his most dangerous experience at that point in his career.
Surviving Cambodian Landmine Country
Cambodia presented a completely different kind of danger.
During expeditions there, Gates and his team had to deal with areas containing unexploded ordnance left from years of conflict.
That meant the danger was not simply getting lost or injured.
A wrong step could potentially have devastating consequences.
Gates has also returned to Cambodia for investigations involving ancient temples and unexplained stories, making the country's complicated history an important part of his exploration career. See more...
Ten Foot Waves and the Mahogany Ship
One of the show's most memorable close calls involved the legendary Mahogany Ship.
While searching the Australian coast, Gates and cameraman Evan B. Stone were caught in extremely rough surf.
Waves around ten feet high were crashing over them and knocking them around.
Gates later joked that he was essentially getting beaten up by the ocean.
Despite the conditions, he continued searching and eventually helped recover a metal spike believed to have come from a wreck.
The discovery made the dangerous situation worthwhile. See more...
Exploring Dangerous Caves
Caves are another recurring hazard in Gates' expeditions.
They can involve unstable rock, narrow passages, darkness, flooding and limited escape routes.
Gates has repeatedly entered caves and underground tunnels in pursuit of historical mysteries.
His 2026 season alone includes an investigation involving a huge unexplored cave system in Mexico and another expedition into secret tunnels beneath Cuzco.
These environments are difficult even without cameras and expedition equipment.
The OceanGate Titan Dive
Perhaps the most remarkable danger connected to Gates happened before the Titan disaster became international news.
In 2021, Gates visited OceanGate's facility and participated in a test dive aboard the Titan submersible.
The dive did not go as planned.
The submersible experienced problems with its computer systems, and Gates became increasingly uncomfortable with what he was seeing.
He eventually decided that the proposed Expedition Unknown project involving OceanGate should not continue.
The segment was never broadcast.
Two years later, in June 2023, the Titan imploded during a dive toward the Titanic wreck, killing all five people aboard.
Gates later explained that he had trusted his instincts and decided the project was not safe enough to pursue. See more...
Why Gates Keeps Going Back
Despite these experiences, Gates has never presented exploration as completely safe.
In fact, he has repeatedly emphasized preparation and risk management.
The goal is not to eliminate every danger.
It is to understand the risks well enough to explore responsibly.
That philosophy has allowed him to investigate some of the world's most difficult locations for more than a decade.
Final Thoughts
The most dangerous moments on Expedition Unknown are not always the moments that look the most dramatic on television.
Sometimes the real danger is invisible.
A powerful river current.
An unexploded mine.
Unpredictable ocean waves.
An unstable cave.
Or a submarine that suddenly makes you question whether you should be there at all.
Josh Gates has experienced all of these situations in different forms.
And perhaps the most important lesson from his adventures is simple.
The best explorers are not the people who ignore danger. They are the people who know when the danger is too great to continue.
See more...
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