VANISHED CIVILIZATIONS, LOST GOLD AND ANCIENT SECRETS FUEL AN ACTION-PACKED NEW SEASON OF DISCOVERY CHANNEL'S 'EXPEDITION UNKNOWN' WITH JOSH GATES, PREMIERING WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 AT 9 PM ET/PT

Season Premiere Launches with a Breakthrough Deep-Sea Mission as Gates and Team Discover a Long-Lost WWII 'Hellship'

(New York, NY) June 9, 2026 - Global explorer Josh Gates returns for an all-new season of the Emmy(R) Award-winning series EXPEDITION UNKNOWN, packed with high-stakes adventures and monumental discoveries, premiering Wednesday, June 24 at 9 PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel. From far-flung jungles and remote waters to vast, unexplored caves, Gates pursues his boldest missions yet, hunting for vanished civilizations, diving deep to document lost wartime wrecks, and chasing groundbreaking evidence behind the world's most compelling mysteries.

Gates kicks off the action-packed season with an extraordinary two-part adventure off the coast of the Philippines, joining a heroic mission to locate a sunken Japanese "Hellship" - a vessel once used to transport Allied prisoners during World War II. Guided by new leads uncovered in Japanese archives, Gates and a team from the Hellships Memorial Foundation chart potential coordinates and dive into the darkness where they make a historic discovery: the ruins of the Hōfuku Maru, the final resting place of more than 1,000 missing Allied prisoners - locating one of the largest remaining mass graves of POWs from WWII.

Then, Gates has unprecedented access to join the US government and the DPAA's (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency) on a recovery mission for lost American heroes. Working alongside military divers excavating the Hellship ōryoku Maru, Gates undertakes one of his most daring and poignant expeditions ever, using advanced underwater recovery and identification methods to help honor and account for the fallen.

"This season takes us to the farthest reaches of the globe - but it's not just about the thrill of adventure," said Gates. "These expeditions aim to uncover the lost chapters of vital stories from our shared past and to shine a light on mysteries that connect us all. We have incredible discoveries ahead, and I can't wait to take viewers along for the ride."

Coming up this season, Gates takes viewers on epic investigations - trekking into the perilous jungles of Laos and dodging unexploded ordnance from the Vietnam War to search for mysterious "death jars" from an ancient civilization; plunging into the sunken pirate city of Port Royal off the coast of Jamaica to uncover legendary treasure; navigating a labyrinth of secret, pitch-black tunnels beneath the Inca capital of Cuzco, long rumored to conceal untold riches; tracking elusive lost Confederate gold tied to an infamous robbery; and rappelling into a vast, unexplored cave system to hunt for the relics of a vanished civilization in the heart of Mexico, leading to the discovery of thousands of ceremonial offerings, one of the most jaw-dropping finds in "Expedition Unknown" history.

Viewers can join the conversation using #ExpeditionUnknown and following Discovery on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok. Follow "Expedition Unknown" on Facebook and Josh Gates on Instagram, X and TikTok.

EXPEDITION UNKNOWN is produced for Discovery Channel by Ping Pong Productions.

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About Discovery Channel

Across every platform, Discovery Channel is dedicated to connecting audiences who have a passion for adventure and crave a connection to the world around them. Popular series including Deadliest Catch, Expedition Unknown, Naked and Afraid and Gold Rush, along with Shark Week, the annual tentpole programming event, serve as trusted portals that transport viewers directly into thrilling, real, high stakes moments. Through smart, authentic characters whose stories inform and inspire, Discovery celebrates the men and women who will stop at nothing to explore new spaces and achieve their dreams. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com.

Discovery Channel is part of Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD), a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world's most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products which also include: Discovery Channel, HBO Max, discovery+, CNN, DC, Eurosport, HBO, HBO Max, HGTV, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com.