Atlantis Found at Gibraltar?
Short answer: Probably not. The most convincing evidence so far says those “ruins” outside Cádiz are simply folded bedrock, not a lost civilisation. But the story of how an indie filmmaker-turned-“archaeologist” whipped up global headlines—and how geologists quietly shot them down—is worth the dive.
1. The Plot Twist the Headlines Skipped
The splashy news item last week proclaimed: “Sensation vor Gibraltar! Researcher has found Atlantis.”
What almost no headline mentioned is that Spanish marine geologists had already mapped the same seabed in 2023 and published a peer-reviewed report calling the formations 100 % natural—tectonically warped quartzite, not temples or canals.
Read their study (Spanish)
2. Cue the Trailer: Donnellan’s Blockbuster Claim
Independent filmmaker Michael Donnellan unveiled teaser footage for his documentary “Atlantica”, declaring he had located Plato’s fabled city three kilometres off Chipiona, near the mouth of the Strait of Gibraltar.
He told reporters he had:
- Sonar images showing “three concentric walls”
- LiDAR data of “rectangular temples”
- Dive videos that would “rewrite history”
No coordinates, raw scans, carbon dates or artefacts have been released. The entire evidence set lives in a not-yet-finished film and a handful of press conferences.
“We followed Plato’s text to the letter, and there it was.”
—Michael Donnellan, Chipiona, Oct 2023
3. Reality Check: What Experts Actually Found
| Donnellan’s headline talking points | What the public record shows | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantis walls & canals on sonar | Independent 2023 survey: folded quartzite layers; no cut stone, no artefacts | Contradicted |
| Site proves Plato’s story | Most classicists view Atlantis as allegory, not history | Misleading |
| Evidence gathered with LiDAR & dives | No peer-reviewed data, no academic collaborators | Unverified |
| Donnellan is an archaeologist | Studied archaeology decades ago; career mainly in animation/film | Partly true |
Sources: [Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage PDF], AFP Fact Check, IFLScience
4. Rocks That Look Like Ruins—Why Geology Tricks the Eye
Juan A. Morales and Claudio Lozano of the University of Huelva spent months scanning the very patch of sea floor. Their findings:
- The “walls” are anticlines—arched layers created when tectonic forces crumple rock.
- The “rectangular temple” is a fault block outlined by shadow in side-scan sonar.
- Samples show quartzite dating back 300 million years, long before humans.
Think of it as nature’s optical illusion: erosion chisels, earthquakes bend, and sonar shadows turn geology into what looks like architecture.
5. Why Myths Stick Around (and Why That’s OK)
Atlantis is the Bigfoot of archaeology: every few years a new claimant surfaces, headlines boom, evidence fizzles. Why?
- Built-in mystery – Plato gave just enough detail to launch endless treasure hunts.
- Commercial payoff – Books, documentaries and YouTube channels thrive on “what if?”
- Visual allure – Sonar images resemble city plans to the untrained eye.
Healthy skepticism isn’t a buzzkill; it’s a compass. Extraordinary claims need, well, extraordinary evidence—open data sets, peer review, artefacts you can hold.
6. What Would Real Proof Look Like?
Before we pop champagne for Atlantis, independent scientists would need to see:
- Precise GPS coordinates and raw sonar/LiDAR files
- Photographs of worked stone—blocks cut by tools, not fracture lines
- Human-made artefacts datable by established methods (radiocarbon, thermoluminescence)
- A peer-reviewed paper allowing other experts to critique methods and conclusions
None of that exists yet for the Chipiona site.
7. The Take-Home
- Could Atlantis still lurk somewhere? Perhaps, but this Cádiz claim doesn’t prove it.
- Should we dismiss every underwater oddity? No—exploration is valuable, but so is accountability.
- What’s next? Donnellan says “Atlantica” the film will release full data “soon.” Geologists say they’re ready to examine it—if it appears.
Until then, the only solid thing under the waves off Gibraltar is 300-million-year-old rock. The legend of Atlantis? That remains exactly where Plato left it: in the realm of story.
Want to dig deeper?
- Peer-review geology report (Spanish PDF)
- AFP Fact-Check summary
- Donnellan’s “Atlantica” trailer on YouTube
Stay curious, but keep your snorkel of skepticism close.