Episode
#188 Ocean Relics. The Indiana Jones of Australia's shipwrecks: Dr James Hunter
- Podcast
- Citizen Science Show
- Published
- Jul 13, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2603
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.sea.museum/en/home
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Summary
There are an estimated **3,000* shipwrecks still undiscovered on Australia's ocean floor and up to 300 of them could be sitting in a single 3km stretch off Newcastle, NSW. In this episode, host Sarah sits down with Dr James Hunter, Manager of Maritime Archaeology at the Australian National Maritime Museum, for a deep dive into the science, history and heartbreak of shipwreck discovery. James takes us from a candle that survived 136 years inside a Civil War submarine, to the commercial salvage operation that gutted the war grave of HMAS Perth, to his own long-held theory that a centuries-old Spanish or Portuguese wreck may still be hiding in the Torres Strait. Along the way, James explains how everyday divers, boaters and beachgoers are already helping professional archaeologists find, monitor and protect these underwater time capsules and exactly what to do if you ever stumble across one yourself. In This Episode • How maritime archaeologists search for wrecks in shallow and deep water • the identification of Captain Cook's HMB Endeavour • the extraordinary preservation of the H.L. Hunley submarine • why human interference is more destructive than nature • treating wrecks as gravesites • the rise of 3D photogrammetry • how to get trained as a citizen maritime archaeologist • and the undiscovered wreck James hopes someone finds next. More Information https://www.citizen-science-reisen.de/en/marine-archaeology https://www.aima-underwater.org.au/shop/category/courses https://www.sunken.media/ https://www.girtsd.org/ Books Citizen Science in Maritime Archaeology: The Power of Public Engagement edited by Della A. Scott-Ireton, Jennifer E. Jones, Jason T. Raupp If you enjoy this podcast, please like and subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts. Leave us a re…