| Barry Clifford | |
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Underwater Explorer Barry Clifford |
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| Born | 1945 (age 66–67) Cape Cod, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Barry Clifford is an underwater archaeological explorer best known for discovering the remains of the wrecked ship Whydah in 1984. The Whydah is the only fully verified pirate shipwreck ever discovered, and, as such, artifacts from the wreck provide unique insights into the material culture of 18th century piracy.
Clifford has kept The Whydah Collection intact. A selection of artifacts are displayed at Expedition Whydah Sea-Lab & Learning Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts. In 2007, more artifacts from The Whydah Collection began a major nation-wide traveling exhibition, Real Pirates under the auspices of The National Geographic Society, Arts & Exhibitions International and Historic Shipwrecks, Inc. The Whydah Project has been designated as a National Geographic "Special Event",
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Born in 1945 on Cape Cod, Barry Clifford has been involved in underwater exploration for most of his adult life. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in History and Sociology from Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado, and received graduate training at Bridgewater State College in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
Between 1974 and 1984, Clifford organized, directed and conducted underwater construction, oil-spill control, contract sea-rescue and salvage operations, including the salvage/rescue of the M.V.Islander ferry in 1980.
During the 70's and 80's, he also used historical research, remote-sensing techniques, and underwater surveys to locate numerous shipwrecks off Cape Cod and the Islands, as well as in New York's East River, the Indian Ocean, and the Caribbean.
In 1989, Clifford’s team located an un-dredged site within Boston’s Inner Harbor with several shipwrecks, and other submerged cultural material, associated with "The Boston Tea Party" and "The Evacuation of Boston" during the American Revolution. In the winter of 1990-1991, underwater surveys for historical shipwreck sites were conducted in 130+ ft. depths in Boston’s Outer Harbor.
Between 1991 and 1994, expeditions were mounted to Panama and Belize that resulted in discovery of a number of shipwrecks-—including the possible wreck site of the Satisfaction, a shipwreck commanded by the buccaneer Henry Morgan during his invasion of Panama in 1669.
From 1993-1996, under the auspices of BBC and The Discovery Channel, Clifford directed underwater survey and ROV examinations—in conjunction with Bentech, British Gas, the British Royal Navy and HRH Prince Andrew—for The Blessing of Burnt Island that sank with the Royal silver of King Charles I in Scotland’s Firth of Forth in 1663. Clifford then initiated survey operations off Virginia resulting in the discovery of a wreck identified as the Spanish treasure galleon La Galga.
In 1998 and 1999 Barry Clifford led two expeditions, under Discovery Channel/BBC-One auspices, to the Isle of Aves off Venezuela, where he discovered nine shipwrecks, wrecked in a 1678 catastrophe that shattered French naval power in the Caribbean.
In 1999 and 2000, Barry Clifford and his Project Team completed three major expeditions to Ile Ste. Marie off Madagascar, as a Discovery Channel Quest initiative. Five shipwreck sites were discovered. One has been tentatively identified as The Adventure Galley (flagship of William Kidd). Another is The Fiery Dragon (commanded by the pirate William Condon, aka Christopher Condent). Two other shipwreck sites are believed to be the Ruparrel, and The Mocha Frigate.
After discovering and decoding cryptic rock carvings, he then used ground-penetrating radar to locate and chart an apparent tunnel-complex, similar to the Oak Island “Money Pit”, which may have been constructed by late 17th-century pirates.
In an ongoing project, Mr. Clifford is currently working to identify suspected in-situ remains of the Santa Maria—flagship of Christopher Columbus wrecked near modern Cap Haitien Christmas, 1492. His work as a Discovery "Quest" Scholar to locate this site was the subject of a May 2004 Discovery Channel documentary “Quest for Columbus”. Also ongoing off the Haitian coast is an archaeological survey project that has tentatively identified four shipwrecks associated with Henry Morgan, including Morgan’s flagship The Oxford.
Clifford has authored articles and books on his explorations; including The Pirate Prince, (Prentice Hall/Simon & Schuster, New York, 1993), Expedition Whydah (Harper Collins, New York, 1999), The Lost Fleet (Harper Collins, New York, 2000), Return to Treasure Island (Harper Collins, New York, 2003), They Lived to Tell The Tale (The Explorers’ Club 2007) Real Pirates: The Untold Story…(The National Geographic Society, 2007), and a 2007 National Geographic children's book of the same name.
His work has been the subject of television documentaries and features as well; including Black Bellamy’s Treasure (PBS), Search for Pirate Gold (Nova). Sea-Raiders (Turner Broadcasting), The Hunt For Amazing Treasures (NBC), Lost Treasure of King Charles I (Discovery Channel), Sea Tales (A&E), Pirates of The Whydah (National Geographic), The Lost Fleet (Discovery Channel/BBC-One), Quest For Captain Kidd (Discovery Channel), Quest for Columbus (Discovery Channel), and The Pirate Code (National Geographic).
A 2002–03 action-adventure television series entitled "Adventure Inc." produced by Gale Anne Hurd was "inspired by the real life exploits of explorer Barry Clifford." Clifford is credited as a consultant for that show.
He is a Fellow of the Explorers Club, a 2005 recipient of The Rolex-Lowell Thomas Award for underwater archaeology, and an Honorary Member of the Boston Marine Society. In 2006, he was named "Explorer-in-Residence" by the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
A photographer, mountaineer, and jungle explorer, Clifford is also the head of The Center For Historic Shipwreck Preservation, Inc. a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the exploration and preservation of history under the sea.