Fascinated by Shipwrecks
Dive deep into the fascinating world of maritime archaeology, where science, history, and adventure converge! Join host Kathy A. Smith as she uncovers stories of shipwrecks and the passionate explorers who bring them to light. Each episode reveals a compelling behind the scenes look at the who and what that has shaped this incredible field. As a journalist with over 200 feature articles in marine trade publications, and over 20 years’ experience supporting marine industry businesses, Kathy clearly shows her passion for ships and the sea. Ready to explore shipwrecks like never before? Listen in and discover a new way to experience the exciting world of maritime archaeology. Subscribe today at: https://www.youtube.com/@FascinatedbyShipwrecks
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Salvaging the Empress of Ireland in 1914
05/30/2025
Salvaging the Empress of Ireland in 1914
Did you know more passengers died on the Empress of Ireland than Titanic? The doomed ocean liner sank in 14 minutes after a collision in the fog. See amazing photos of the salvage operations that took place in 1914. Subscribe: "We tend to forget that the survivors were also victims. And when you put that into perspective, and you add to that the fact that they were pretty much never compensated for anything, it's a hard thing to live through." - David Saint-Pierre About David Saint-Pierre David Saint-Pierre was born and raised on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, hearing the tales and stories of his ancestors being lighthouse keepers, captains, shipbuilders and shipowners. History became a passion, and then an academic interest: he studied contemporary history up to Ph.D. level. He has been a consultant for maritime museums in Quebec for almost three decades, did independent research under contract with the Naval Museum in Quebec City, and worked for five years for the Empress of Ireland museum in Rimouski, Quebec, not far from where the Empress of Ireland foundered. Mr. Saint-Pierre has published a number of books and articles on history, among which two books on the Empress of Ireland, one in 2016 and the other in 2023. These two books are only available in French for now, but the last one, mostly dealing with the deep sea diving and salvage operations on the wreck in 1914, has been translated and was released by the United Kingdom publisher The History Press in May 2025. The book will be released in North America in August 2025. © 2025 – Fascinated by Shipwrecks
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Where Do Ships Go When They Die?
05/12/2025
Where Do Ships Go When They Die?
Did you know there is such a thing as a ship graveyard? Learn about the WWI ship graveyard at Mallows Bay in Maryland. Discover how maritime archaeology students are helping document the wrecks. Subscribe: "Some of the largest ship graveyards in the world are just vessels stacked together. I've looked at them in Australia, in Bermuda, abandoned vessels in Costa Rica, across the United States. They really are everywhere.” - Dr. Nathan Richards About Dr. Nathan Richards Dr. Nathan Richards specializes in maritime archaeological theory and method with a focus on cultural site formation processes of the archaeological record. He has an interest in 19th and 20th century maritime history, the history of technology, and in comparative and anthropological approaches to maritime archaeological subjects. He has been involved in field schools run by Departments of Archaeology at Flinders University and James Cook University, and has been employed in cultural heritage management work by the State Governments of South Australia and Tasmania. He is also the author of several journal articles, book chapters, and numerous reports and reviews and his research has appeared in several industry publications, such as the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. Dr. Richards assumed the role of Director of the Program in Maritime Studies (Department of History) at East Carolina University (ECU) in 2018. He has taught classes in the history, theory, method, and ethics of maritime archaeology, field schools, and cultural heritage management at ECU since 2003. © 2025 – Fascinated by Shipwrecks
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Finding the 1856 Le Lyonnais wreck | The Adriatic Affair
02/23/2025
Finding the 1856 Le Lyonnais wreck | The Adriatic Affair
Le Lyonnais collided with Adriatic off the coast of Nantucket and sank. Just 18 people survived, enduring horrendous conditions before being rescued. The collision sparked a trial of Adriatic’s captain Jonathan Durham, who left the scene. Subscribe: "There is a huge focus on the characters. What they went through. About 19th-Century life and experiences and some education about what it was like to travel the oceans during that time. It's my hope that there's something for everyone." - Jennifer Sellitti About Jennifer Sellitti Jennifer N. Sellitti is a lawyer and a shipwreck hunter. A criminal defense attorney by profession, she and her partner, Joe Mazraani, spend their spare time operating D/V Tenacious, a vessel that locates, dives, and salvages artifacts from shipwrecks in the North Atlantic. Jennifer is a U.S.C.G. licensed captain and a certified diver. She was part of the crew that discovered WW1-casualty West Point, the 1856 steamship Le Lyonnais, and the bow of M/V Stockholm – the vessel that collided with and sank SS Andrea Doria in 1956. She has served as surface support for expeditions to RMS Lusitania, SS Andrea Doria, and Titanic’s sister ship, HMHS Britannic. Jennifer is passionate about educating the public about maritime history. She serves on the board of the New Jersey Maritime Museum, is an associate member of Boston Sea Rovers, and speaks frequently at museums, dive clubs, and conferences about underwater exploration. She is the creator of All Aboard!, an educational program aimed at bringing maritime history into classrooms and communities. Jennifer earned her B.S. in public relations from Boston University and her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. Her first book, “The Adriatic Affair: A Maritime Hit-And-Run Off the Coast of Nantucket” (Schiffer Publishing) is available for preorder now and will be released on February 28, 2025. The book tells the story of the collision that sank Le Lyonnais and its aftermath and includes an epilogue that chronicles how she and a team from D/V Tenacious discovered and identified the steamship’s remains in August of 2024. © 2025 – Fascinated by Shipwrecks
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Hunting Shipwrecks: Mowing the Lawn with Side Scan Sonar
02/09/2025
Hunting Shipwrecks: Mowing the Lawn with Side Scan Sonar
Do you know what a side scan waterfall is? Learn about the first seamless colour photomosaic of a shipwreck Discover how technological advances are changing the side scan sonar industry Subscribe: “As technology developed, we went from these very large, ungainly systems with very flimsy printouts to thermal paper, integrating position. Eventually you had a computer that interfaced with the sonar, and now everything appears on a computer screen.” - Vince Capone About Vince Capone Vince started his underwater career in the mid-1970s as a certified NAUI advanced diver exploring the shipwrecks of New Jersey. He went on to earn degrees in Marine Biology and Marine Science with minors in geology and experimental statistics. An expert in marine technology, Vince has over 35 years of worldwide hydrographic and underwater search and survey operations experience and is the renowned President and Founder of Black Laser Learning. He is an expert in side scan sonar search operations/sonar image analysis and regularly designs and conducts training seminars for the U.S. Navy, law enforcement, fire rescue, fire, rescue, and commercial clients. Capone is a member of the Explorer’s Club and, in 2014, he received Citation of Merit, as operations manager for locating and recovering the Apollo rocket motors from the deep ocean off the Florida coast. © 2025 – Fascinated by Shipwrecks
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Oceanography, Shipwrecks, & Underwater Robotics
01/26/2025
Oceanography, Shipwrecks, & Underwater Robotics
Did you know we’ve only mapped about 25% of the seafloor? Learn about coastal geology and morphodynamics. Discover how advances in robotics is changing how we explore the ocean. Subscribe: “It's like this whole alphabet soup of autonomous systems, robotic systems that are giving us a force multiplier in doing ocean exploration and mapping. They give us the ability to spend more time in the environment.” - Art Trembanis About Dr. Art Trembanis Arthur Trembanis is the director of the Coastal Sediments, Hydrodynamics and Engineering Laboratory (CSHEL) in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment at the University of Delaware. The work of CSHEL involves the development and utilization of advanced oceanographic instrumentation, particularly autonomous underwater vehicles for seafloor mapping and benthic habitat characterization. He received a bachelor's degree in geology from Duke University in 1998, a Fulbright Fellowship at the University of Sydney in 1999, and a Ph.D. in marine sciences from the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences in 2004. His research interests include coastal and estuarine morphodynamics, sediment transport, hydrodynamics, autonomous underwater, aerial and surface vehicles, seafloor mapping, and geoacoustics. © 2025 – Fascinated by Shipwrecks
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“USS Constitution: Oak, Steel & Men” - Old Ironsides
01/12/2025
“USS Constitution: Oak, Steel & Men” - Old Ironsides
The USS Constitution was launched in 1797 and is still a commissioned naval warship. She was nicknamed “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812 due to her sturdy oak hull which was seemingly impenetrable against enemy cannonball fire. Today, the ship is still on duty, used as a training vessel with a ship's complement of about 75 enslisted sailors. She also serves as an educational tourist attraction. In this episode, maritime archaeologist Ryan Miranda talks with host Kathy A. Smith about his early interest in the underwater world, his thesis, Oak, Steel, and Men: The History of USS Constitution through Artifact Biographies, and how technological advances like augmented reality are changing the way the public can interact with shipwrecks. About Ryan Miranda Ryan Miranda is a maritime archeologist and historian with a master's in Maritime studies from East Carolina University. From the Chesapeake Bay to the shores of Costa Rica and the Gulf Coast of Texas, his career has allowed for diverse experiences in underwater research and cultural resource management. His interest in emerging technologies focuses on technologies to improve the public's knowledge about maritime archeology and the stories it reveals about the past. @ 2025 Fascinated by Shipwrecks
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Rediscovering USS Monitor
12/29/2024
Rediscovering USS Monitor
Monitor, the famous iconic ironclad warship is now being reimagined. Did you know over 200 tons of material has been recovered from the ship? Hear compelling stories about Monitor’s legacy and plans for the 50th anniversary of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary in 2025. Subscribe: “With all the archival data and that real archaeological data coming together, we’ve built the most accurate virtual model ever of Monitor, and I'm not just talking just the shell of it. Every single nut and bolt is there.” Tane Casserley The USS Monitor was commissioned during the Civil War for the Union Navy in answer to the Confederate Navy’s new ironclad ship CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack) and famously fought Virginia at the Battle of Hampton Roads. Known as the first irconclad warship to be equipped with a rotating gun turret, the vessel's low, freeboard design contributed to it being lost in storm off Cape Hatteras on December 31, 1862. In this episode, host Kathy A. Smith talks with NOAA’s Tane Casserley about Monitor, plans for the 50th anniversary of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, and how digital technologies are reimagining the way the public interacts with the iconic shipwreck. About Tane Casserley Tane Casserley joined the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in the spring of 2001. As the Resource Protection and Permit Coordinator for both Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and Mallows Bay – Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary, Tane is responsible for the development of programs to address commercial and recreational uses in and around the sanctuaries. Tane’s specialties include 19th-century warships and deep-water archaeology, as well as building collaborative partnerships, public outreach and exhibit design. He has led NOAA archaeological expeditions in the Florida Keys, the Great Lakes, California, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Alaska, and USS Monitor. He’s also participated in projects including a sunken Boeing B-29 Superfortress in Lake Mead, a Civil War blockade runner in Bermuda, USS Arizona, and was most recently part of an expedition to RMS Titanic. Tane’s projects have used technical diving, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and manned submersibles. © 2024 – Fascinated by Shipwrecks
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Combing the Deep off the BC Coast
12/16/2024
Combing the Deep off the BC Coast
Did you know there are 4000 shipwrecks in BC, Canada? What's it like to challenge a documented shipwreck? Hear from an avocational maritime archaeologist who’s been at it for over 40 years! Subscribe: “The thrill of new discoveries, unraveling mysteries and telling stories about shipwrecks kind of got in my blood, if you will.” Jacques Marc What’s is like to challenge the identity of a documented wreck? Jacques Marc did just that on one of his first wreck dives on British Columbia’s south coast. And he was hooked for life. As an avocational archaeologist (someone who volunteers), Jacques has been instrumental in helping grow the Underwater Archaeological Society of BC. Learn of his many exploits beneath the waves and some of the shipwrecks that have had an emotional impact on him. About Jacques Marc Jacques Marc is the Explorations Director for the Underwater Archaeological Society of BC (UASBC). He is an avocational underwater archaeologist who has spent 40 years diving on and documenting historic shipwrecks around BC. In his capacity as Explorations Director, he coordinates many of the UASBC expeditions to search for and document submerged cultural sites in the province. © 2024 – Fascinated by Shipwrecks
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James Delgado on Experiencing Famous Shipwrecks
12/01/2024
James Delgado on Experiencing Famous Shipwrecks
Did you know we are all profoundly connected to the maritime world? What’s it like to experience history first-hand? Listen to expert Dr. James P. Delgado as he talks about his life journey, his many experiences, and special moments that have touched his heart. Subscribe: "I've worked on over a hundred shipwrecks around the world. Each of them is special. Many of them are unique. Some of them are very powerful." James P. Delgado Jim talks about his storied career, starting with his budding interest in archaeology and history at age 10 and how the buried California Gold Rush ship Niantic changed his path. He also gives moving accounts of just some of the captivating wrecks he's worked on. Having participated in over 100 shipwreck investigations, he's seen it all. Life lessons included. A truly inspiring episode! © 2024 – Fascinated by Shipwrecks
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James Delgado on Sailing the 7 Seas & USS Stewart
11/17/2024
James Delgado on Sailing the 7 Seas & USS Stewart
Discover the fascinating field of maritime archaeology! What’s it like to document a shipwreck? Listen to expert Dr. James P. Delgado as he shares insights and stories about the many places he’s been, the people he’s worked with, and what a day in the life is like. Subscribe: "If I'm going from one project to another, I'm reading everything from technical details on a boiler being put together to the type of lamps that they're using. You get down into the details, as well as the big sweeps of history, because I love what I do." - Dr. James P. Delgado How do you document a wreck? We talk with Jim about the investigation of the US Navy destroyer USS Stewart. The Stewart is a century-old US Navy destroyer that earned the unenviable distinction of serving under both American and Japanese flags during World War II. We also learn about diving, and Jim's everyday work. With over 45 years in the trenches, he still has the passion. About James Delgado James Delgado, Ph.D. is among the world’s leading experts in maritime archaeology and cultural heritage. He's written more than 36 books, over 200 articles, and has given hundreds of presentations worldwide. Former director of both the Vancouver Maritime Museum and maritime heritage for NOAA, he was the lead archaeologist on two TV series: Eco Nova’s The Sea Hunters (2002-2006), and National Geographic's Drain the Oceans series (2018-2023). Delgado has literally sailed the seven seas and has been an integral part of over 100 shipwreck investigations, including USS Monitor, USS Independence, USS Arizona, the buried Gold Rush ships of San Francisco, the slave ship Clotilda, and Titanic. © 2024 – Fascinated by Shipwrecks
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James Delgado Talks Maritime Archaeology & Titanic
11/03/2024
James Delgado Talks Maritime Archaeology & Titanic
Dive into the history of underwater exploration! Discover a new way to experience the fascinating world of shipwrecks! Listen to expert Dr. James P. Delgado as he shares insights into maritime archaeology. Subscribe: “The biggest museum we have sits at the bottom of the sea.” James P. Delgado Shipwreck discoveries often hit the news, uncovering intriguing tales from our seafaring past. Behind these discoveries are the stories of the ships, their crews, and what life was like for them. But we may forget there are also fascinating tales of those who devote their lives to ensuring that vital pieces of human history aren't lost to the depths. In our inaugural episode, we sit down with renowned maritime archaeologist James Delgado, who sheds light on the evolution of maritime archaeology, introduces us to its trailblazers, and explains how this fascinating field has transformed over time. We also hear Delgado's latest thoughts on Titanic. A perfect primer on maritime archaeology! About James Delgado James Delgado, Ph.D. is among the world’s leading experts in maritime archaeology and cultural heritage. He's written more than 36 books, over 200 articles, and has given hundreds of presentations worldwide. Former director of both the Vancouver Maritime Museum and maritime heritage for NOAA, he was the lead archaeologist on two TV series: Eco Nova’s The Sea Hunters (2002-2006), and National Geographic's Drain the Oceans series (2018-2023). Delgado has literally sailed the seven seas and has been an integral part of over 100 shipwreck investigations, including USS Monitor, USS Independence, USS Arizona, the buried Gold Rush ships of San Francisco, the slave ship Clotilda, and Titanic. © 2024 – Fascinated by Shipwrecks
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