Has renowned WA shipwreck hunter Hugh Edwards OAM discovered a new sunken galleon?
He thinks he may have, but is awaiting final analysis of cannon discovered on a reef at the Abrolhos Islands.
In our interview he tells The Starfish about the wreck on the notorious WA island ‘graveyard for sailing ships.’
For well over 65 years the WA journalist, writer, diver and explorer has come face to face with Great Whites and been on teams that have discovered some of the most famous wrecks on our coast.
Now in his 80s, he has been visiting the Abrolhos Isles off Geraldton for decades, and was a part of teams that discovered the long-lost Dutch sailing ships Batavia and the Zeewijk.
During the height of its power and renown the famous Dutch Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), lost a number of ships on the treacherous low-lying island chain, and despite searches at the time the wrecks were rarely salvaged, and lost to history.
But it is through the efforts of determined wreck hunters like Hugh – who’s spent almost as much of his life underwater as above – that we now know a great deal about the locations of various wrecks and what became of them.
Click below to watch Hugh talk to The Starfish about his latest shipwreck hunt and the notorious Great White shark.
Great interview and fantastic to see Hugh going strong still. One on my most exciting dives was a training one in Thompsons Bay around 1975 with WAIT diving club and one of the group found a full brass divers helmet that had gone overboard in a storm many years before as they were attempting to salvage another wreck. The helmet is in the museum on Rotto
Yep, it’s great to see Hugh still fired by the spirit of adventure and discovery, Roger. Good to hear about your own diving experience and the helmet find at Rotto back in ’75, too.
Roger I recall you doing a lot of diving @ WAIT. I guess that was your life Downunder then. I’m also guessing that you go down less these days in Vancouver? Hope all is well Cool.
Exciting stuff, Hugh. It would be great if you’d discovered another one on the islands!
Fascinating. Thanks Hugh!