Underwater on the HMCS Mermaid wreck site

From the Australian National Maritime Museum:

Wrecks and Reefs
29 November 2012 – 3 March 2013
Through the underwater lens of maritime archaeology, explore four Australian shipwreck sites on remote coral reefs off tropical Queensland – the early colonial ships Mermaid, Porpoise, Royal Charlotte and Cato. Vivid images by expedition photographer Xanthe Rivett follow the team led by the Australian National Maritime Museum and reveal the unique marine environments they encountered.

Join the expedition team on this underwater story of archaeological discovery and admire the natural beauty of the coral reefs and cays, the backdrop of these ship wrecks.

The Australian National Maritime Museum‘s Maritime Archaeology Program is supported by the Silentworld Foundation, the University of Sydney and the Australian Research Council.

The Expeditions

Mermaid Project 2009
In 2009 the expedition team searched for and surveyed the HMCS Mermaid which was wrecked on an unidentified reef system south of Cairns, Queensland, in 1829 whilst on a voyage to Port Raffles in far northern Australia.  HMCSMermaid circumnavigated Australia in the early 1820s under the command of Phillip Parker King, filling in the gaps left by the previous surveys of Matthew Flinders.

Diver surveying the site of the Mermaid. Xanthe Rivett 2009.

Wreck Reefs Project 2010
On an isolated reef system 400 kilometres east of Gladstone, Queensland, the expedition team surveyed and carried out archaeological assessments of HMS Porpoise and the merchant ship Cato both wrecked in 1803, the merchant ship Mahaica wrecked in 1854 and the associated shipwreck survivors’ camps on Porpoise Cay and Bird Island.  On board HMSPorpoise was the marine surveyor and explorer Lieutenant Matthew Flinders who was returning to England, via India, to report on the first European circumnavigation of the Australian mainland.

Frederick Reef Project 2010 and 2012
In October 2010 a small team of divers and archaeologists visited Frederick Reef, an isolated reef system 450 kilometres north-east of Gladstone Queensland, in search of theRoyal Charlotte.  The Royal Charlotte was wrecked in 1825 whilst on a passage to India with soldiers and their families in 1829.  In 2012 the team returned and located, surveyed and carried out archaeological assessment of the wreck site.

Anchor from the HMS Porpoise. Xanthe Rivett 2010

Island and Cays
Expedition teams visited Bird Island, Porpoise, Hope and West Cays to survey the sites of shipwreck survivors’ camps.  These cays and islands along with the various reef systems of Wreck Reefs are now protected environmental areas in the 972,000 square kilometre Coral Sea Conservation Zone which was established in May 2009.

Environment
Accompanying the museum’s archaeologists and divers, from the Silentworld Foundation, were two marine scientists from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science.  The expeditions provided the marine scientists the opportunity to undertake biological surveys and assessments of remote reef systems in the Coral Sea and to seek possible evidence of the impact of climate change on these coral reefs.  The coral appeared healthy with few signs of coral bleaching and there was no sign of the predatory Crown of Thorns starfish which have devastated up to 21% of the Great Barrier Reef in the last 27 years.

Diver Frederick Reef, Coral Sea. Xanthe Rivett 2012

Read the blogs from all three of the expeditions.

A slideshow of images from the Royal Charlotte Expedition to the Coral Sea with the Australian National Maritime Museum and Silentworld Foundation.

Frederick Reef is just a dot in a very large ocean, the tip of an ancient undersea volcano rising steeply from 2,500m to the surface and on top of which over thousands of years, a coral reef in the shape of a ‘J’ has formed.   The coral changes in form depending on where it is located on the reef, on the exposed side where the swell of the ocean rises up into breaking waves the coral grows like the hardy shrubs on a windswept mountain – low and close to the ground.  It is here that we expect to find evidence of the Royal Charlotte striking the reef.  Travelling from the south, with the ocean swell and strong south-easterly gale behind them, the sound of the roaring breakers in the night was the terrifying sound which alerted the ship’s crew to the presence of a reef – too late.

Millions of years have shaped these reefs.  The story of a shipwreck and the intervening 200 years before we travel out into the Coral Sea to search for it is less than the blink of an eyelid in the timeline of this ocean.   It is believed that Frederick Reef at times of lower sea-levels was an island that has since been submerged by rising sea-levels.  Now, it is only two sand cays (one at the north end and one at the south end) and ‘Ridge Rock’ which remain above sea level.  It would have been a bewildering, frightening and very lonely place to find yourself shipwrecked in 1825.

The remote nature of the Coral Sea reefs means that each of these reefs is unique in terms of its fish and coral populations. As an underwater photographer I find this intriguing, when you head to a Coral Sea reef it is a bit like a ‘mystery box’ or Forest Gump’s ‘box of chocolates’ – you never know quite what you are going to get.  What you do know is you will find beautiful clear waters, and stunning underwater seascapes.  Another exciting aspect is that the Coral Sea has been identified as a global biodiversity hotspot for pelagic predators (sharks, tuna, billfish, etc.) and if you love sharks like I do, that is a wonderful concept in a world where shark populations are in sharp decline.  The federal government is deciding the fate of this hotspot right now – so if you believe in shark and ocean conservation, please make sure you have your say.

Although we have the help of two survivors accounts, these accounts contradict each other in the location of the wreck compared to the main landmark of the reef – the sand cay.  The other clue we have is the shape of the reef itself.  It is all the small clues – wind and sailing direction of the ship, descriptions in the account, the movement of the current – that are used by the archaeologists to start our search in the area of greatest probability for success.

The research and piecing together of clues pays off, on our first dive of the expedition timber is found.  A piece of wood may not sound exciting, however when it potentially comes from a shipwreck nearly 200 years old the hand signals being used for communication get significantly more animated!  If there is one artefact then possibly there are more nearby and a quick search pattern reveals a large metal bracket (over a metre in length), later identified as a staple knee which is used to hold deck timbers together.  You cannot exchange words underwater but you can certainly communicate; the energy and smiles were lighting up the ocean.

This was a great start, but a piece of timber does not make a shipwreck and this piece was a long way from the reef edge, on the sandy bottom of the lagoon.  What those two artefacts did give us though was a starting point.  Over the next few days teams searched using manta boards, snorkel lines, underwater metal detectors and magnetometers.  Our eyes became trained to find the unnatural: straight lines, the green of copper or the black of iron, even the round shape of Thames River gravel which was used as ballast.  Often excited moments were followed by the solemn shake of an experts head as they kindly informed us our grand find was a piece of dead coral.  The searching was productive though, as each artefact was found and photographed, then mapped and sketched it added to a picture that was beginning to emerge.

We had dives when we were certain this was going to be the moment, this must be where the ship was wrecked, and then we would return with only a few clues: a piece of ceramic half buried, a small amount of anchor chain, a few fragments of glass.  The Charlotte must be close, but it was eluding us, all the clues were suggesting we were in the right area, this was the right age of ship, but where was the anchor?  Where was the canon?  Then one morning I got a call across the radio “Xanthe would you like to do one more dive with us this morning?” one of the dive teams casually asked.  Now generally, there are two reasons I might get a call that: 1) they know that I love diving and any time spent underwater or 2) I am the photographer and if you have found something special then you want it photographed and hence I get a call.  I tried to keep my hopes in check.  Maybe they have just found another amazing dive site??  That would still be quite alright in my books.  When I got to the site on the outer edge of the reef, beyond the surf break, their eyes and huge smiles gave them away.  “It’s the anchor, a 12ft long and 6ft across anchor the right shape and everything”.

On the 4th January 2012 I joined a team from the Australian National Maritime Museum and Silentworld Foundation steaming out towards the Coral Sea.  Overnight we passed the edge of the Great Barrier Reef and entered the deep, beautiful, blue waters of the Coral Sea. We are travelling to the Coral Sea in search of shipwrecks.  The Australian National Maritime Museum and Silentworld Foundation have joined forces to bring an expedition team of archaeologists, volunteer divers and experienced crew to this remote location in search of the Royal Charlotte, a ship wrecked in 1825. This is not an easy place to reach, our journey to Frederick Reef (400km off the Queensland coast) is a 36hr steam in a modern vessel.  Once you pass the Great Barrier Reef you are in open ocean, but the weather was being very kind to us, with blue skies overhead and flying fish skimming across the water.

The reefs of the Coral Sea are different to the large interconnected system of the Great Barrier Reef.  Here the reefs rise up from thousands of metres of water, the tips of oceanic mountains.  The deep-water inbetween the reef holds its own treasures: some of the oceans top predators including sharks, whales, billfish and tuna.  These are the fish and animals at the top of the ocean food chain, playing an important role in keeping the ecosystem in balance.  The Coral Sea is indeed a special place, any visit is a privilege.   To be here joining a team of archaeologists on a search for its history is amazing.  Meanwhile I am also well aware that currently its fate is being decided in the far away halls of Canberra.  Well actually, right now the draft plan for the Coral Sea is open to public feedback and anyone can make a submission, and it is important we all do.  You can protect the Coral Sea by signing the petition on this page.

An afternoon pitstop at Saumarez Reef has been decided on.  Saumarez Reef has two sand cays, one at either end of its long crescent of reef.  We tucked up behind the reef, close to the wreck of the Francis Preston Blair which sits high on the reef. During World War 2 a Japanese submarine was pursuing the ship when its Captain chose to run it aground rather than face being torpedoed and sunk in the deep waters around Saumarez.  Today it is home to a colony of birds including Frigates and Boobies.  Their droppings have allowed grass to grow on the decks and a new coat of whitewash to develop.

Snorkelling on a coral bommie (a small pinnacle of coral rising up from the sand and separate to the main reef) we watch a pair of grey reef or whaler sharks which are patrolling the reef edge, their sleek shape and powerful muscles moving them easily through the water.  The water is clear, very clear and very blue.  The sand in the lagoon is a beautiful white, laid down in ripples that disappear into the distance, but the sun is setting, marking the time to return to the boat.

Arriving at Frederick Reef in the early morning the sun is still low on the water, and the angle makes it hard to define the patches of coral.   Our vessel stays clear of the reef until the sun climbs higher, turning the lagoon a beautiful aqua, with the greens, yellows and blacks of the reef clearly showing the coral patchwork below.  The captain nudges the boat into a safe place to anchor as we watch the landscape transforming with the changing light.  This is my second visit to Frederick Reef, and I am very happy to be back.  The beautiful lagoon and underwater landscapes have stayed fresh in my memory.  Looking at the sand cay now, I send my brain back into my memory banks, I am sure it was much smaller just over a year ago, but that is the dynamic nature of these reefs.

About the Royal Charlotte and the Wrecking:

The Royal Charlotte was an Indian built ship used to carry trade between England, Australia and India. She was also used as a convict transport before being commissioned to carry troops (and their families) from Sydney to India.  It was during this voyage in 1825 that she was wrecked on Frederick Reef,  which had at that time been charted – but in the wrong place.  She left Sydney under a stormy sky and the gales and storms persisted with the Royal Charlotte as she travelled north into the Coral Sea.  One of the officer’s wives had given birth just three days before the voyage.  At the mercy of nature, it must have been a terrifying experience for those unaccustomed to the sea.  Here is a short extract from one of the two survivor’s accounts which survive today, these accounts were used to help the archeologists narrow down the search area on Frederick Reef:

“At eight bells the fore and main-topsails were double-reefed, the mizzen-topsails and main-courses handed and every other necessary preparation made for a stormy night, which we now had every reason to expect… about half past ten o’clock, she broached in a squall and split every sail, fore and aft…the gale soon increased to a perfect hurricane, and blew the canvass out of the bolt-ropes; while the shreds that remained of the sails cracked dreadfully in the wind.”  The gale abated on the 14^th of June but heavy seas, storms and strong winds continued allowing the Royal Charlotte to travel at the fast rate of 9knots.  It was at this speed on the 20^th June that she struck Frederick reef and was driven her full length onto the coral.

“All hands were immediately ordered to the pumps; but the depth of water in the hold increased in spite of every effort.  Vivid flashes of lighting, that at times illuminated the whole horizon was succeeded by loud peals of thunder, while the roaring of the surf, the crashing of the ship on the rocks, and the dismal cries of the women and children who crowded on the deck added to the uncertainty of the fate that awaited us.  “The breakers, as they rolled in unremitting succession over the precipice, broke close to the ship’s forefoot, and covered her as far as the waist, while we expected every moment that the bows would be stove in, and that she would go to pieces.”

In 2009 I accompanied the Australian National Maritime Museum on two archaeological expeditions to remote coral reefs off the coast of Queensland.  The opportunity to be the underwater photographer and videographer on these expeditions was an absolute privilege and a highlight of my career.  In 2010 an exhibition of my images from these expeditions was displayed at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.  The museum has since expanded the exhibition to 33 images which will now go ‘on tour’… first stop, Geelong in Victoria.

The aim of these expeditions, sponsored by the Silentworld Foundation, were to locate the site of His Majesty’s Colonial Schooner Mermaid, wrecked in 1829 on the Great Barrier Reef, and to survey the sites of His Majesty’s Ship Porpoise and the merchant ship Cato, both lost more than 400 kilometres offshore from present day Gladstone (in the Coral Sea) on the Wreck Reefs in 1803.

The expeditions would also provide marine scientists the opportunity to investigate the physical condition of the various reefs encountered during the work and to seek possible evidence of the impact of climate change on these reefs.

Wrecks, Reefs and the Mermaid is a display of 33 photographs I have taken, illustrating the Museum’s work, on these coral reefs.

Exhibition itinerary

National Wool Museum  VIC
9 November 2011 – 12 February 2012
26 Moorabool Street  Geelong  VIC  3220
http://www.nwm.vic.gov.au/

Eden Killer Whale Museum  NSW
18 February – 20 May 2012
184 Imlay Street  Eden NSW  2551
www.killerwhalemuseum.com.au/

Parkes Shire Library  NSW
July – September 2012
Bogan Street  Parkes NSW  2870
www.parkes.nsw.gov.au/library.html

Bribie Island Seaside Museum  QLD
October – November 2012
1 South Esplanade  Bongaree  Bribie Island QLD
www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/subsite.aspx?id=72406

Manning Regional Art Gallery  NSW
8 December 2012 – 8 March 2013
12 Macquarie Street  Taree NSW  2430
www.fogsmanningvalley.com.au

The publication “Underwater Cultural Heritage in Oceania” produced by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) was released in September this year and features an underwater photograph of the HMCS Mermaid wreck site taken by Xanthe.  The photograph (shown below) was taken on a joint Silentworld Foundation / Australian National Maritime Museum expedition to locate the wreck of the HMCS Mermaid in January 2009.

The publication can be viewed online or downloaded as a pdf and describes some of the important maritime and underwater heritage sites throughout the Oceania region, categorised by country.  Xplore Dive, an Australian company which specialises in creating dive site maps for divers, which can be taken underwater with them, also had their incredible map of the S.S. Yongala wreck featured.

Images from the exhibition

To have an exhibition of my images displayed at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney has been an honour.

For three months, over 50,000 visitors perused a collection of expedition images which educated visitors on the HMCS Mermaid and Wreck Reef expeditions conducted by the Australian National Maritime Museum in association with the Silentworld Foundation.   There is currently a plan in place to double the size of this exhibition and travel it to Cairns, Townsville, Brisbane and Canberra, next year.

For more information click on the below links or read the text below.

Wreck Reef Expedition Images

Wreck Reef Expedition Video

Finding the HMCS Mermaid Expedition Images

HMC Mermaid Expedition Video

The HMCS Mermaid Expedition:

In 2009, our expedition set out to the Great Barrier Reef and a 180-year-old mystery was solved, we located the wreck site of HMCS Mermaid.  Measuring only 18m in length the HMCS Mermaid was a small ship which made a huge difference to the young colony of Australia.  Involved in the settlement of Brisbane, the charting of the Australian coastline and setting out a safe shipping route through the Great Barrier Reef (still used today).

The Mermaid was originally commanded by Lieutenant Phillip Parker King RN during a series of important surveys of uncharted stretches of the Australian coast that took him right around the continent in the years 1817–22.  At the end of the same decade, retired from King’s service the Mermaid – refitted and under a new command – was shipwrecked on an uncharted reef south of Cairns.  It was little solace that her new master, Samuel Nolbrow, had ignored instructions to take the safer inshore passage through the Great Barrier Reef that King had chartered using the Mermaid.

The Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia

The final part of the Mermaid story was the rescue of her crew after the shipwreck.  The crew were rescued by a passing ship, however their woes were not over, they were shipwrecked three more times before they reached port.  Each time, there was not a single loss of life.  To view a video of the expedition, click here.

During the Mermaid expedition we were forced to leave the survey site when the remains of a tropical cyclone caused bad weather. This opened up the opportunity to travel north to Endeavour Reef and re-locate the stranding site of James Cook’s Endeavour, which struck the Great Barrier Reef in 1770. In terrible weather with large swells, squalls and white-outs we managed to dive Endeavour Reef and successfully locate ballast and lead sheeting from the Endeavour. These artefacts confirmed that we had re-located the stranding site. If Cook had not made it off this small patch of reef in 1770 and back to England, Australia may not have been settled by the English.

The Wreck Reef Expedition:

Wreck Reef is a very remote and pristine series of reefs and sand cays some 450km off the Queensland coast where Captain Matthew Flinders was wrecked in 1803 with his two ships the Porpoise and the Cato. Led by maritime archaeologists from the Australian National Maritime Museum supported by the Silentworld Foundation’s volunteer diving team, the expedition was a great success with the original wreck of the Porpoise being visited, the location of the wreck of the Cato being confirmed, a visit to the site of the wreck of the Mahaica, originally misidentified as the Cato, and a general survey of most of the other reefs in the Wreck Reef system.

When the Porpoise and Cato wrecked, 90 men found themselves at the mercy of the sea.  It was only as daylight broke that they spotted a sand cay and were able to setup a ‘shipwreck camp’ on this small patch of sand a long way from anywhere.    The third vessel which had been travelling with them, the Bridgewater, never stopped to help but sailed away, leaving the survivors to their fate.  When Bridgewater reached their next port, the Captain reported the Porpoise and Cato lost with no survivors.   However Matthew Flinders had managed to sail back to Sydney in one of the ship’s long boats, an incredible journey, and raise a rescue party.  Ironically the Bridgewater then sailed into the Indian Ocean never to be seen again while all 90 surviving crew from the Porpoise and Cato were rescued from the sand cay.

To view a video of the expedition, click here.

A short introduction to the ‘Wreck Reef Expedition’ undertaken by the Australian National Maritime Museum and Silentworld Foundation in December 2009. Wreck Reef is a pristine series of coral reefs and cays in the Coral Sea.

This video highlights some of the natural beauty of this region and work conducted on the expedition.

Wreck Reef Expedition – Short Intro from Xanthe Rivett on Vimeo.