Underwater field archeologist and conservator, Chris Macort will talk about diving to the Whydah in shark infested waters of the Atlantic uncovering pieces of history. The Whydah had been captured by pirate Sam Bellamy and sank off the coast of Cape Cod nearly 300 years ago, scattering her enormous bounty. What Mr. Macorts research has found paints a very different picture of the pirates weve seen in the movies.

Macort has appeared in National Geographic Magazine, Newsweek, National Geographic Television, the BBC, the Discovery Channel, the Travel Channel and the History Channel, as they recorded expeditions to Las Aves, Venezuela; Madagascar, Massachusetts, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He has also worked on other historic shipwreck projects in England, Uruguay and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and is featured in three books about underwater explorer Barry Cliffords pirate ship searches and discoveries.

Beginning in 1996, Macort served as a diver, then Director of Operations for Barry Cliffords expeditions to recover artifacts from the pirate ship Whydah which Clifford discovered in 1984. The Whydah wrecked in a storm off Wellfleet, MA in 1717 and was the first pirate ship ever discovered. Along with Cliffords crew, Macort has been instrumental in locating and recovering artifacts from this remarkable shipwreck, which lies buried beneath twenty feet of shifting sand in the Atlantic Ocean.

When not traveling, or working on the Whydah, Macort manages the Whydah conservation laboratory on Cape Cod, conserving, analyzing and recording artifacts and treasure that have recently been recovered during Clifford's expeditions with Macort. Chris also prepares artifacts and interactive exhibits for display at the Whydah Pirate museum in Provincetown, MA and presents lectures to schools, universities and community groups that make this fascinating facet of maritime history accessible to the public.

$15 for not-yet members of The Guild. No cost to Guild members.