Above: Dr. Spooner on the Seabourn Legend for ADMAT's "Excavating Shipwrecks" lecture series.

Dr. Simon Q. Spooner         A Short Biography

Dr. Spooner is founder and President of the Anglo~Danish Maritime Archaeological Team (ADMAT), a non-profit organization working on the preservation of historic shipwrecks in the Caribbean. Dr. Spooner is also the Vice President and co-creator of ADMAT USA, an American non-profit (Charity) organisation set up to assist in protecting historic shipwrecks and education. He has directed numerous excavations and surveys including, the White House Bay Wrecks (1780s), La Viette (1802), Faience Wreck (1760s), Le Casimir (1829), Carron Wreck (1802) Tile Wreck (1690)s Musket Ball Wreck (1790s) and the survey for Santiago (1582) and the lost 1563 Spanish Fleet.

Due to Dr. Spooner's extensive experience gained in the Dominican Republic for their Government, he advised the Government of St Kitts on how to protect their Underwater Cultural Heritage. He is founder and director of the St Kitts Maritime Archaeological Project. In April 2003 he directed the White House Bay Wreck excavation in St Kitts, which believed to be a 1740’s English Troopship sunk in 1782. This was Phase 1 of the St Kitts Maritime Archaeological Project.

In 2005 he received survey permits from NOAA, to conduct archaeological surveys of a number historic wreck sites in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. ADMAT's Florida Maritime Archaeological Project began in July 2005, with a field school which started on the Button Wreck, a possible 1770's wreck, for NOAA & FKNMS. In 2008 The team returns to conduct a survey of another wreck, possibly am American Civil War Ship.

In late 2005 the Team started extensive maritime archaeological surveys in Monte Cristi on a number of historic shipwrecks. This work continues today, with further maritime archaeological work on the Le Casimir, Faience, Tile, La Viette and other historic wrecks sites.

Dr. Spooner's doctorial thesis was entitled “Maritime Taphonomy – A study of historic shipwreck formation process on the north coast of the Dominican Republic from 1563 to 1829”. He holds a BSc and is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, as well as being appointed to Institute of Field Archaeologists at the highest Member level. Dr. Spooner is a member of the Council for British Archaeology as well as the Nautical Archaeological Society.

Dr. Spooner is a well known lecturer in Maritime Archaeology. He has taught PhD Students from NOVA Southeastern University in the field, whilst in the Dominican Republic and also lectured at Copenhagen  University & Southampton. He is a Research Associate to MA maritime archaeological students at the University of Bristol.  He has spoken at numerous conferences on the issue of the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, from as far a field as Berlin to Cartagena. During his holidays he lectures on Maritime Archaeology on the Seabourn and Cunard Cruise Ships. He appeared in the "Caribbean Wreck Heaven" film with the White House Bay Wreck.

For the last two decades he has been teaching divers and students. In 1991 he was appointed Advanced Instructor with the British Sub Aqua Club, as well as being a senior instructor with PADI and holding a 3 Star CMAS instructor ticket. Having dived all over the world he has now made over 9,800 dives, with thousands of hours spent underwater conducting archaeology. Dr. Spooner also is one of a very few archaeologists in the world who have a pilots license for the Oceaneering Hydra Magnum Commercial ROV. He is a protector of maritime archaeological sites in the Caribbean, fighting against looting, treasure hunters as well as advising governments on how to protect their underwater cultural heritage.

Below: Simon uncovering a Pulley Wheel on the White House Bay Wreck Site.

 

Above: Patrick Enlow, Dr. Simon Q. Spooner, Isabella (Puppy) and Christine Nielsen, with a possible Columbus era kedge anchor recovered from La Isabela the first Columbus settlement of The New World on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, during the Indiana University-ADMAT field School in 2006.