Our Education Manager Peta Knott recently popped over the pond to the Caribbean to take part in a symposium alongside fellow Accredited NGOs with the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. Read on to find out about the activities and adventures.... 

Earlier this month, I travelled to Jamaica to take part in a UNESCO symposium alongside fellow Accredited NGOs working under the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. Representing the Nautical Archaeology Society, it was a fantastic opportunity to share what we do and build new connections in the Caribbean.

One of the highlights for me was visiting Port Royal. Seeing the site in person, where part of the city still lies underwater, really brought home just how powerful and immediate underwater cultural heritage can be. Meeting the international team working there and hearing about their discoveries made it even more special.

Over three busy days, I delivered short presentations on the NAS Education Programme and our Polluting Wrecks Citizen Science Project. But just as importantly, I ran our “mock shipwreck” activity—a simple hands-on exercise where people record and sketch a simulated site. It sparked great conversations with everyone from heritage professionals to university students and even local schoolchildren, many of whom came back for a second go!

A big part of the trip was about building relationships. I had some really positive discussions with organisations like the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, the Institute of Jamaica, and the National Museum of Jamaica. We talked about future training opportunities, including the possibility of setting up a field school at Port Royal—which would be an incredible setting for hands-on learning.

Image: Members of the Accredited NGOs and local UNESCO staff.

The final day focused on public engagement. The launch of a new mural depicting underwater cultural heritage was attended by around 100 people and literally stopped traffic as the official ceremony took place on both sides of a major road! I also spent time talking to school groups about shipwrecks and underwater heritage which I find is one of the most rewarding parts of this kind of work. 

Images: Garry Momber, Chairman of the Accredited NGOs, giving a speech at the mural opening (left) and that mural artist and community members (right). 

While one might assume that a trip to the Caribbean would be a pleasant change in weather from the typical late winter situation in England, it was not sunshine every day. Almost every afternoon there was always heavy rain, sometimes thunder and lightning, and on the last day there was flooding that trapped us in the National Museum of Jamaica! Due to the major road becoming a temporary river, this is the closest I got to the magnificent mural that was the highlight of the symposium!

Image: Athena Trakadas (Ocean Decade Heritage Network and IJNA Editor) and Peta Knott (NAS Education Manager) getting very wet by the mural!

Overall, it was a brilliant trip. It reinforced how important it is not just to protect underwater heritage, but to make it accessible, engaging, and relevant to people everywhere. It was also rewarding to work together with other Accredited NGOs and to see what we can achieve as a team. A big thanks goes to fellow Accredited NGO Maritime Archaeology Trust who led this project and ensured its success.You can tell that we made an impact because our symposium made it to local morning TV!

To watch us on Jamaican TV, to find out more about these events and to see more images and videos, check out the Accredited NGO website.