Australian-built since 1984
Hear what lives
beneath the surface
Hydrophones for whale watching vessels, ocean researchers, and specialist commercial operations. Built in Nelson Bay — surrounded by the cetaceans we help you hear.
Est. 1984 · Hydrophones since 1998
Nelson Bay, NSW · Australian-built
Worldwide shipping · 40+ countries
Direct support from the people who build it
Find your solution
What brings you here?
Burns hydrophones serve very different needs. Choose your context to find the right system.
Whale watching & marine tourism
Bring underwater sound to life for your passengers — hear cetaceans in real time, on the water.
- Live whale & dolphin audio for passengers
- Simple plug-and-play — no technical setup
- Rugged, waterproof & boat-tested
- Connects to PA system or headphones
Research & scientific study
Publication-grade hydrophones with full calibration data and broad frequency response.
- Ultrasonic range to 80 kHz (CR80‑40)
- Calibration & sensitivity data supplied
- Compatible with standard DAQ interfaces
- Used in university & govt. research
Commercial & industrial applications
Custom-engineered systems for demanding deployments — built to your specification.
- Towed arrays & multi-element systems
- Custom cable lengths & connector types
- Port, pipeline & offshore monitoring
- Quote-based — we scope it with you
Hear it in action
This is what your passengers will hear
Real whale and dolphin recordings captured with Burns AquaEar hydrophones off Port Stephens, NSW. No post-processing — this is live field performance, played through a vessel PA.
See all recordings
Humpback whale vocalisations · AquaEar CR30‑40 · Port Stephens, NSW
The AquaEar range
Two instruments.
One for every water.
One for every water.
Both are active ceramic hydrophones built for real field conditions. Choose by the frequency range you need to capture.
Whale watching · Research · Soundscape
AquaEar CR30‑40
7 Hz – 30 kHz
100 m rated
40 m cable
The all-rounder. Covers baleen whale song, dolphin social calls, and general soundscape recording. Works with any recorder at 96 kHz or above — including most field recorders.
Research · Echolocation · Bioacoustics
AquaEar CR80‑40
7 Hz – 80 kHz
100 m rated
192 kHz req.
The research-grade model. Extends into ultrasonic frequencies for dolphin echolocation, porpoise click trains, and full-bandwidth bioacoustic studies. Calibration data available on request.
Need accessories? Browse the full range including the HP-A1 amplifier, Battery Box, and Hydrophone Guard →
About Burns
Built in Nelson Bay.
Tested in the bay
we call home.
Tested in the bay
we call home.
We're not just close to the ocean — we're surrounded by one of Australia's most active cetacean habitats. Humpback whales migrate through Port Stephens every season. Resident bottlenose dolphin pods are in the bay year-round. We build tools for underwater listening because it's part of where we live and what we care about.
Our story →1984
Founded in Nelson Bay, NSW
40+
Years building electronics
40+
Countries shipped to
100%
Australian designed & built
Still not sure?
Tell us what you're
trying to hear.
trying to hear.
Send us your recorder model, deployment method, and target species — we'll come back with the simplest setup that works.