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 broad frequency response.
- Ultrasonic range to 80 kHz (CR80‑40)
- Best for conservation & marine research
- Compatible with standard DAQ interfaces
- Used in university & govt. institutions
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.
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
- 5m / 10m / 15m 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.
From $700
View details →
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.
From $1,500
View details →
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.
Burns Electronics was founded in Nelson Bay in 1984, and has been builing hydrophones since 1998. Port Stephens has humpbacks passing on migration throughout the season and resident bottlenose dolphins in the bay year-round.
Our story →1984
Founded in Nelson Bay, NSW.
1998
Building Hydrophones.
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.