Around 1982, Clifford began discovering the remains of the Whydah Gally,[1] a former slave ship captured by pirate Samuel Bellamy which sunk in 1717, during the Golden Age of Piracy.

"[3] In May 2015, Clifford found a 50-kilogram (110 lb) silver ingot in a wreck off the coast of Île Sainte-Marie in Madagascar that he believes was part of Captain Kidd's treasure.

In 2008 the National Geographic Channel aired a two-hour documentary about the ongoing excavation of the wreck of the Whydah Gally, featuring in-depth interviews with Clifford.

A 2002–03 action-adventure television series entitled Adventure Inc. produced by Gale Anne Hurd was "inspired by the real life exploits of explorer Barry Clifford."

He is a Fellow of the Explorers Club, a 2005 recipient of the Lowell Thomas Award for underwater archaeology, and an Honorary Member of the Boston Marine Society.