Started in November 2022, Podcasts of the Caribbean is hosted and produced by Justin Helmer, a lifelong Pirates of the Caribbean fan. The podcast initially began as a small little idea in Justin’s head in October 2022. He wanted to share his love for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise in some sort of way, and decided that a podcast would be a fun way to do it! So on November 4th, 2022, Justin released the first episode of Podcasts of the Caribbean, which focused on the first 30 minutes of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. While the podcast did find a few listeners at the beginning, it wasn’t until early February 2023 that an Instagram Reel on the podcast’s Instagram account went viral, garnering over 2 million views and bringing the podcast’s Instagram account from 50 followers to over 1,000 in just a few days.
With the influx of new followers and listeners, Justin started receiving messages and emails from fans who were obsessed with Pirates of the Caribbean just like him! Overwhelmed with the support, Justin pressed on with the podcast and celebrated Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl‘s 20th anniversary on July 9, 2023 with a special bonus episode, sharing listeners’ stories and memories associated with the franchise. And Justin has kept that momentum going over the years, and since 2022, Podcasts of the Caribbean has released over 60 episodes covering every aspect of the franchise!
About Justin Helmer
Justin grew up with Disney ever since he can remember, and has been a Pirates of the Caribbean fan ever since he was 4 years old. Even at that young age, something about the films fascinated him, and it started an obsession that would never go away. While his pirate love has gone dormant a few times in his life, nowadays it’s always on his mind. Starting Podcasts of the Caribbean has made Justin an even bigger Pirates of the Caribbean fan, if you can even believe that! He’s watched the films more times than he can count, and he can quote most of the films by heart. While he loves the real life pirates like Blackbeard and Calico Jack, he is even more drawn to the now iconic fictional pirates of Captain Jack Sparrow and the rest of the characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Justin has visited Walt Disney World many times with his family, from when he was very young to now as an adult, and has come to love the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction just as much as the films. A Walt Disney World vacation isn’t complete without riding Pirates of the Caribbean at least once.
He is also a huge fan of all things Disney, from the animated films to the live action ones, and loves the Disney Parks. It’s Justin’s goal to hopefully visit every Disney Park in the world someday! While he loves the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction the most, he also loves the Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and the Carousel of Progress, among many others.
The production of an entire podcast was a challenge at first. But since 2022, Justin has learned and grown throughout the experience of running the podcast, producing over 60 episodes of Podcasts of the Caribbean on his own.
And he counts himself very lucky. The podcast has connected him with fans from all over the world, and provided some amazing opportunities, like interviewing people who worked on the film franchise. He is incredibly grateful for all of the support he’s been given, and hopes to keep the excitement of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise alive for years to come!
“Why do I love pirates? I think there’s just something about them that is so endlessly fascinating. They have all the freedom in the world to do whatever they please, and I think we all sympathize with that sentiment.”
– Justin Helmer
Podcasts of the Caribbean 