Daytime Seminars

“Are You Really Ready to Dive?”

This presentation involves a review of DAN data on diving injuries and fatalities and the role equipment plays in diving emergencies. The presentation also contains candid photos of divers using or misusing equipment with discussions of how to reduce or mitigate diving risks due to equipment configuration and use errors.

Presented by:

Dan Orr is President of Divers Alert Network (DAN). He came to Divers Alert Network in 1991 as Director of Training, responsible for developing and implementing DAN training programs including the internationally successful DAN Oxygen First Aid Course. Dan has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biology and has authored and contributed to many books and magazine articles.  

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A Sea That Time Forgot

Remote and undiscovered by the 21^st century, the Forgotten Islands of Indonesia are home to pristine coral reefs and a people who have never before seen white faces.

Imagine a land lost in time, forgotten by Westerners for hundreds of years.  A land inaccessible eleven months of the year and so remote a passing ship is both a strange and celebrated sight.  With only charts and ideas of prevailing winds and currents, Nancy explores this unique and never before dived area of the southeastern Banda Sea.  

Presented by:

Nancy McGee is an underwater explorer and filmmaker who has trained nearly 1000 divers and led diving expeditions to six continents. She tirelessly promotes the dive industry, the ecology of the sea, and the sport of scuba diving. Nancy accomplishes this by filming and producing documentaries showing marine animal behavior, diving destinations, coral reef health and local culture. She uses these films to educate students, divers and the general public about the underwater world, and the cultures of many developing nations. Nancy conducts group tours and films in many of the world’s most exotic dive locations, some so remote the local natives have never before seen Western people. She has filmed for NBC, Universal Studios, and Discovery, and written for a variety of dive journals and publications. She was a 2008 inductee into the Women Divers’ Hall of Fame.

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Aircraft wrecks of Truk Lagoon

Truk Lagoon has long been famous for its number of shipwrecks and naval history, but the abundance of airplane wrecks and airplane parts inside shipwrecks is overlooked. In this presentation we will explore these aircraft wrecks, their specific stories, as well as examine the array of aircraft parts that make up so much of the cargo in Truk’s shipwrecks.

Presented by:

Tom Easop is a professional photographer, writer, and publisher. His latest book "The Guns and Armor of Scapa Flow" was photographed using custom made large format cameras of his own design. Tom travels the world shooting for various projects, lecturing and teaching.

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An Update on the 2011 Scalli Internship

Presentation from last year’s Scalli Intern – Rachel Crane

Presented by:

Rachel Crane is the 2011 Scalli Intern.

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Belize – Something to Howl About

In Belize to film a documentary about lionfish, Paul Cater Deaton and Monica Gephart find a country embracing sustainable ecotourism, and dazzling pastiche of wildlife on land and at sea. In the jungles and rainforests, they encounter crocodiles, birds and howler monkeys. Exploring an ancient Mayan site deep within a cave, they discover the remains of human sacrifices, including the legendary “Crystal Maiden.” On the second-largest barrier reef in the world, they meet even more wild creatures, from the invasive lionfish, to the largest, most deadly jellyfish in the Caribbean.

Presented by:

Shooting on six continents over three decades, Paul Cater Deaton is an award-winning Writer, Producer, Director and Cinematographer with credits on MTV, HBO, VH1, Showtime, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Tri-Star, the Travel Channel, PBS, and countless others. He was one of the first filmmakers attached to Ocean in Google Earth, and is now a content editor for the entire program. His Lionfish, The Beautiful Outlaw, which screened at Boston Sea Rovers last year, is currently airing on PBS. A follow-up documentary is now in production. Based in Chicago and the Virgin Islands, Paul is an international expedition leader and speaks at film festivals and SCUBA shows all over the world.

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Breathing Underwater

Proper breathing is the foundation of safe and enjoyable diving. Find out why we should not do deep breathing on scuba and why we should maintain normal tidal volume breathing with exhalations 2-3 times longer than inhalations. Proper breathing will significantly drop air consumption, will allow you to shed lead, and will provide a strong basis for smooth and efficient underwater movement.

Presented by:

Andrea began teaching diving with Dr. Lee Somers and Karl Huggins at the University of Michigan’s Scientific Diving Program. She served as a Diving Safety Officer for the American Museum of Natural History’s Animal Behavior Research Department, and had three research papers published by the age of 22. She took her first diving rescue course at age 16 with Walt Butch Hendrick. Since that time she has become Vice President of Lifeguard Systems Inc. and RIPTIDE Inc, a course director and instructor trainer, a well published author, a noted public speaker, an award winner, a program designer, and is one of the leading trainers in the international water rescue and recovery industries today. Andrea teaches over hundreds of police, fire, EMS, military, and USCG personnel annually throughout the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Caribbean.

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Can you reach the Mariana Trench for under $100?

Current underwater robotic technology allows for deep ocean research (6+ miles), but the cost and size of these devices restricts their use to large-scale research facilities and companies. Presented here is a new project to create extremely low-cost (<$100) autonomous underwater vehicles that are capable of full ocean depth.

Presented by:

Steven Keating is a graduate student in mechanical engineering at MIT who is invigorated by creativity, positivity and maple syrup. When he’s not in the machine shop or working on his 3D printing research, he can be found building crazy contraptions, scuba diving, or pulling practical jokes on his friends.

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Controversies of In-water Recompression

IWR remains a controversial treatment option for DCS case in remote areas.  Possible benefits and advantages if IWR will be critically reviewed and a number of  supportive cases presented.  While IWR is recommended as a self treatment method for recreational divers, there are some conditions in technical diving when IWR may be a best option.

Presented by:

Dr. Petar Denoble is a Sr. Director of the Medical Research Department at DAN.  After graduating medical school, Petar joined the Navy in the former Yugoslavia and specialized in naval and diving medicine.  For thirten years he was involved with training, supervision and treatment of divers on open circuit, closed circuit, deep bounce and saturation diving.  He has worked at DAN for the last twenty years.  Petar is involved in developing the largest database of exposures and outcomes in recreational diving, monitoring of dive injuries, and the study, treatment and prevention of fatal outcomes.

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Coron – Macro Mecca of the Philippines

As a celebrity delegate to the inaugural Philippine Dive Seafari, Paul Cater Deaton explores Coron, on the island of Palawan. Coron is rich in history and tradition, and home to some of the friendliest people on Earth. The film reveals Filipinos devoted to fostering sustainable eco-tourism in this hotspot of biodiversity, and establishing their islands as a macro Mecca. Completely encompassed within the Coral Triangle, the Philippines are part of the richest aggregation of marine life on the planet.

Presented by:

Shooting on six continents over three decades, Paul Cater Deaton is an award-winning Writer, Producer, Director and Cinematographer with credits on MTV, HBO, VH1, Showtime, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Tri-Star, the Travel Channel, PBS, and countless others. He was one of the first filmmakers attached to Ocean in Google Earth, and is now a content editor for the entire program. His Lionfish, The Beautiful Outlaw, which screened at Boston Sea Rovers last year, is currently airing on PBS. A follow-up documentary is now in production. Based in Chicago and the Virgin Islands, Paul is an international expedition leader and speaks at film festivals and SCUBA shows all over the world.

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Defining Dive Safety

Dive injuries are usually the result of a chain or sequence of events rather than single factor. This presentation provides key elements of focus that can direct a diver’s decisions to interrupt the chain of events and prevent injury or incident.

Presented by:

Marty has been both a dive instructor and a paramedic since 1995. He has worked as a paramedic in the field, in an ER and as an EMS supervisor at an Ohio theme park. He also has experience training students with disabilities to dive. Additionally he was certified as an AHA BLS and First Aid instructor as well as an EMT instructor. He has been with DAN since 2004. Marty’s passion is education. In 2006 he developed DAN’s Webinar program, where divers from around the world login to real-time lectures with DAN Medics on a variety of dive safety related topics. In 2007 Marty recorded DAN’s first dive safety DVD lecture, “I May Be Bent…Now What?”. Each year, Marty represents DAN at consumer and industry dive shows as well as professional level conferences, providing lectures, seminars and workshops on various topics related to diving medicine. Marty’s intention is to continue his own education and continue working to develop new educational opportunities for the diving public.

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Diving Among the Kings…Raja Ampat

At the northwestern tip of Indonesia’s West Papua Province lies an archipelago known as the Four Kings. This region has been deemed the most biodiverse location in the world. More than 3000 species of fishes and over 300 species of corals have been identified here. Join the Stayers as they spend a month exploring this remote area. See incredible footage of coral spawning, cuttlefish eating, sea snakes hunting, and a blue ring octopus displaying its colors.

Presented by:

For 37 years Jim & Pat Stayer have been diving in the Great Lakes and around the world.  Pat is a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame and Jim is a Licensed Captain for 28 year.  They have co-authored three books and produced 24 DVDs and their footage has appeared on several major networks

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Diving and Exploring the Frozen Frontier Alaska to British Columbia via the inside passage

Through his underwater photography company Handlerphoto, Mauricio Handler leads photographic workshops and expeditions around the world both to warm and cold water destinations. One of his most memorable adventures took place last year as he traveled back into a time of less hurried exploration aboard a 100-year-old converted tugboat. The journey from Vancouver, British Columbia to Alaska via the inside passage was a change of pace for this adrenalin junkie.

Presented by:

Mauricio Handler is a professional underwater photographer and expedition leader who's work is represented by The National Geographic Image Collection. This is his second time presenting at Sea Rovers. Mauricio lives with his wife in Maine.

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Diving the Middle East

Although it may not be the best vacation spot at the moment the Middle East is full of diving opportunities. In this presentation Bill will take you to the famous pearl beds of Bahrain, shark diving in Dubai and wreck diving in the Red Sea. Bill will discuss the devastating environmental impact of what is happening in Bahrain, the new genre of horror movie triggered by events in Dubai and security in Sharm el-Sheik.

Presented by:

Bill VanderClock, a Boston Sea Rover since 1990, is a full time faculty member at Bentley University in Computer Information Systems and has been a diving instructor for more than 25 years. He spent 5 years visiting the Middle East and playing ice hockey there.

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Diving the Very Best of Indonesia by Live-Aboard

We’ll show the audience that Indonesia diving is as easy-as-Cayman diving (almost), incredibly bio-diverse, and that the live-aboard is really the best way to go if you want to maximize your diving experience throughout this 4,000 mile wide region . Using footage shot and edited by the speaker, we will show charts, routes and outstanding underwater footage made easily from live-aboard dive boats. Big cameras-no problems! The live-aboard crews and access make big camera image-making a snap. How does a diver gain access to both the most unusual muck-diving critters and the most gorgeous and healthy coral gardens in a single trip? Try a live-aboard in Indonesia!

Presented by:

Clay Wiseman has a degree in fisheries biology and marine invertebrate zoology from the University of Washington in Seattle. After working in mariculture and then in commercial diving Clay went to work for the Aggressor Fleet of live-aboard dive boats as ship’s captain. He also served as photography and video pro for the duration. He has published his photography and writing in National Geographic, Time, International Wildlife, Ocean Realm, Skin Diver, Sport Diver, and Scuba Diving Magazines. Additionally, he co-authored the book Guide to Marine Life of the Caribbean, Bahamas and Florida with his friend and colleague Marty Snyderman. Clay now works as a professional videographer and represents the Indonesian-based liveaboard “Pindito” which is the first liveaboard to explore and operate in Raja Ampat. He has over 10,000 dives to his credit and has been a NAUI instructor for more than 20 years.

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Don’t Drink The Water: Tips for Your Adventure Travel

This presentation is a compendium of travel tips and advice for your next big adventure – no matter how big or how small and includes discussions of how to prepare for all of those travel travails!

Presented by:

Betty Orr is Vice President & Director of Insurance for DAN Services. She came to Divers Alert Network in 1991 as a customer services representative in the Membership Department and transferred into the Insurance Department in 1999. Prior to coming to DAN, she worked with the Florida Department of Regulation as an agent and Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio as an Associate Professor of Biology. Betty has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biology and has authored and contributed to many books and magazine articles in both scuba diving and biology.

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Eastport & Deer Island — World Class Diving in Our Own Backyard

Eastport, Maine and its neighbor across the bay, Deer Island, are home to some of the best diving anywhere. With countless anemones, sponges, nudibranchs and other inverts, and just as many fish, the life and color is breathtaking. Come on a photographic look at these two incredible sites — both within driving distance of Boston.

Presented by:

Jerry Shine is the author of A Shore Diving Guide To New England and Nudibranchs of the Northeast. His writing and underwater photography have also appeared in more than 100 publications worldwide.

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Freediving – A Journey to 201ft

This presentation will cover the facts and information that it took to dive to 201ft. The topics talked about include human physiology and it’s adaption to breath holding, as well as the training that one would have to go to in order to achieve this level of ability.

Presented by:

Nick Fazah began his underwater career as a scuba instructor in the Florida Keys. He was first certified as a NAUI/SSI instructor in 2004 at Hall’s Dive Center, then made the move to teach in Boston, MA. Since 2004 Nick picked up his PADI instructor certification as well as earning the title of Instructor Trainer with SDI/TDI. After a couple of years teaching in Boston Nick moved to the Florida keys and spent a couple of years teaching everything from Open Water to Instructor students. In his spare time he would get away from the dive shop and head out to the reef to go freediving. Nick currently has a breath hold of 5:03 minutes and in November of 2011 hit a new personal best depth of 201ft/61m with just mask, snorkel and a pair of fins. He has been back up in Boston with ECD since February 2009 and is line to take over the dive center October 1st 2012. Nick can be contacted for classes at Brookline@ecdivers.com

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High Definition Video with DSLR Cameras

Berkley White will share stunning footage of wrecks, sharks, and mantas and briefly discuss the techniques and pitfalls of high definition video with DSLR’s.  High definition video capture in DSLR’s have officially marked the convergence of video and photo at the professional level.  Photographers are turning into filmmakers and videographers are getting to know this exciting new format.

Presented by:

Berkley White's passion for the ocean and diving led him to establish Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo in 1994. Backscatter has grown to be one of the largest underwater photographic equipment suppliers in the world with two locations in the US and is a great resource for technical support related to underwater imaging. Berkley's images and technical articles are published in US and international dive magazines and he regularly serves as a photographic judge or technical editor on publications. Berkley runs a full schedule of exotic underwater photo safaris each year and training events such as the Digital Shootout. His portfolio and presentation schedule can be found at http://www.backscatter.com.

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NESPAC training for NIMS Type 1 Dive teams

The New England state police agencies are training together with a 5 week training school to bring all new divers up to the same level required for the base level  as NIMS type 1 dive teams. The N.E. State Police dive units are  Coordinating training, equipment, and ideas. We are using ERDI /TDI training agency  to assist in developing this program. The first class was started in September of 2011 and other classes starting in 2012. This along with the states engaging in joint missions and inservice training will complete a a team of 120 divers through out New England and New York to cover major events and assist with expertise on specialized missions.

Presented by:

Sgt. Blake Gilmore has been with the Massachusetts State Police for almost 30 yrs. And with the Under Water Recovery Unit for 28 Years He is a PADI  Master Instructor An NAPD Instructor, ERDI Instructor and has been involved in several different recovery and Port Security missions for the US Navy, US Coast Guard, FBI, US Customs, Secret Service.  Part of a 30 member team for the state of Massachusetts.

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Plastic Marine Pollution – Using Art to inform the Public about the Impacts of Plastics in our Oceans

Media coverage of plastic debris “patches” in the Pacific has intensified. This talk briefly covers current understanding of these “patches”, providing firsthand accounts of affected marine wildlife populations. Wayne and Pam will also highlight how an international group of professional artists are utilizing social media, film, collaborations with scientists, and art created from collected marine pollution to engage and inform the public of the environmental challenges marine ecosystems face due to discarded plastic.

Presented by:

Working as a Naturalist for the Oceanic Society, a non-profit marine conservation organization, Wayne leads educational ecotourism and research programs internationally. He has also worked with National Marine Fisheries & US Fish & Wildlife on Midway Atoll for 4 years. In 2011 he co-organized a NOAA – UNEP Marine Debris Art Show in Hawaii. This year, he is helping coordinating the Boston Sea Rovers Marine Environmental Art Exhibit. Currently a Harvard Extension School Master’s candidate you can learn more about the programs Wayne leads at http://naturefinder.blogspot.com/ Pam Longobardi has had over 40 solo exhibitions and 65 group exhibitions in galleries and museums in the US, China, Italy, Spain, Finland, Poland, Japan, Greece and Monaco. Her artworks are in numerous public and private collections. Longobardi is a Professor of Art at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia and created the Drifters Project in 2006, an ongoing environmental intervention involving photography and installations focusing on global ocean plastics pollution. She exhibited this work Beijing at NY ARTS/Beijing during the 2008 Olympics and at ARTLIFEfortheworld in Venice for the 2009 Venice Biennale ARTE VISIVI collateral exhibitions. Edizione Charta (Milan, NY) published a book on the project in 2010 titled Drifters: Plastics, Pollution and Personhood. Recent exhibitions include Voyages on an Uncanny Sea at Gallery Diet in Miami, and a commission of new work for Oceanomania at the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco, curated by Mark Dion, Sarina Basta and Cristiano Raimondi, and upcoming at Savvy Contemporary in Berlin in May 2012. More information about Pam can be found at: www.pamlongobardi.com. Pam is participating in this year's Boston Sea Rovers Marine Environmental Art Exhibit. The exhibit will be open Saturday and Sunday during the show and is sponsored by Grand Circle Travel.  Pam will also have copies of her book and will be available for book signings in the exhibit area.

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Pushing the Envelope: Northeast Diving Alternatives

Sure we have some good shore diving. Certainly we have some of the very best shipwreck diving in the world. But what else is there for Northeast Divers? For divers new to the sport as well as jaded veterans, there are plenty of interesting ways to keep active in the sport we love. Join Eco-Photo Explorers as they examine some exciting and adventurous diving alternatives available to all of us. You may be surprised at what’s possible right here in our own backyard!

Presented by:

Michael Salvarezza and Christopher Weaver have been diving the waters of the world since 1978. In that time, they have spent hundreds of hours underwater and have accumulated a large and varied library of photographic images. They have presented their work in many multi-media slide presentations, and have appeared previously at Beneath the Sea, the Boston Sea Rovers Underwater Clinic, Our World Underwater and the Long Island Divers Association Film Festival. Mike and Chris have been published in numerous magazines, including National Geographic Adventure, and have authored many articles for the majority of the dive publications the world over. Their work has also been used to support a number of research and educational programs, including the Jason Project for Education, the Atlantis Marine World Aquarium in New York and the Cambridge University and the University of Groningen Arctic Centre work on monitoring the transformation of historic features in Antarctica and Svalbard. Michael Salvarezza and Christopher Weaver have been diving the waters of the world since 1978. In that time, they have spent hundreds of hours underwater and have accumulated a large and varied library of photographic images. They have presented their work in many multi-media slide presentations, and have appeared previously at Beneath the Sea, the Boston Sea Rovers Underwater Clinic, Our World Underwater and the Long Island Divers Association Film Festival. Mike and Chris have been published in numerous magazines, including National Geographic Adventure, and have authored many articles for the majority of the dive publications the world over. Their work has also been used to support a number of research and educational programs, including the Jason Project for Education, the Atlantis Marine World Aquarium in New York and the Cambridge University and the University of Groningen Arctic Centre work on monitoring the transformation of historic features in Antarctica and Svalbard.

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Raising an Irish Shipwreck

Presented by:

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REEF’s Northeast REEF Fish ID Program-What’s New and the Future

Currently, REEF’s Northeast Curriculum including fish and invertebrates is being revamped and updated.  Holly and Bob will introduce REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation) and its citizen scientist fish monitoring program.  They will update divers and snorkelers about the new fish ID curriculum and materials that will be incorporated into the Northeast program and also talk about the future invertebrate program.

Presented by:

Currently Diving Safety Officer (DSO)/Biologist for the MA Division of Marine Fisheries (MADMF) based in New Bedford, MA.  From 1987 – 2005, Bourbon worked for the New England Aquarium (NEAq) as a Senior Aquarist/DSO where her jobs included managing the daily operations/husbandry of the NEAq’s 200,000 gallon exhibit, the Giant Ocean Tank (GOT). Currently Bourbon is REEF’s (Reef Environmental Education Foundation) Northeast Curriculum Coordinator.Bourbon has been actively involved with the Boston Sea Rovers since 1992 as Hotel Coordinator and is now the Kid’s Day Coordinator. In March of 2007, Bourbon was inducted into the Women Divers’ Hall of Fame.   Based in Braintree, MA Bob Michelson is a published underwater photographer and videographer who has been diving for 32 years.  He is a PADI Dive Master, a Specialty Instructor in Underwater Photography, Videography and Underwater Naturalist.  His photography and articles as well as his video footage have appeared in numerous regional and national magazines and have aired on numerous broadcast and cable networks.  Michelson provides educational workshops and seminars to organizations throughout the Northeast.  

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See our Kids Program for more Sunday Presentations

http://www.bostonsearovers.com/kids-activities/

Presented by:

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See our Kids Program for more Sunday Presentations

http://www.bostonsearovers.com/kids-activities/

Presented by:

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Sex Near the Beach

The marine environment is a magical world. Its creatures reproduce and care for their young in a multitude of ways. From leaving their eggs unattended like snails and squid to carrying their eggs like crabs and shrimp to extreme care that the humpback whale takes with her calf. Join Andy Martinez to see some of Nature’s fascinating secrets.

Presented by:

For more than 40 years, Andrew Martinez has been diving around the world. His work has been published in most nature, travel, and dive magazines. His photos are used in books or displays in the New England Aquarium and many other aquaria and science centers. The new and expanded 4th edition of his popular book, Marine Life of the North Atlantic, is considered the best guide to this region.

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Sharks of New England

Joe Romeiro will screen footage and discuss filming techniques from some of his latest East Coast dive adventures with Basking sharks, Makos, Blues, and other sharks of New England.

Presented by:

Joe Romeiro and Bill Fisher founded 333 Productions in 2007. Since then, they have created four award-winning films, “Silent Requiem”, "Death of a Deity", "A Lateral Line" and "Shark Culture". The mission: to protect sharks by educating and dispelling the myths surrounding them through film and personal interaction. Their work has been featured on Discovery Networks, National Geographic, and various other T.V. productions. Joe Romeiro is a member of the Explorers Club, and Ocean Artists Society. Joe Romeiro and Bill Fisher founded 333 Productions in 2007. Since then, they have created four award-winning films, “Silent Requiem”, "Death of a Deity", "A Lateral Line" and "Shark Culture". The mission: to protect sharks by educating and dispelling the myths surrounding them through film and personal interaction. Their work has been featured on Discovery Networks, National Geographic, and various other T.V. productions. Joe Romeiro is a member of the Explorers Club, and Ocean Artists Society.

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SharksCount – Citizen Science for Sharks: “Divers counting sharks, because every shark counts.”

Shark Savers works to improve protections for sharks. Often, doing so, requires data about local populations; but such information is frequently absent or missing. Divers, who see sharks regularly and are often familiar with local trends, rarely have the training to accurately and consistently record these valuable sightings for shark conservation advocacy. SharksCount (http://www.sharksavers.org/sharkscount) seeks to close an important data gap by empowering divers with the knowledge and simple, fun tools to participate as “citizen scientists for sharks”.

Presented by:

Samantha Whitcraft is Shark Savers’ Program Manager for citizen science. As a marine conservation biologist she has worked to protect the oceans’ animals in the field, lab and office. Researching biodiversity, endangered species, and sustainable fisheries has taken her to the Amazon with National Geographic, to Mesoamerican with NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program, and around the world to promote eco-tourism that emphasizes ocean advocacy and adventure. She is a Scuba Diving Instructor, published free-lance nature writer, and passionate community activist.

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Sidemount Diving

Co-author of Sidemount Profiles, Jill Heinerth, will offer an informative seminar about how to configure yourself for streamlined sidemount diving as well as tips for people who are interested in using this technique for offshore and technical.

Presented by:

An award-winning filmmaker, Jill Heinerth is also known as an industry pioneer in the use of closed-circuit rebreathers. Her accolades include being named a “Living Legend” by Sport Diver Magazine, induction into the Women Diver’s Hall of Fame and the recent honor of being presented with the Wyland Icon Award. She contributed to the development of training materials for international organizations and is the author of three books on cave diving and underwater photography.

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Success! Reversing Extinction for the Pacific Leatherback Turtle

Seven years of conservation efforts on the very remote beaches in Indonesia have led us to formulating methods to reverse the extinction threats for this highly endangered species.  Dr. McKenna will also discuss lessons learned in forming and operating a non-profit foundation.

Presented by:

Larry is a former United States Air Force aviator having served 26 years in flying and designing new aircraft before moving into International banking and real estate developer. He is now a dedicated environmentalist to save the Leatherback Sea Turtle from its spiraling progress into oblivion. Larry is currently involved with conservation efforts to save the Pacific Leatherback turtles from a rapid extinction.

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The Allure Of The Shark

Sharks have fascinated us for decades; join underwater photographer Amanda Cotton as she shares her imagery captured from around the globe featuring some of the most elusive and majestic shark species rarely encountered by divers.

 

Presented by:

Amanda Cotton is the founder and principal photographer for A COTTON PHOTO Creative Works, a media and design company specializing in underwater photography.  ACP’s goal is to help the general public embrace the beauty below the waves; in hopes that with awareness comes concern for the planet’s fragile marine ecosystems.  

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The Art of Blackwater Searching

Want to find a gun in a silty blackwater bottom covered with debris or find a drowning victim in 15 feet of grass in zero vis?  Learn tricks of the trade to safely perform solo-tethered-tender-directed searches, with divers using both hands to search, and not cutting their efficiency in half by keeping one hand on their line. Learn five procedures to prove that the item was not there, not that the dive team missed it.

Presented by:

Andrea began teaching diving with Dr. Lee Somers and Karl Huggins at the University of Michigan’s Scientific Diving Program. She served as a Diving Safety Officer for the American Museum of Natural History’s Animal Behavior Research Department, and had three research papers published by the age of 22. She took her first diving rescue course at age 16 with Walt Butch Hendrick. Since that time she has become Vice President of Lifeguard Systems Inc. and RIPTIDE Inc, a course director and instructor trainer, a well published author, a noted public speaker, an award winner, a program designer, and is one of the leading trainers in the international water rescue and recovery industries today. Andrea teaches over hundreds of police, fire, EMS, military, and USCG personnel annually throughout the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Caribbean.

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THE BRIDGE – The remarkable macro life under the Blue Heron bridge in Florida

A documentary on the remarkable macro life under the Blue Heron bridge just north of WestPalm Beach, Florida.  It is World Class and right in our national back yard.

Presented by:

Stan Waterman is one of America’s pioneer divers. He has worked in the sea with a camera for over fifty years and in that time has received every major award in the diving field. As an underwater cameraman, director, producer, he has made films for all three major networks, PBS, cable television and for Hollywood as well. He has received five Emmys, was the first induction into the International Scuba Divers Hall of Fame and elected Honorary President of the Antibe International Underwater Film Festival in 1999. He and his family were the subjects of a two hour documentary by the Discovery Channel.

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The Ghost of the Rhone

There are shipwrecks and Shipwrecks. Michel and Danielle share with us the story of what they call: “The quintessential shipwreck.” Join them for an exploration of this XIX century ship that met its fate during one of the worst hurricanes ever to hit the Caribbean.

Presented by:

Award-winning, lecturers, photography and multimedia producers, Michel and Danielle have been “at sea” for over 25 years. Authors of more than 900 articles related to diving, travel and sailing, they are underwater photography columnists for Diver and En Profondeur (Into the Depths) magazines. Danielle and Michel were honored during the 37th edition of Our World Underwater in Chicago in 2007, in recognition for their contribution to the diving community and to the show for many years.   Award-winning, lecturers, photography and multimedia producers, Michel and Danielle have been “at sea” for over 25 years. Authors of more than 900 articles related to diving, travel and sailing, they are underwater photography columnists for Diver and En Profondeur (Into the Depths) magazines. Danielle and Michel were honored during the 37th edition of Our World Underwater in Chicago in 2007, in recognition for their contribution to the diving community and to the show for many years.  

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The Japanese Garden of Hawaii

Diving Hawaii is a dream for many and a question mark for others. Our speakers spent 4 weeks on the Big Island and, between the volcanoes, mountain tops and Aggressor fleet’s own vision, they found the answer to the question that bugged them for many years: Is diving any good in Hawaii?

Presented by:

Award-winning, lecturers, photography and multimedia producers, Michel and Danielle have been “at sea” for over 25 years. Authors of more than 900 articles related to diving, travel and sailing, they are underwater photography columnists for Diver and En Profondeur (Into the Depths) magazines. Danielle and Michel were honored during the 37th edition of Our World Underwater in Chicago in 2007, in recognition for their contribution to the diving community and to the show for many years.   Award-winning, lecturers, photography and multimedia producers, Michel and Danielle have been “at sea” for over 25 years. Authors of more than 900 articles related to diving, travel and sailing, they are underwater photography columnists for Diver and En Profondeur (Into the Depths) magazines. Danielle and Michel were honored during the 37th edition of Our World Underwater in Chicago in 2007, in recognition for their contribution to the diving community and to the show for many years.  

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The Life…The Death …The Reincarnation of the SS NORTHERN PACIFIC

This is a ship wreck off of New Jersey-Delaware Coast. This wreck had a great part of WW1and the Troops and The FIRST ARMISTICE..

Presented by:

A diver for 51 years and an avid shipwreck diver, Bart is also a curator at The Museum of New Jersey Maritime History in Beach Haven, NJ 08008

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The Path of the Black Diamond; Exploring the “Smudge Wrecks” of Block Island Sound

Seven coal-laden shipwrecks in Block Island Sound were located and explored in 2011 by Mark Munro and his dive team.  Each appeared as little more than a “smudge” on sonar records causing them to be dubbed, “smudge wrecks.”  Join Mark as he discusses his new findings and presents a one-hundred year perspective on coal transportation along the East Coast.

Presented by:

Since 1988, Mark Munro has been actively diving on or searching for New England Shipwreck. Instilled with a passion for discovering previously unknown shipwrecks, he has sought out and located many using Side Scan Sonar and Magnetometers.

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THE PHILIPPINES – The Apex of the Coral Triangle

This presentation covers 6 different areas of the Philippines –  Apo Island, which
is the model sanctuary for the world; Tubbataha, the 1st UNESCO World Heritage
Marine Park site; Donsol, the whale shark capital of the world; S. Leyte, noted for
whale sharks; Anilao, being called the center of marine diversity; and Puerto
Galera known for its many critters & The Canyons.

Presented by:

Lynn Funkhouser is an internationally published photographer, author, lecturer, environmentalist, adventuress, and leader in dive travel. She has been diving & photographing in the Philippines 2 months a year, every year, for 35 years, & has dived over 260 islands. Lynn was inducted into the inaugural Women Divers Hall of Fame & the Society of Woman Geographers. As an environmentalist, Lynn is committed to making a difference on this planet through her images and presentations.

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Whale Sharks in The Kingdom

In 2009, we discovered a previously unknown aggregation of whale sharks in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea. Since then, we have tagged over 60 individuals – making this the largest, most intensive whale shark high-tech tagging program in the world. This presentation presents the first results of this research.

Presented by:

Dr. Gregory Skomal is an accomplished marine biologist, underwater explorer, photographer, and author.  As the principal investigator of the Massachusetts Shark Research Program, he has been studying and diving with sharks for almost 30 years. He has written numerous scientific research papers and has appeared in a number of film and television documentaries, including programs for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and PBS. His most recent book, The Shark Handbook, explores the world of sharks.

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