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101 Outstanding People in Asia’s Dive Industry: Photographers & Filmmakers

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uw360
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To honour those who have supported, influenced, and spearheaded Asia’s Dive and conservation industry, UW360 has put together a list of significant individuals. This list is by no means exhaustive, nor is it a ranking. We recognise that there are many other deserving individuals who have contributed to the industry, and we would like to thank every diver, scientist, conservationist, educator, photographer, and volunteer for their commitment to the ocean.

Photographers & Filmmakers

35. Aaron Wong

Underwater Photographer

Aaron Wong is one of the most published and recognised underwater photographers in Asia. With over a decade of field experience, Aaron’s images and his trademark lighting technique have won him international acclaim. He is also the official ADEX Ambassador of Photography.

36. Alex Mustard

Underwater Photographer

Dr Alexander Mustard is an award-winning underwater photographer and marine biologist, best known for his book Underwater Photography Masterclass, which reveals exactly how to capture stunning photos and is widely regarded as essential reading. In 2016, he received the ADEX award for Outstanding Contribution to Underwater Photography. He writes monthly columns on underwater photography for Sport Diver (USA) and Diver (UK) magazines. Alex is Associate Editor for Wetpixel and the inventor of Magic Filters. He is the founder of the Underwater Photographer of the Year competition, and has judged most major contests open to underwater pictures including the Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the CMAS World Championship. Nissan built the NV200 concept car for the Tokyo Motor Show specially around his needs as an underwater photographer.

37. Brian Skerry

Underwater Photographer

Brian Skerry is a photojournalist specialising in marine wildlife and underwater environments. Since 1998, he has been a contract photographer for National Geographic Magazine covering a wide range of subjects and stories. In 2014, he was one of five photographers named as a National Geographic Photography Fellow. In 2015, he was named a Nikon Ambassador and in June 2017, he was awarded the title of Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year.

38. David Doubilet

Underwater Photographer

One of the world’s most celebrated underwater photographers, David Doubilet has spent five decades under the surface in the far corners of the earth from Africa’s interior, to remote tropical coral reefs, rich temperate seas and recent projects under the northern and southern ice. David’s personal mission is to create a visual voice for the world’s oceans and to connect people to the incredible beauty and silent devastation happening within the invisible world below. His powerful work has been recognised with numerous Picture of the Year, BBC Wildlife, Communication Arts and World Press awards. David was also awarded an Honorary Fellowship of The Royal Photographic Society in 2000, the Sara Prize, the Lowell Thomas Award, and the Lennart Nilsson Award in Photography.

39. Ernest H. Brooks II

Underwater Photographer

Ernie Brooks is an ambassador for the marine environment, a renowned photographer, adventurer, diver and educator. He has captured profound images in the blue. Armed with the same camera for over 40 years, Brooks has amassed a portfolio unlike any other with his trademark black and white imagery used to document life below the waves. He has won countless awards, with his works published in a myriad of international publications.

40-41. Jim Chen & Lynn Wu

Underwater Photographers

Jim Chen loves extreme sports and underwater photography, combining both adventure and art creation. In 2007, he was certified as an Open Water diver and in 2008, his underwater photography journey began. He also received exclusive interviews from British Daily Mail, Apple Daily, TVBS and other media. Lynn found a passion for the underwater world during a trip to Palau in 2006. She likes taking macro objects and her works have been published in various magazines and newspapers, she also won several awards including the Compact Camera Photo of the Year for Deepblu ADEX Voice of the Ocean 2016. Both Jim and Lynn have been winners of the National Sony World Photography Awards (Taiwan) in 2017 and 2018 respectively

42. Rob Stewart

Filmmaker

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Rob Stewart began diving and photographing from the age of 13. By 18, Stewart was already a scuba instructor-trainer. Through a curiosity to explore the underwater world and its inhabitants, Stewart moved on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. As a chief photographer for the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s magazines, he led expeditions to some of the most remote areas of the world. As a filmmaker, Stewart released the award-winning Sharkwater in 2006, followed by Revolution in 2012, and The Fight for Bala in 2015. On January 31, 2017, Stewart was filming off the coast of Florida when he went missing during a dive. His body was found three days later.

43. Laurent Ballesta

Underwater Photographer

Laurent Ballesta studied marine biology, which culminated in a Master’s degree. He discovered a species of fish hitherto unknown in the Western Mediterranean. Combining his passion for underwater photography with his work as a biologist, Laurent has won numerous awards, and has been featured in international publications.

44. Lynn Funkhouser

Underwater Photographer

Lynn, inducted into the inaugural Women Divers Hall of Fame, is an internationally-published photographer, author, lecturer, environmentalist, adventurer, and leader in dive travel. Diving and photographing over 260 islands in the Philippines, for two months each year since 1975, she is an expert on Philippine diving. Her latest honour was “Diver of the Year” 2014 in Arts at Beneath the Sea.

45. Paul Nicklen

Underwater Photographer and Filmmaker

Paul Nicklen is a Canadian photographer, filmmaker, and marine biologist who has documented the beauty and the plight of our planet for over twenty years. As an assignment photographer for National Geographic magazine, Nicklen captures the imagination of a global audience. Nicklen’s imagery has garnered over 30 of the highest awards given to any photographer in his field, including the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the prestigious World Press Photo for Photojournalism. He is equally recognised by the conservation community for his outspoken work, and has been awarded the Natural Resources Defense Council BioGems Visionary Award. Last year, Nicklen was bestowed a Doctorate at the University of Victoria, for the impact his photography has had on climate change. As a co-founder of the non-profit, SeaLegacy, Paul Nicklen is opening a fresh, progressive chapter in the story of ocean conservation. Most recently, Paul, along with his partner Cristina Mittermeier, were acknowledged as National Geographic’s 2018 Adventurers of the Year.

46. Paul Hilton

Underwater Photographer

Paul is a Hong Kong-based photojournalist and wildlife trade consultant who focuses on global environmental and conservation issues. He is now an Associate Director with Manta Trust and a WildAid consultant. Paul’s undercover footage of the illegal wildlife trade features heavily throughout the 2015 film Racing Extinction, which premiered at the SunDance film festival. In 2009, Paul became a member of the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers, and in 2010 launched his first book, Man & Shark, highlighting the global shark-finning industry. He has received numerous awards for his conservation photography: In 2012, he received a World Press Photo award for his work on the shark fin issue and was also awarded Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2012, 2014 and 2016; he was also awarded at the Asian Geographic Best of the Decade series, and the Ark Trust Award for exposing bear bile farming in China, for Animals Asia Foundation.

47. Roger Munns

Filmmaker

Specialising in natural history film-making, Roger was one of the principal cameramen on the BBC’s recent Blue Planet II series. He logged over 600hrs underwater on the series while filming ten different stories across four episodes. An underwater cameraman since 2001 Roger’s specialty is crafting complex, character-led stories. Notable sequences include a tusk fish exhibiting tool use from Blue Planet II, the first filming of the humpback whale heat-run in Tonga for One Life, and a brutally enthralling turtle mating sequence for David Attenborough’s Life Story. Through his stories and images Roger hopes to inspire viewers to care about, and protect the marine environment.

48. Scott Tuason

Underwater Photographer

Scott was first handed his underwater camera at the age of 16. Decades later, his passion for photography has brought him on amazing journeys. From throwing himself into a feeding frenzy to dangling off a line in open water at night, his photography has been recognised by the Palme D’or at Antibes festival for his book Anilao, which he co-authored in 2000. His latest books, Blackwater and Open Blue, have won awards and are sold out worldwide.

49. Tim Ho

Underwater Photographer

In 2009, Tim purchased his first underwater compact camera. As upgrading was too expensive and beyond the means of an island dive instructor, he started to explore and develop his own comprehension of how his camera worked. Today, his methods and compact camera techniques are used as reference materials by underwater photography trainers when teaching about compact camera use. Some of his earlier works are still often used as benchmarks of what to strive to achieve when shooting with a compact camera.

50. William Tan

Underwater Photographer

William Tan has been fascinated with the creatures of the sea since his childhood. He travels extensively throughout the Pacific region, judging underwater photo competitions, and photographing marine life for tourism organisations, scientific research groups, dive magazines, camera manufacturers, and resorts.

51. Y.Zin Kim

Underwater Photographer

Y.Zin Kim is a South Korean underwater photographer and filmmaker who combines high-quality underwater filming techniques with underwater modelling expertise. She has been involved in photoshoots for Korean TV shows, movies, advertisements, and magazines. In 2015, she set a world record for the 101-metre Sidemount Trimix. Currently, she promotes the East Sea of Korea and Jeju Island while continuing her documentation of the lives of the Haenyeo divers that she started six years ago.

52. Yorko Summer

Underwater Photographer

Yorko Summer is a well-known underwater photographer from Taiwan, with more than 6,000 dives in his 15 years of scuba diving. Apart from being a senior diving instructor, Yorko is also an experienced travel journalist, photography lecturer and underwater photography competition judge. He has collaborated with reputed brands, and has been invited by the tourism boards of many countries as a tourism ambassador to promote local diving sites, including Taiwan’s Green Island.

53. Yoshi Hirata

Underwater Photographer

A marine biologist and accomplished underwater photographer, Yoshi Hirata began his passion for diving when he was researching the rich marine resources of Sipadan and Mabul back in 1993 as a marine consultant. During the course of his work, he expressed his love for the sea by featuring thousands of amazing photos of Mabul in various magazine titles. He is also the author of three books namely Oraga-Umi, With… My Expression of Love for the Sea and Art of the Sea.

101 Outstanding People in Asia’s Dive Industry: Scientists

By
uw360
-
0

To honour those who have supported, influenced, and spearheaded Asia’s Dive and conservation industry, UW360 has put together a list of significant individuals. This list is by no means exhaustive, nor is it a ranking. We recognise that there are many other deserving individuals who have contributed to the industry, and we would like to thank every diver, scientist, conservationist, educator, photographer, and volunteer for their commitment to the ocean.

Scientists

62. Dr Apple Chui

Lecturer, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Apple obtained her PhD from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2016. As part of her research, she has completed more than 800 dives observing coral spawning, recruitment development and changes in coral diversity in Hong Kong. She has successfully developed the use of coral sexual reproduction for coral restoration in Hong Kong, with the first coral juvenile raised now 4-years-old. Throughout the years, she has been invited to speak for over 30 public seminars on marine and coral conservation for various organisations, including schools, green groups, and government departments. I have also been involved with Reef Check Hong Kong as team scientist since 2008. She is currently a lecturer at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

63. Dr Amanda Vincent

Founder, Project Seahorse

Amanda Vincent has a PhD in marine biology from the University of Cambridge and was Darwin Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford from 1994 to 1996. She is considered the leading authority on seahorse biology and conservation, and in 2000 was named a Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation. She also serves as lead scientific advisor and chair of the seahorse working group for CITES.

64. Dr Alex Rose

Marine Biologist

Rose holds a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Aquatic Biology, possessing a wide variety of experience in the biological sciences such as bioacoustics research, exhibit construction, science writing, teaching, public presentation and aquatic animal husbandry and breeding. She is a photographer and lover of all things aquatic and is currently working as the science editor and principle writer for Ocean Geographic Magazine, while being the managing editor of Ocean Geographic Explorers.

65. Dr Andrew Chin

Research Fellow, James Cook University

Dr Chin has been working in coral reef management and research since the 1990s. He is currently based at James Cook University, Australia, where he works in fisheries research, specialising in sharks and rays. He is currently working on the connectivity and management of hammerhead sharks to support Australia’s actions and reporting obligations required under international conventions and is the founder and Programme Director of Shark Search Indo-Pacific.

66. Judi Lowe

Marine Science PhD Candidate, Southern Cross University

Judi Lowe is a marine science PhD candidate at Southern Cross University, New South Wales, Australia, with an unusual background. Using her experience as a diver, accountant and international lawyer, Judi’s research takes a fresh approach, solving practical, real-world problems in the conservation of coral reefs, fish and the marine megafauna we love to dive with.

67. Dr Karenne Tun

Deputy Director, Coastal and Marine Environment National Biodiversity Centre

Before Karenne joined NParks in 2013, she obtained her PhD from the National University of Singapore, where she developed diagnostic tools for coral reef monitoring and management. Karenne subsequently worked at NUS to study the impacts of anthropogenic activities on coral reefs, before moving onto coordinating coral reef monitoring efforts in the Southeast Asian region. Her current work at NParks covers issues related to the management and conservation of Singapore’s coastal and marine environment and the biodiversity they support.

68. Dr Neo Mei Lin

Marine Biologist, St. John’s Island National Marine Laboratory

Dr Neo is a marine biologist working at the St. John’s Island National Marine Laboratory. She graduated from NUS with a B.Sc. in Life Sciences (2009) and Ph.D. in Marine Ecology (2013). Her passion to save the giant clams led to the genesis of two restocking programmes in Singapore, with the aim to breed and raise young clams for putting back onto our reefs. She is a recipient of the World Future Foundation Ph.D. Prize in 2014 and the L’Oréal For Women in Science National Fellowship in 2015. In 2017, Dr. Neo was the only Singaporean selected for the TED Fellow Class of 2017.

69. Dr Gerry Allen

Ichthyologist

Dr. Gerry Allen is an American-born Australian ichthyologist. In 1971, he received a PhD in marine zoology from the University of Hawaii. Allen wrote his doctoral thesis on the systematics and biology of the anemone fish. In 1997, Allen worked as a science team leader for Conservation International, undertaking coral reef fish surveys in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and the Philippines until 2003. To date, Allen has written 33 books and about 400 scientific papers. In 2003, he received the K. Radway Allen Award from the Australian Society for Fish Biology for his outstanding scientific achievements in the field. He has mapped and analysed the distributions of all Indo-Pacific coral reef fishes.

70. Dr Leo Chan

Associate Director, State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong

Dr. Chan has broad interests in ecology and biodiversity in coral ecosystems. Under the support of two collaborative research fund (CRF) projects (funded in 2009 and 2015), he starts to work on coral ecosystem-related research, especially on the investigations of ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) in live tropical reef food fishes. One of his research focuses is on evaluation of adverse impacts of CFP- related toxins on coral reef fish and hence coral ecosystems. Dr Chan has extensive experience in development and implementation of scientific diving systems. He is a certified Open water SCUBA diver instructor, a Public Safety Diver Instructor, a Scientific Safety Diver Instructor and a Technical diver.

71. Dr Mark Erdmann

Vice President, Conservation International Asia-Pacific marine programmes

Dr Mark Erdmann is the Vice President of Conservation International’s (CI) Asia-Pacific marine programmes. As a coral reef ecologist, Mark recently moved to New Zealand, but spent 23 years based in Indonesia focusing on marine biodiversity research and conservation. During this time, he launched and directed the Bird’s Head Seascape initiative for over a decade, developing it into one of CI’s flagship marine programmes globally. He also discovered over 100 new species of fish and mantis shrimp and published over 140 scientific articles and four books.

72. Randall Arauz

International Marine Conservation Policy Advisor, Fins Attached Marine Research and Conservation

Arauz founded the Costa Rican organisation PRETOMA in 1997. When he stumbled upon the shark finning issue, he initiated a campaign that catapulted his organisation into the international marine conservation arena. He has received prestigious awards, such as the Whitley Fund for Nature Gold Award (UK, 2004), the Goldman Prize (US, 2010), and the Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development (SE, 2010). He currently serves as International Marine Conservation Policy Advisor for Fins Attached Marine Research and Conservation.

101 Outstanding People in Asia’s Dive Industry: Business

By
uw360
-
0

To honour those who have supported, influenced, and spearheaded Asia’s Dive and conservation industry, UW360 has put together a list of significant individuals. This list is by no means exhaustive, nor is it a ranking. We recognise that there are many other deserving individuals who have contributed to the industry, and we would like to thank every diver, scientist, conservationist, educator, photographer, and volunteer for their commitment to the ocean.

Business

19-20. Andrew and Marit Miners

Founders, Misool

Andrew and Marit are the co-founders of Misool & Misool Foundation. They developed a suite of conservation initiatives designed to protect Indonesia’s marine resources. One such initiative is the 1,220 square kilometre marine reserve, which was established in 2005. All fishing inside this zone is now prohibited, and the locally-staffed Ranger Patrol monitor the area to enforce this ban. Shark finners and long-liners have been expelled, and all marine extraction has been halted considering the profound scientific importance of the area.

21. Anuar Abdullah

CEO, Ocean Quest Southeast Asia

Anuar Abdullah is the CEO and founder of Ocean Quest Southeast Asia, an organisation that carries out broad-scaled coral reef rehabilitation around the region. As a partner of Sea Shepherd Dive, Anuar promotes and trains the diving community on coral reef rehabilitation. He was also the ADEX coral reef ambassador artist of the year in 2013.

22. Chris Lim

Regional Manager, Scubapro Asia Pacific

Chris Lim is the Regional Manager and Director of SCUBAPRO Asia Pacific and has over 20 years of professional experience in the diving industry. “Through the diving business, I’ve travelled to different regions around the world and have met many influential people who have great impact on the sport – from equipment manufacturers, training agencies, dive destination operators, and everyday scuba divers. I am privileged to be working with Scubapro, a premium and respected brand in the industry.  Scubapro supports conservation and the oceans better than any other dive company that I am familiar with.”

23. Clement Lee

Tourism Advisor, Malaysia Tourism Board

Clement Lee started his diving career in 1983 and was one of the pioneers who introduced PADI professional certification in Sabah, Malaysia and went on to develop the now reknown Sipadan island. As a strong ocean conservationist, he, together with his partners, decided to voluntarily vacate Sipadan Island to protect the underwater environment in 2004. This sacrifice has allowed divers and tourists to witness and enjoy the pristine underwater of Sipadan today. Clement retired in 2012 and was appointed as the Malaysia Diving Advisor the following year. He served for 2 years before being reappointed as the Malaysia Dive Ambassador, which he still is today. Clement has travelled extensively during his term as Dive Ambassador, giving talks and presentations to promote diving in Malaysia. In 2016, Clement, who was one of the first Malaysian PADI Course Directors in 1991, was appointed by PADI as PADI Dive AmbassaDiver.

24. Darren Brunton

Managing Director, KB Associates

Darren Brunton is the vice chairman of the Commercial Diving Association, Singapore. He started diving in the British Forces, and then started working in the commercial diving industry in 1990. With experience as an offshore saturation diver and saturation supervisor, he established the KBA Training Centre in Singapore in 2004.

25. Edward Lai

Founder, Nauticam

Edward was the chairman of the Hong Kong Mould and Die Council from 1993 until 2003. He started diving in 1997 and founded Nauticam with the mission of providing the most ergonomic and robust underwater imaging equipment. He personally tested the different ranges of camera housing.

26. Jacki Ng

CEO, ADA Group

While some may consider Jacki Ng, 41, a titan of the diving industry, the forward-looking CEO of ADA Group will remind you of his humble beginnings. Modelled after his own struggles and subsequent push towards building an organisation invested in both people and the environment, ADA’s motto “Changing Lives Through Diving” has since taken form in the Dive Management Associate programme. Tech savvy and innovative, Jacki and his regional team have also created a proprietary end-to-end IT system, One Diver, which aims to channel ADA Group’s efforts into supporting the diving industry in Asia in education, equipment and experiential trips.

27. James Tsuei

CEO, Deepblu

James Tsuei is an avid diver with a passion for technology. His company, Deepblu, has not only developed the COSMIQ+ dive computer and an online community for divers, but has also worked with NPO’s to promote sustainable tourism and conservation action while allowing divers to share experiences and learn from each other. In addition, he was at the helm for the development of Planet Deepblu, a service which simplifies the dive planning process by allowing direct conversation between divers and dive businesses around the globe. This new feature is over 20,000 dive sites strong, and continues to grow.

28. Jim Standing

Co-founder, Fourth Element

A passionate diver since the age of 15, Jim founded fourth element with Paul Strike, with the aim of designing the best possible technical apparel for divers. Since then, the company has gone on to become the leading manufacturer for environmental responsibility, presenting its vision at the UN Oceans Summit and beyond. Sport Diver Magazine awarded fourth element with Innovation of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and Manufacturer of the Year in 2016. They also won the Outstanding Contribution to Scuba Diving Award in 2012 from the Eurotek Conference. Jim is also the European Coordinator for the OWUSS Rolex Diving Scholarship, helping to nurture the careers of future leaders in the industry.

29. John Lippman

Founder, Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific

John Lippmann is the founder, chairman and director of training at the Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific (DAN Asia-Pacific), which was founded in 1994 in an effort to improve the safety of scuba diving within the region. He has been involved in researching, teaching, writing and consulting on safe diving practices, and specialises in areas such as resuscitation, first aid, and various aspects of decompression. He has written articles and papers on dive safety, decompression and accident management, which have been published in diving journals around the world.

30. Michael Tong

Executive Director, NAUI Asia Pacific

A Lifetime Member of NAUI, Michael is also a recipient of 1998 Outstanding Contribution As Director award, 1992 Outstanding Service Award, and 2002 Continuing Service Award. Appointed a member of 1998 NAUI Board of DIrector and also elected member of the BOD (2001-2009). As a Training Representative of Pacific Rim countries since 1997, he has trained thousands of divers in all levels of dive education. Michael was appointed the inaugural NAUI Malaysian Chapter in 1984.

31. Peter Hughes

Founder, Peter Hughes Diving

Peter Hughes learned to dive at the age of 10 after migrating to Trinidad and Tobago from Scotland. He entered “the business” in 1968, teaching teenagers from the SE USA to dive in Tobago even before he was certified as a Scuba Instructor by the YMCA in 1970 and by PADI in 1976. After a successful stint as a dive operator at resorts, Peter turned his attention to liveaboard scuba dive vessels in 1986, developing Peter Hughes Diving & the Dancer Fleet. Selling the company in 2008, Peter stayed busy in the dive industry as a consultant, first working for the M/V Galapagos Sky and now working as consigliere to the Pelagic Fleet Family that operates in the Revillagigedo Archipelago (Socorro) off Mexico’s Pacific Coast.

32. Rili Djohani

Co-founder, Coral Triangle Center

Rili has worked for over 25 years to improve the management and financial sustainability of marine protected areas and reduce the use of unsustainable fishing practices in Southeast Asia. She is the co-founder and executive director of the Coral Triangle Center (CTC), a learning centre of excellence on coastal and marine resources management based in Bali. Rili is one of the lead convenors of the six-nation Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Task Force on Sustainable Marine Tourism.

33. Peter Stone

Founder, DiveSilver

Diver, world traveller, television personality, and CEO, Peter’s passion for the sea, tempered by his journey across the world, inspired him to produce DiveSilver, his diverse and stunning sterling silver and gold jewellery lines, created exclusively for dive and aquatic enthusiasts worldwide. The pieces embody the spirit of oceanic life and underwater beauty.

34. Dr Batuna

Founder, Murex Dive Resorts

Dr Batuna was a visionary medical doctor and diver, who founded Murex Dive Resorts with his wife, Ineke Batuna, in Indonesia. As the first scuba diver in North Sulawesi, Dr. Batuna pioneered many of the dive sites seen in Indonesia today. He was instrumental in providing the only recompression chamber in Manado and was the first conservationist in the area. At ADEX 2014, Dr Batuna was inducted as a board member to the Historical Diving Society. Dr Batuna’s vision resulted in the encouragement of other resorts to be formed in the region, which generated sustainable jobs. From the beginning, Dr Batuna’s vision included sustainable eco-friendly tourism operations that were part of a small local group, which was instrumental in creating the formation of the Bunaken Marine Park in 1989. Dr Batuna sadly passed away in 2014.

101 Outstanding People in Asia’s Dive Industry: Education

By
uw360
-
0

To honour those who have supported, influenced, and spearheaded Asia’s Dive and conservation industry, UW360 has put together a list of significant individuals. This list is by no means exhaustive, nor is it a ranking. We recognise that there are many other deserving individuals who have contributed to the industry, and we would like to thank every diver, scientist, conservationist, educator, photographer, and volunteer for their commitment to the ocean.

Education

98. Eve Young

Founder, MissVsea Marine Solution Workshop

Eve Young is a freelance writer, Sea Shepherd’s Ocean Quest Trainer and Ambassador for Swarovski Optik. She is also in partnership with Swarovski Optik Marine Conservation Education Program and founder of the MissVsea Marine Solution Workshop. She organises marine conservation forums, sharing research on marine conservation efforts and educating the public by raising awareness for the protection of the ocean.

99. Neville Coleman

Publisher

Multi-award winning photographic environmentalist Neville Coleman has been seriously recording the aquatic wildlife of the Asia-Pacific region since 1963. With over 1,000 published articles in over 150 magazines, 100,000 images and 65 marine life natural history books (29 self published) to his credit he is one of the most accomplished underwater educational authors in the world. In 1969 /73 he led the Australian Coastal Marine Expedition on the first underwater photographic fauna survey ever attempted around an entire continent. Since then he has completed over 160 expeditions throughout Australia and across Indo-Pacific, documenting some 12,000 species of aquatic flora and fauna and discovering over 450 new species of marine life. Neville Coleman passed away on May 5, 2012.

100. Stephen Beng

Chairman, Nature Society Singapore

Stephen serves as Chair of ‘Friends of the Marine Park’, a network supported by the National Parks Board, bonding multiple stakeholders of Singapore’s first marine park to keep users active while ensuring reef life remains protected. He also leads the marine conservation arm of Nature Society (Singapore), where he actively works with authorities and businesses to address sustainable development challenges. As President of Singapore Underwater Federation (2006-2010), Stephen integrated environmentally sustainable practices with industry operating procedures. He developed and implemented the National Operational Code of Practice and Audits for diver safety. Stephen’s company, Sea Hounds, received the Singapore Environmental Achievement Award 2012 and retained the PADI National Geographic Dive Centre award for 10 years.

101. Akira Tateishi

Publisher, Marine Diving Magazine

Akira Tateishi was the Editor/Publisher of several magazines and a leader in the diving community of Japan. For more than four decades, he helped focus Japanese and international attention on underwater photography through movies, television, magazines, and newspapers. Tateishi designed and built an underwater camera housing, the Tateishi Bronica I, so that he could bring back images of underwater scenes and paint them. He was an underwater cameraman on the film titled Umi wa Ikiteiru (The Living Sea). In 1958, he founded The Marine Art Center. During 1959, Tateishi made is first underwater film in 16mm, titled Kaitei no Doubutsu (Underwater Animals). Later that year, his biography, 1,000 Hours of Underwater Filming, was published. Tateishi started the first scuba diving magazine in Japan, Marine Diving, in 1969, later launching Um to Shima no Tabi (Travel Diver Magazine). In 1988, Tateishi published Marine Photo, a magazine for underwater photography. Akira Tateishi sadly passed away in 2012.

101 Outstanding People in Asia’s Dive Industry: Conservation

By
uw360
-
0

To honour those who have supported, influenced, and spearheaded Asia’s Dive and conservation industry, UW360 has put together a list of significant individuals. This list is by no means exhaustive, nor is it a ranking. We recognise that there are many other deserving individuals who have contributed to the industry, and we would like to thank every diver, scientist, conservationist, educator, photographer, and volunteer for their commitment to the ocean.

Conservation

1. Andy Cornish

Marine Ecologist, WWF

Dr Cornish is a marine ecologist who co-authored the field-guide Reef Fishes of Hong Kong while studying for his doctorate at the University of Hong Kong. Currently, he leads WWF’s global programme, Sharks: Restoring the Balance, a major initiative in more than twelve countries to improve the management of shark and ray fisheries and tourism operations. Andy is a keen underwater photographer, and co-author of Responsible Shark & Ray Tourism: A Guide to Best Practice

2. Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Pioneer

Jacques-Yves Cousteau is considered the pioneer of ocean exploration and conservation, whose passion for the ocean continues today through his family. He was a French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, activist, innovator, inventor, author, scientific collaborator, and member of the French Academy. He co-invented the Aqualung, started a marine conservation movement and created a legacy of passion for the ocean that continues today through his family and the millions of people influenced by his work.

3. DouDou

Conservationist

Fascinated by outdoor sports since young, Doudou has traveled to over a hundred countries to capture the diverse beauty of wildlife. She is experienced at underwater and wildlife photography, and has devoted herself to promoting conservation and exploration. She has also documented an ocean wildlife migration documentary with China’s CCTV. At present, she is pursuing environmental and conservation projects on social media platforms.

4-5. Ron & Valerie Taylor

Pioneers

Ron began diving in 1952, thereafter becoming interested in spearfishing and underwater photography. In 1965, he won the World Spearfishing Championship in Tahiti after winning the Australian Open Spearfishing Championships for four years in succession. Valerie was born in Sydney, and started diving in 1956 before being introduced to spearfishing. She eventually won several Australian championships for ladies in both spearfishing and scuba. The couple met while both were members of the St George Spearfishing Club in Sydney. They became champion spearfishers, but switched from killing sharks to filming them after becoming fascinated with marine life. They were the first people to film great white sharks without the protection of a cage – a huge milestone in ocean exploration. They were also the first to film sharks by night and were involved in the filming of the movie Jaws.

6. Richard Owen

Director, Scuba Junkie SEAS

Richard co-founded Scuba Junkie, the multi award-winning dive operator based in Sabah, Malaysia, and Indonesia, with Tino Herrmann. As a marine biologist, Richard’s passion was for Scuba Junkie to have conservation of the marine environment at the heart of its operations, and be at the forefront of sustainable and responsible dive tourism. Tino’s illustrious background as an engineer made this happen. In addition to the successful business operation, they formed the dedicated conservation arm – Scuba Junkie SEAS – which has gone from strength to strength each year. One of their proudest aspects of Scuba Junkie’s work is the success of the local DMT internship, which trains members of the local community up to Divemaster level, paid for entirely by Scuba Junkie – showcasing their commitment to engage the local community in dive careers and conservation.

7. Paul Watson

Founder, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Captain Paul Watson is a marine wildlife conservation and environmental activist. Watson was one of the founding members and directors of Greenpeace. In 1977, he left Greenpeace and founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. A renowned speaker, accomplished author, master mariner, and lifelong environmentalist, Captain Watson has been awarded many honours for his dedication to the oceans and to the planet. Among many commendations for his work, he received the Genesis Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1998, was named as one of the Top 20 Environmental Heroes of the 20th Century by TimeMagazine in 2000, and was inducted into the U.S. Animal Rights Hall of Fame in Washington D.C. in 2002. He was also awarded the Amazon Peace Prize by the president of Ecuador in 2007. In 2012, Captain Watson became only the second person after Captain Jacques Cousteau to be awarded the Jules Verne Award, dedicated to environmentalists and adventurers.

8. James Harvey

Operations Manager, Reef-World Foundation

As Operations Manager at Reef-World, James Harvey (JJ) has led the development of Green Fins across Asian countries since 2008, training national governments and NGO’s to manage the initiative. He is also a marine biologist and passionate diver with over 10 years of experience working in tropical marine environments across the globe. JJ has worked closely with the UN, governments, the private sector and international agencies working towards achieving a sustainable marine tourism industry with successful outcomes that are meaningful to all stakeholders.

9. Dr Larry McKenna

Founder, Save our Leatherbacks Operation

Dr Larry McKenna is a dedicated environmentalist to save the Leatherback sea turtle from its rapid spiral into extinction. Save Our Leatherbacks Operation (S.O.L.O.) had its beginnings in the spring of 2002, when Dr McKenna went in search of film file footage and photos of the Leatherback sea turtle after hearing of its rapid extinction. After three attempts to get to the remote nesting location in Indonesia, he finally succeeded in July and August. He is currently involved with conservation efforts to reverse the extinction spiral of the Pacific leatherback sea turtles over the next three years.

10. A.G Saño

Artist

AG is a conservationist and widely-published professional photographer who began his career as an assistant to art mentor Fernando Sena. He established Dolphins Love Freedom, which aims to protect dolphins and whales. AG has also undertaken assignments and environmental work with reputable NGOs and institutions and co-founded www.balyena.org, a non-profit marine mammal conservation group.

11. Chai Apale

Project Coordinator, iSeahorse – Philippines

In her role as iSeahorse Philippines coordinator, Chai manages outreach and communications for iSeahorse in the Philippines. She received a BSc in marine biology from Mindanao State University-Illigan Institute of Technology, where she studied the community structures of reef fishes. Before joining Project Seahorse, she was a coastal resource management trainer for the United States Peace Corps in the Philippines.

12-13. Rodney & Andrew Fox

Founders, Fox Shark Research Foundation

In 1963, Rodney Fox was attacked by a Great White Shark of Aldinga Beach, 50 kilometres south of Adelaide. To this day, the attack is regarded as one of the most severe ever to be survived. In total, Rodney had 462 stitches in his chest, and 92 in his right hand and arm. In an attempt to overcome his fear of sharks, Rodney came up with the idea to build a cage for humans to safely view great white sharks in their natural environment. Andrew Fox, Rodney’s eldest son, inherited his father’s affinity for sharks. In 2001, Andrew and Rodney with Dr. Rachel Robbins established the Fox Shark Research Foundation. Andrew began taking over the helm from his father, and making shark tours more of a full-time, tourist experience. Today, the cage diving is a popular tourist activity worldwide.

14. Sally Snow

Executive Director, LAMAVE

Sally Snow is a zoologist and filmmaker. She is one of four Executive Directors for the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines. A passionate science communicator, she has worked with the BBC, most recently on Blue Planet II, National Geographic and PTS. Her latest project follows the team as they travel to a sunken volcano off the Philippine mainland, to study some of the last remaining sharks in the Coral Triangle.

15. Sharon Kwok

Managing Director, WildAid Hong Kong

Born in Hong Kong, Sharon has supported numerous charities and is a member of the Society of Women Geographers, ambassador for SPCA H.K., Hong Kong Cetacean Project, and Bloom. She is also the Managing Director of WildAid HK, on the board of Mission Blue, and the Executive Director of AquaMeridian and AquaSilva, which are companies that aim to raise awareness of conservation issues globally.

16. Sir David Attenborough

Naturalist

Sir David Attenborough studied the natural sciences at the University of Cambridge. He began his career as a producer at BBC, where he launched the successful Zoo Quest series. In 1965, Attenborough was made controller of BBC Two and later its director of programming. During his tenure, the station crossed over to colour television, and Attenborough was instrumental in expanding its natural history content. Attenborough left the BBC to begin writing and producing various series, including the smash hit Life on Earth, which set the standards for the modern nature documentary. Since then, Attenborough has written, produced, hosted and narrated countless award-winning nature-focused programmes, devoting his life to celebrating and preserving wildlife.

17. Dr Sylvia Earle

Pioneer

Dr Sylvia Earle is one of the most influential figures in the industry. Referred to as a “living legend” by the United States Library of Congress, and a first “hero for the planet” by Time Magazine, Sylvia is an oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer with extensive experience as a field research scientist and government official.

18. Jose Ramos-Horta

Former President of East Timor

Jose Ramos-Horta is the former special representative to the Secretary General in Guinea Bissau, and has chaired a high-level UN panel assessing global peacekeeping missions. A former prime minister, he was the President of Timor-Leste from 2007 to 2012 – the second since its independence from Indonesia. Jose was also a co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize.

101 Outstanding People in Asia’s Dive Industry: Media

By
uw360
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0

To honour those who have supported, influenced, and spearheaded Asia’s Dive and conservation industry, UW360 has put together a list of significant individuals. This list is by no means exhaustive, nor is it a ranking. We recognise that there are many other deserving individuals who have contributed to the industry, and we would like to thank every diver, scientist, conservationist, educator, photographer, and volunteer for their commitment to the ocean.

Media

93. John Thet

Publisher, ASIAN Geographic Magazines Pte Ltd/ Founder, Underwater360 Group

In the publishing industry since 1993, John Thet is the Publisher and Editorial Director of ASIAN Geographic Magazines Pte Ltd. In 2000, he became one of the company’s pioneer members, taking on the role of COO and serving in the capacity of Creative Director, Photo Editor and Editorial Advisor. In November 2005, John succeeded as Publisher (CEO) and under his able leadership, the magazine has gone from strength to strength winning close to 60 awards in both the publishing and creative arena. In 2001, the company bought over Scuba Diver Australia, which was later renamed as Scuba Diver Australasia, followed by Asian Diver in 2007. In 2009, he took over as the official Asia Dive Expo(ADEX) organiser, later founding the Underwater360 Group in 2010. Today, Underwater360 is a key player in the dive media and events industry, with more than one million readers and followers worldwide and the expansion of ADEX to Beijing and Shenzhen. John is still actively involved with the editorial and art direction of the magazines and books and is relentless in his efforts to bring Underwater360 to new heights.

94-95. Priscilla Jiao and Andrew McEwen

Founders, China Scuba Diving

Priscilla and Andrew founded 潜水游世界, or China Scuba Diving, a new media company, tour agent and equipment vendor with offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Since 2014, the company has published nearly 5,000 articles on its official WeChat account to more than 150,000 subscribers including diving opinion leaders, club organisers, tourism representatives, magazine editors and photojournalists. In 2017, the account amassed 5.3 million views, placing 潜水游世界 in the top five percent of all WeChat public accounts. Priscilla and Andrew take pride in upholding international best practice and supporting non-profit organisations including WildAid, China Red Cross, Diver for Ocean, the Handicapped Scuba Association, and PADI in online and offline campaigns.

96. Barry Andrewartha

Publisher, Dive Log

At the age of 14, Barry entered the printing industry following a family tradition and was soon contributing articles to Down Under Magazine, the magazine of the Victorian-based Black Rock Dive Club, where he was a member. By 1960, he was contributing to the Australian Skindivers Magazine and became Victorian Editor, assisting the Editor, Jack Evans, in production by drawing on his knowledge of the printing industry. Between 1966 and 1970, Barry authored and co-wrote five books on diving and spearfishing in Victoria, Southern and Northern New South Wales and Southern Queensland, including notes on diving gear, fish species and techniques. In response to a growing interest in diving and spearfishing, Barry launched Skindiving in Australia magazine (later Sportdiving) in 1970, which underwent several minor name changes to reflect its growing circulation throughout the Asia-Pacific region. In 1988, Barry and Belinda Barnes launched the first issue of Dive Log magazine, which has become the voice of Australian sport diving. 1993 saw the launch of another successful title, which today is called International Freediving and Spearfishing News.

97. Nan Wang

Founder, Diver’s Chat

Nan Wang is the founder of China’s first local dive video programme, Diver’s Chat, and a visionary photographer. He was a judge at the Film Festival of ADEX China 2016 and has produced underwater micro-films such as Heart Dragon War, Arbitrary South Africa, Dream in South Africa, Four King Island Adventures, and Diving Partners.

101 Outstanding People in Asia’s Dive Industry: Field Experts

By
uw360
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0

To honour those who have supported, influenced, and spearheaded Asia’s Dive and conservation industry, UW360 has put together a list of significant individuals. This list is by no means exhaustive, nor is it a ranking. We recognise that there are many other deserving individuals who have contributed to the industry, and we would like to thank every diver, scientist, conservationist, educator, photographer, and volunteer for their commitment to the ocean.

Field Experts

73. Alex Santos

Technical Diver

Alex brought tech diving to the Philippines in 1993. These days, he and his PHILTECH team perform underwater work for hydropower plants, caissons, and other marine facilities. Their unusual diving profiles and behavior allows him to study early manifestations of DCS, compelling him to develop in-water recompression procedures in the workplace, and has reversed DCS in all cases. He is a member of the Filipino Cave Divers, individuals who apply their diverse backgrounds in the study, exploration, and preservation of underwater caves. Alex does deep recovery for valuable objects and victims of drowning, and his experience has been called upon during disasters at sea. He has trained recovery teams from other countries including the Philippine Coast Guard Special Operations Group.

74. Alexey Molchanov

Freediver

Alexey Molchanov has set the new Constant Weight (CWT) Freediving World Record. The freediving superstar broke his own AIDA World Record in Constant Weight (CWT) by diving to 129 metres in three minutes 50 seconds

75. Christian Heylend

Techincal Diver

Christian is a passionate and accomplished explorer of the underwater world for more than 30 years. He founded PURE, The Worldwide Network of Rebreather Explorers, fifteen years ago, and it is now the largest network of rebreather diving facilities worldwide. Today, Christian has become one of the world’s leading experts on rebreather diving exploration and training, having trained divers for more than 20 years, as well as more than 500 instructors and instructor trainers worldwide with all main diver training agencies. He also trained several rebreather manufacturers, training
directors, military, fire departments, underwater biologists, the previous expedition director of the Cousteau Society, as well as underwater videographers for National Geographic and BBC Blue Planet. Recently, the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD), appointed him as President for the Indo-Pacific area, while Lara, his wonderful wife, leads IANTD around the Red Sea.

76. Dada Li

Founder, Dada Li mermaid Academy

Dada Li is the first female Chinese PADI Master Freediver and Instructor. She is also an underwater model, and has used her experience in freediving to become an AIDA international freediving instructor and judge. She single-handedly created the first underwater performing group composed of professional freedivers. She has been interviewed by Reuters, China Central Television, Guangdong TV, Jiangsu TV and other media.

77. David Strike

Technical Diver

With a strong background in military, commercial, recreational and technical diving, David Strike has dived extensively around the Asia-Pacific region, has authored several hundred articles about diving, and has organised several world class technical diving events. He is the recipient of the ADEX Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions to Technical Diving, and a Fellow of the Explorers Club of New York.

78. Dharshana Jayawardena

Technical Diver

Dharshana Jayawardena is a pioneering underwater explorer in Sri Lanka. He is the author of Ghosts of the Deep – Diving the shipwrecks of Sri Lanka and the founder of DiveSriLanka.com, a comprehensive source of information about SCUBA diving in the island. He is also a field editor for Asian Diver magazine. Dharshana has identified the origins of several mystery wrecks; among them the World War I SS Worcestershire and a World War II Catalina patrol bomber. Recently he has ventured into cave diving and discovered Sri Lanka’s first major underwater cave system among its scenic mountains.

79. Gao Qiang

Chairman, China Underwater Association

Gao Qiang is the Chairman of China Underwater Association’s Technical Committee and Vocational Skill of Diving Professionals. He is also a National Sports Medal of Honour holder.

80. Gideon Liew

Technical Diver

Liew is a member of the Board is Directors with Global Underwater Explorers and has been teaching for the organisation at various levels around the world for 15 years. He is also actively involved with exploration projects and conservation initiatives in countries like Australia, China, Italy, Mexico, USA and the Philippines.

81. Guillame Néry

Freediver

Born in Nice, Néry has broken several records, earning a world championship title in deep-sea free diving (-126m), Guillaume continues to explore the human limits and the unknown world of the deep-sea. He writes and creates images that combine aesthetic style and high performance, such as Free Fall, Ocean Gravity and his latest project, One Breath Around The World.

82. Herbert Nitsch

Freediver

Austrian Herbert Nitsch is the current freediving world record holder and “the deepest man on earth”. This prestigious title was given to him when he then set the world record for freediving at an incredible depth of 214 metres (702 feet) in 2007 in the No Limit discipline. He surpassed this world record with a No Limit dive to 253.2 metres (830.8 ft) in 2012 and is the only person with world records across all of the freediving disciplines, 33 world records in total.

83. Jean-Pol Francois

Freediver

Jean-Pol Francois is a freediving instructor who has participated in many AIDA World Championships as an athlete and judge. He also co-founded Freediving Planet in the Philippines and Hong Kong to promote quality and safe freediving education.

84. Jessea Lu

Freediver

Jessea Lu is a world-renowned Chinese freediving athlete with 27 national records under her belt. She can hold her breath over 8 minutes and is one of the few people ever in history to freedive in Antarctica where water temperature is at -2°C. She has won multiple international gold medals and is the first Chinese medalist in the world’s most prestigious freediving competitions (AIDA Freediving World Championship, Vertical Blue, Deja Blue, and Carribean Cup, etc). She also has a PhD in medicine and enjoys teaching. She is the founder of PFI.China — a freediving education institution based in China.

85. Jill Heinerth

Technical Diver

Heinerth is a pioneering underwater explorer and filmmaker. Recognising a lifetime devoted to water advocacy and exploration, Jill is also an author, lecturer and an inaugural member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

86. John Fang

Technical Diver

John Fang, the regional manger of TDI SDI ERDI of Taiwan, as well as a seasoned PSD Instructor Trainer used to be the convener of public Safety Diver course in Taiwan’s national fire agency, taking in charge of firemen training for public safety. As an experienced Instructor Trainer of Trimix diving, cave diving, and wreck diving, he is also the holder of Taiwan’s deepest diving record. John Fang has been committing himself to rebreather in tech diving field for years. He has trained more than 80 rebreather divers in 2014 alone. Being invited to lecture diving course in 3 universities, he is a MBA Doctor’s degree candidate. Two of his diving centers are the only dive centers providing Nitrox for free in Taiwan.

87. Rommy Cheung

The first Chinese PADI Course Director and Examiner

Facing the many challenges since 1981, Mr. Rommy Cheung became the pioneer in the diving industry of Hong Kong , and he has been contributing significantly to PADI diving education and local environmental protection for the past 35 years. He was the first PADI Chinese Course Director and Examiner, and is the Founding Director of HKDIA, Chairman of the Hong Kong Underwater Association 2001-2003, and Chairperson of Lions Club 303 HKSAR 2007-2008.

88. Shafraz Naeem

Technical Diver

Shafraz Naeem, known to everyone as Shaff, started his diving career in 1994 and is an ex-military dive instructor and an instructor for various diver training agencies, he has extensive knowledge of diving all over the Maldives. He does a lot of deep exploration dives all over the Maldives. For the past 10 years he has successfully ventured into underwater photography, and is an award-winning underwater photographer. He is the founder of Atoll Scuba.

89. Simon Pridmore

Technical Diver

Simon Pridmore is a pioneer of mixed-gas deep diving in Asia, and previously owned IANTD franchises in Micronesia and the UK. He is now the best-selling author of books for scuba divers that include Scuba Confidential, Scuba Professional, and Scuba Fundamental.

90. Syrena

Singapore’s First Mermaid

Syrena, Singapore’s First Mermaid, is the founder of the Singapore Mermaid School. She is forging a new mermaid movement in Asia: one that champions strength, beauty, and love as the core values of every siren of the seas. The Singapore Mermaid School blends mermaid theory and physicality, immersing students in a holistic mermaid experience of a lifetime.

91. Wu Li Xin

Technical Diver

Wu Li Xin is a technical diver and professional underwater photographer who has many accolades to his name, such as the Silver award for macro photography at the 11th World Underwater Photography Championships. Wu is also a contract photographer with Chinese National Geography, as well as a member of the China Artistic Photography Academy.

92. Wang Aolin

Freediver

Wang Aolin is a freediving athlete. In 2015, he founded Jie Ta Freediving School. Aolin is also the president of China’s AIDA International Freediving Association. He represented his country in the AIDA Individual Apnea Depth World Championship in the same year and set national records in three different categories.

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