First published in 2007, the Diving Almanac celebrates the achievements of a unique group of people that share a passion for underwater adventure and discovery. Ten years later, the Diving Almanac has become the world’s only central body of information for diving records, personalities and history, and it is 100% FREE.
VESCOVO, Victor
By Jeffrey Gallant
Deepsea explorer extraordinaire; first person to descend to the deepest points of all five of the Earth's oceans during the Five Deeps Expedition in 2018–2019; set the record for the deepest [...]
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First to dive the Five Deeps
By Jeffrey Gallant
Victor Vescovo was the first human to dive to the deepest point in each of the Earth's oceans using the deep submergence vehicle [...]
More
Deepest submersible dive (Solo | Men)
By Jeffrey Gallant
10,925 m (35,843 ft) — Victor Vescovo (USA) aboard the DSV Limiting Factor (Triton 36000/2 model submersible) | Five Deeps Expedition, April 28, 2019 [...]
More
Deepest fish (Observed)
By Jeffrey Gallant
The Swire's snailfish (Pseudoliparis swirei) was captured on video at the depth of 8,178 m (26,831 ft) in 2017. This species, more commonly referred to as the Mariana snailfish [...]
More
Deepest diving submersible (In service)
By Jeffrey Gallant
The DSV Limiting Factor dived four times to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in April-May 2019, including the deepest dive ever made by a submersible [...]
More
Deepest dive by a head of state
By Jeffrey Gallant
5,109 m (16,762 ft) — HSH Prince Albert II accompanied Victor Vescovo to the deepest point of the Mediterranean Sea, the Calypso Deep, on [...]
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Deepest watch (Prototype)
By Jeffrey Gallant
10,925 m (35,843 ft) — Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional. Two of the Omega timepieces were strapped to the manipulator [...]
More
Deepest point in Earth’s oceans
By Jeffrey Gallant
10,994 m (36,070 ft) — The Challenger Deep, located in the Mariana Trench, 250 miles (400 km) southwest of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, is the deepest [...]
More
Deepest submersible dive (Ocean)
By Jeffrey Gallant
10,925 m (35,843 ft) — Victor Vescovo (USA) aboard the DSV Limiting Factor (Triton 36000/2 model submersible) | April 28, 2019 | Challenger Deep [...]
More
Oldest diver (Men)
By Jeffrey Gallant
99 — William Lambert (USA) celebrated his 99th anniversary with a birthday dive in Pearl Lake, Illinois, on September 5, 2019. He remained at the depth of 9.7 m (32 ft) for 20 minutes [...]
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Fastest drift dive
By Jeffrey Gallant
17.68 knots (32.74 km/h / 20.34 mph) — Sechelt Rapids (Skookumchuck Narrows), British Columbia, Canada. It is estimated that for a 3.6 m (12 ft) tide, 757 billion litres of seawater flow [...]
More
Largest jellyfish
By Jeffrey Gallant
Lion’s mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) — The largest individuals have a bell diameter of 2.3 m (7.5 ft) with over 800 tentacles; some reaching lengths of 37 m (120 ft). Despite its [...]
More
Deepest octopus
By Jeffrey Gallant
Dumbo octopus (Grimpoteuthis) — 6957 m (22,825 ft), Java Trench (Indian Ocean). The octopus was remotely observed using an autonomous baited camera and trap lander in [...]
More
First documented case of hydrogen psychosis
By Jeffrey Gallant
Capt Steve Zissou suffered from the debilitating effects of Crazy Eye after witnessing the demise of his diving companion and partner, Esteban du Plantier [...]
More
COUSTEAU, Jacques-Yves
By Jeffrey Gallant
Diving pioneer, visionary, and inventor; world-famous underwater explorer and advocate for the environment; prolific author and film [...]
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Clearest water
By Jeffrey Gallant
80 m (262 ft) or the approximate visibility of distilled water. A few locations are claimed to equal the visibility of distilled water, including the Weddell Sea (Antarctica), New Zealand’s [...]
More
First underwater colony
By Jeffrey Gallant
1963 — Conshelf II (France). Seven divers lived underwater off Sha’ab Rumi (Sudan) in the Red Sea for one month under the supervision of Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The colony [...]
More
Most fin patents
By Jeffrey Gallant
Bob Evans (USA) — Since 1971, he has patented 33 revolutionary fin designs including the Force Fin Tan Delta (polyurethane) which is part of the permanent collections of the New York [...]
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LE PRIEUR, Yves Paul Gaston
By Jeffrey Gallant
Inventor; modified the Rouquayrol Denayrouse diving apparatus by combining a demand valve and high pressure air tank thus eliminating [...]
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EVANS, Bob
By Jeffrey Gallant
President, Bob Evans Designs, Inc.; inventor holding more than 33 patents on revolutionary fin designs (Force Fin); inventor of GasPods; fin design part of the permanent collections [...]
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Largest glacier calving ever filmed
By Jeffrey Gallant
The largest glacier calving event ever recorded took place on May 28, 2008, when Adam LeWinter and Director Jeff Orlowski were filming the Ilulissat Glacier [...]
More
First aquanaut (Men)
By Jeffrey Gallant
1962 — Robert Sténuit | Man-in-the-Sea I project by Edwin A. Link. Sténuit spent 24 hours and 15 minutes in a submersible decompression chamber (SDC) at a depth of 61 m (200 ft) [...]
More
Longest migration (Shark)
By Jeffrey Gallant
20,142 km (12,516 miles) — A whale shark (Rinchodon typus) was tracked by satellite from Panama to the Mariana Trench between April 2012 and [...]
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WOLBERT, Linden
By Jeffrey Gallant
Professional mermaid; entrepreneur; Ocean Advocate; founder and CEO at Mermaid Linden; Half woman, half fish, Linden speaks to humans about the creatures of the sea with [...]
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The records chapter showcases over 650 underwater feats and firsts by humans, machines and animals. If you are looking for the world’s deepest scuba diver, freediver, fish or submersible, they’re all here. The 16 categories include scuba diving, freediving, submersibles, oceanography, biology, and underwater art.
First to dive the Five Deeps
By Jeffrey Gallant
Victor Vescovo was the first human to dive to the deepest point in each of the Earth's oceans using the deep submergence vehicle [...]
Read More
Deepest submersible dive (Solo | Men)
By Jeffrey Gallant
10,925 m (35,843 ft) — Victor Vescovo (USA) aboard the DSV Limiting Factor (Triton 36000/2 model submersible) | Five Deeps Expedition, April 28, 2019 [...]
Read More
Deepest fish (Observed)
By Jeffrey Gallant
The Swire's snailfish (Pseudoliparis swirei) was captured on video at the depth of 8,178 m (26,831 ft) in 2017. This species, more commonly referred to as the Mariana snailfish [...]
Read More
Deepest diving submersible (In service)
By Jeffrey Gallant
The DSV Limiting Factor dived four times to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in April-May 2019, including the deepest dive ever made by a submersible [...]
Read More
Deepest dive by a head of state
By Jeffrey Gallant
5,109 m (16,762 ft) — HSH Prince Albert II accompanied Victor Vescovo to the deepest point of the Mediterranean Sea, the Calypso Deep, on [...]
Read More
Deepest watch (Prototype)
By Jeffrey Gallant
10,925 m (35,843 ft) — Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional. Two of the Omega timepieces were strapped to the manipulator [...]
Read More
Deepest point in Earth’s oceans
By Jeffrey Gallant
10,994 m (36,070 ft) — The Challenger Deep, located in the Mariana Trench, 250 miles (400 km) southwest of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, is the deepest [...]
Read More
Deepest submersible dive (Ocean)
By Jeffrey Gallant
10,925 m (35,843 ft) — Victor Vescovo (USA) aboard the DSV Limiting Factor (Triton 36000/2 model submersible) | April 28, 2019 | Challenger Deep [...]
Read More
Oldest diver (Men)
By Jeffrey Gallant
99 — William Lambert (USA) celebrated his 99th anniversary with a birthday dive in Pearl Lake, Illinois, on September 5, 2019. He remained at the depth of 9.7 m (32 ft) for 20 minutes [...]
Read More
Fastest drift dive
By Jeffrey Gallant
17.68 knots (32.74 km/h / 20.34 mph) — Sechelt Rapids (Skookumchuck Narrows), British Columbia, Canada. It is estimated that for a 3.6 m (12 ft) tide, 757 billion litres of seawater flow [...]
Read More
Largest jellyfish
By Jeffrey Gallant
Lion’s mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) — The largest individuals have a bell diameter of 2.3 m (7.5 ft) with over 800 tentacles; some reaching lengths of 37 m (120 ft). Despite its [...]
Read More
Deepest octopus
By Jeffrey Gallant
Dumbo octopus (Grimpoteuthis) — 6957 m (22,825 ft), Java Trench (Indian Ocean). The octopus was remotely observed using an autonomous baited camera and trap lander in [...]
Read More
First documented case of hydrogen psychosis
By Jeffrey Gallant
Capt Steve Zissou suffered from the debilitating effects of Crazy Eye after witnessing the demise of his diving companion and partner, Esteban du Plantier [...]
Read More
Clearest water
By Jeffrey Gallant
80 m (262 ft) or the approximate visibility of distilled water. A few locations are claimed to equal the visibility of distilled water, including the Weddell Sea (Antarctica), New Zealand’s [...]
Read More
First underwater colony
By Jeffrey Gallant
1963 — Conshelf II (France). Seven divers lived underwater off Sha’ab Rumi (Sudan) in the Red Sea for one month under the supervision of Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The colony [...]
Read More
Most fin patents
By Jeffrey Gallant
Bob Evans (USA) — Since 1971, he has patented 33 revolutionary fin designs including the Force Fin Tan Delta (polyurethane) which is part of the permanent collections of the New York [...]
Read More
Largest glacier calving ever filmed
By Jeffrey Gallant
The largest glacier calving event ever recorded took place on May 28, 2008, when Adam LeWinter and Director Jeff Orlowski were filming the Ilulissat Glacier [...]
Read More
First aquanaut (Men)
By Jeffrey Gallant
1962 — Robert Sténuit | Man-in-the-Sea I project by Edwin A. Link. Sténuit spent 24 hours and 15 minutes in a submersible decompression chamber (SDC) at a depth of 61 m (200 ft) [...]
Read More
Longest migration (Shark)
By Jeffrey Gallant
20,142 km (12,516 miles) — A whale shark (Rinchodon typus) was tracked by satellite from Panama to the Mariana Trench between April 2012 and [...]
Read More
Oldest active scuba club
By Jeffrey Gallant
1938 — Göteborgs Amatördykarklubb (Gothenburg Amateur Diving Club). The club, which was founded on October 22, 1938, began its activities after receiving two Le Prieur [...]
Read More
The Diving Almanac features more than 650 celebrities or locally-known champions from all parts of the world. Discover long-forgotten pioneers and current day explorers and inventors in our industry-exclusive Who’s Who.
VESCOVO, Victor
By Jeffrey Gallant
Deepsea explorer extraordinaire; first person to descend to the deepest points of all five of the Earth's oceans during the Five Deeps Expedition in 2018–2019; set the record for the deepest [...]
Read More
WALLINGFORD, Peter
By Jeffrey Gallant
President of Diamond Reef® Training Systems International (renamed from BTSI); creator of the Diamond Reef Training and Evaluation System; founded Friends of the Reef in response [...]
Read More
COUSTEAU, Jacques-Yves
By Jeffrey Gallant
Diving pioneer, visionary, and inventor; world-famous underwater explorer and advocate for the environment; prolific author and film [...]
Read More
LE PRIEUR, Yves Paul Gaston
By Jeffrey Gallant
Inventor; modified the Rouquayrol Denayrouse diving apparatus by combining a demand valve and high pressure air tank thus eliminating [...]
Read More
EVANS, Bob
By Jeffrey Gallant
President, Bob Evans Designs, Inc.; inventor holding more than 33 patents on revolutionary fin designs (Force Fin); inventor of GasPods; fin design part of the permanent collections [...]
Read More
WOLBERT, Linden
By Jeffrey Gallant
Professional mermaid; entrepreneur; Ocean Advocate; founder and CEO at Mermaid Linden; Half woman, half fish, Linden speaks to humans about the creatures of the sea with [...]
Read More
VANN, Richard D., Ph.D.
By Jeffrey Gallant
Hyperbaric researcher; diving physiologist; Emeritus Assistant Professor at Duke University; former Vice President of Research for DAN; diving engineer at Ocean [...]
Read More
NITSCH, Herbert
By Jeffrey Gallant
Competitive freediver; established AIDA No Limit record of 214 m (702.1 ft) in 2007; has set over 30 world records; can hold his breath for more than 9 minutes; invented the neck [...]
Read More
LABAN, André
By Jeffrey Gallant
Underwater photographer; filmmaker; world’s first underwater painter; musician; longtime crewmember and diver of the Cousteau Society; chemical engineer; co-designer and [...]
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CHURCH, Ron
By Jeffrey Gallant
Pioneer underwater photographer; author; cinematographer; freediver; world record spearfisherman; co-founder of the San Diego Underwater Photographic [...]
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NICKLIN, Chuck
By Jeffrey Gallant
Pioneer underwater cinematographer and photographer; filmed underwater sequences for TV shows and blockbuster movies including The Deep, The Abyss, and two [...]
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EARLE, Sylvia, Ph.D.
By Jeffrey Gallant
Scientist; aquanaut; author; public speaker; multiple record holder including the Deepest dive in one-atmosphere suit and the Deepest solo submersible dive; led the first all-female [...]
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SULLIVAN, Jeremiah
By Jeffrey Gallant
Marine biologist; shark diving pioneer and researcher into the reality of human/shark interactions; founder of SharkArmor Tech; inventor of the Neptunic Sharksuit, a flexible [...]
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HASS, Lotte (née Baierl)
By Jeffrey Gallant
Diving and underwater photography pioneer; first underwater model; producer; author; went on her first expedition with Hans Hass in the Red Sea in 1950 resulting [...]
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DOUBILET, David
By Jeffrey Gallant
Underwater photographer; resident photographer for National Geographic Magazine; explorer; author; multiple awards include Lowell Thomas Award (Explorers Club) and the [...]
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McDONALD, Kendall
By Jeffrey Gallant
Author; wreck enthusiast; chronicler of British diving and shipwrecks; public speaker; scriptwriter and presenter of the first British TV series on diving; former Chairman of [...]
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WATTS, Hal
By Jeffrey Gallant
Founder of the Professional Scuba Association, originally known as the Florida State Skin Diving Schools in 1962; world air depth record at 390 ft (119 m) in 1967; set the world record for [...]
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WATSON, Neal
By Jeffrey Gallant
Pioneer of dive resort franchising; President of the Bahamas Diving Association; commercial diver; dive instructor; treasure salver; underwater stuntman; holds the world record for the longest [...]
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From the deepest dives to the most dangerous sea creatures, our feature posts showcase outstanding diving facts and trivia, hand-picked from our Diving Records, Diving History, and Who’s Who. Nothing here is fake or clickbait!
By Jeffrey Gallant
From true to life nature scenes to the surreal, these amazing underwater artists will make you dream of diving [...]
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By Jeffrey Gallant
These legendary figures left such a mark in their respective fields that they would change the world of diving forever [...]
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By Jeffrey Gallant
These trailblazing underwater women have inspired so many divers to follow their passion and make a difference [...]
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Our Timeline of Man Underwater, which chronicles over 6,000 years of exploration and innovation, is the most thorough history of diving available online.
Divers rescue 12 boys and coach from flooded Thai cave
By Jeffrey Gallant
[2018] On July 2, cave divers Rick Stanton and John Volanthen locate all 12 members of a youth football team and their coach [...]
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The SPID is designed and built
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 1964 ] Edward A. Link designs and builds a two-man undersea habitat called the SPID (Submersible, Portable Inflatable Dwelling). Two commercial [...]
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Two divers die in Johnson Sea Link
By Jeffrey Gallant
[1973] Edwin Clayton Link and Albert Dennison Stover died from carbon dioxide poisoning after the submersible was entangled for over 24 hours at a depth [...]
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Commeinhes develops open-circuit scuba
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 1937 ] The first model of a two-cylinder open-circuit breathing apparatus with demand regulator is developed by Georges Commeinhes for [...]
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Priest publishes The Art of Breathing Underwater
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 1681 ] French priest Abbé Jean de Hautefeuille publishes L’art de respirer sous l’eau (The Art of Breathing Underwater) in which he explains why it is not [...]
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Refit of Cousteau’s Calypso restarts
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 2016 ] Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s famed oceanographic vessel Calypso is moved to Turkey for a full refit, including new engines; Calypso's sad saga began [...]
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Discovery of HMS Erebus
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 2014 ] On September 7, Parks Canada archeologists from the 2014 Victoria Strait Expedition discover the wreck of one of the ships from the ill-fated [...]
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Record habitat dive in Romania
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 1994 ] Romanian aquanauts Liviu Miron and Constantin Mihaï set the European record for the longest uninterrupted stay in an underwater habitat by [...]
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The bathyscaphe Trieste is designed
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 1950 ] Dr. Auguste Piccard and his son Jacques design the bathyscaphe Trieste, which is launched in 1953. The bathyscaphe consists of [...]
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Archaeologists find HMS Terror
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 2016 ] On September 18, 2016, Parks Canada confirms that the wreck discovered by the Arctic Research Foundation is HMS Terror. The archaeological [...]
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Leonardo Da Vinci designs a diving suit
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ CIRCA 1500 ] Leonardo Da Vinci designs a diving suit and flexible snorkel system for breathing at depth. The snorkel is made of cane tubes [...]
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First dives for treasure
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 480 BCE ] Herodotus tells of Cyana (a.k.a. Hydna of Scione) and her father Scyllias, a pair of divers who recovered sunken treasure for the Persian King Xerxes. When Xerxes [...]
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Divers in the Trojan War
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 1194 BCE ] Homer writes of divers attacking ships during the Trojan War in the Iliad. Whether there is any historical reality behind the Trojan War remains an open question. Many [...]
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William Bourne designs a wooden submarine
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 1578 ] William Bourne, an English mathematician draws the first plans for an underwater boat powered by oars. The wooden submarine covered [...]
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Edmond Halley improves the diving bell
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 1690 ] English astronomer Edmond Halley—of Halley’s Comet fame—improves the diving bell. Additional air is available in weighted barrels [...]
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Artifacts recovered from Antikythera
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 2015 ] Archaeologists excavating the Antikythera shipwreck recover more than 50 items including a bronze armrest, remains of a bone [...]
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Anthony’s Key Resort is founded on Roatan
By Jeffrey Gallant
[1968] Julio Galindo Sr. and his wife, Cheryl Galindo, welcome their first guests on the island of Roatán, Honduras. Anthony’s Key Resort has since become [...]
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Renowned explorers in the High Arctic
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 2015 ] A team of renowned explorers mounts the Elysium – Artists for the Arctic expedition to the High Arctic to produce a feature documentary, a book [...]
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Join the editor of the Diving Almanac as he visits record destinations, and meets notable divers and personalities from our international Who’s Who.
The Diving Almanac is the only central body of information on diving records, people, and diving history. Browse the website or search our exclusive database of thousands of records, diver profiles and historical events covering every aspect of the underwater world.