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.
COUSTEAU, Jean-Michel
By Jeffrey Gallant
Explorer; environmentalist; educator; film producer; architect; President of Ocean Futures; longest active diver in the world; produced over 75 films; member of the world's first scuba [...]
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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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COUSTEAU, Céline
By Jeffrey Gallant
Documentary film director and producer; designer; founder and Director of CauseCentric Productions and founder/President of the non-profit organisation [...]
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COUSTEAU, Philippe
By Jeffrey Gallant
Environmentalist; explorer; film producer; lead cinematographer for multiple Cousteau Society films; pilot; dove for the first time in 1945 at the age of four using a miniature version of the [...]
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First Aqua-Lung dive
By Jeffrey Gallant
January 1943 — Jacques-Yves Cousteau tested the first Cousteau-Gagnan open-circuit scuba unit in the cold Marne River near Paris. The single-stage regulator worked [...]
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First sea lion selfie
By Jeffrey Gallant
Steller sea lion — Russell Clark's 360° camera was momentarily engulfed by a Steller sea lion during a dive off Hornby Island, British Columbia, in 2019. The resulting image became the [...]
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Most isolated atoll
By Jeffrey Gallant
The coral atoll of Kiritimati, located in the northern Line Islands is part of the Republic of Kiribati. Based on the United Nations Environment (UNEP) Index of Isolation [...]
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FRAZIER, Dottie May
By Jeffrey Gallant
First female scuba instructor; first female commercial (hard-hat) diver; first female dive shop owner (Penguin); wetsuit and drysuit designer; charter member of the Long Beach Neptunes [...]
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Most habitat missions (Science)
By Jeffrey Gallant
180 scientific missions were conducted aboard Hydro-Lab in the Bahamas (100) and in St. Croix, USVI (80) from 1970. Hydro-Lab was built by Perry [...]
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First underwater self-portrait (selfie?)
By Jeffrey Gallant
1893 — Louis Boutan took an underwater self-portrait at a depth of 3 m (10 ft) using a camera known as the Detective which he inserted [...]
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Deepest dive on scuba (Ocean | Men)
By Jeffrey Gallant
332.35 m (1,090 ft) — Ahmed Gabr (Egypt), Dahab, Egypt, September 18, 2014. Time to descend to 335 m (1,100 ft) was 14 minutes but the actual [...]
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Deepest saturation dive (Openwater)
By Jeffrey Gallant
534 m (1,752 ft) — COMEX Hydra 8, Hyperbaric Experimental Centre, Marseille, France, 1988. Breathing a gas mixture of hydro-heliox, it [...]
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GILPATRIC, John Guy
By Jeffrey Gallant
Freediving pioneer; directly influenced the careers of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Hans Hass, Philippe Tailliez and Frédéric Dumas in the 1930s when he personally [...]
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HASS, Hans, D.Sc.
By Jeffrey Gallant
Scientist; diving and underwater photography pioneer; explorer; author first published in 1939 with Jagd unter Wasser mit Harpune und Kamera; made his first dive in the Mediterranean [...]
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Oldest order of female divers
By Jeffrey Gallant
Ama divers (Sea People) in Japan have been diving for food and pearls for 2,000 years. Traditional Ama divers wear only a loincloth (isogi) and no diving [...]
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Highest altitude freedive (STA | Women)
By Jeffrey Gallant
4,720 m (15,486 ft) — On November 19, 2017, Lidija Lijić (Croatia) did a static (STA) breath-hold dive of 2 min 21 sec in the Annapurna Ice Lake [...]
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HASSON, Wayne
By Jeffrey Gallant
President of Aggressor Fleet and Dancer Fleet; co-founder of Aggressor Fleet with wife Anne Hasson, and captain of the first Cayman Aggressor in 1984; helped install the first [...]
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BEEBE, William
By Jeffrey Gallant
Pioneer ecologist; explorer; author; co-invented the Bathysphere with Otis Barton; made record descent to 923 m (3,028 ft) with Barton aboard the Bathysphere in 1934; among [...]
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CALYPSO, The
By Jeffrey Gallant
BYMS-1 Class Motor Minesweeper: laid down 12 August 1941 as BYMS-26 by the Ballard Marine Railway Co., Inc., Seattle, WA; completed and transfered to Great Britain [...]
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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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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.
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
First Aqua-Lung dive
By Jeffrey Gallant
January 1943 — Jacques-Yves Cousteau tested the first Cousteau-Gagnan open-circuit scuba unit in the cold Marne River near Paris. The single-stage regulator worked [...]
Read More
First sea lion selfie
By Jeffrey Gallant
Steller sea lion — Russell Clark's 360° camera was momentarily engulfed by a Steller sea lion during a dive off Hornby Island, British Columbia, in 2019. The resulting image became the [...]
Read More
Longest-established scuba magazine (North America)
By Jeffrey Gallant
DIVER Magazine (Canada) was founded by Peter Vassilopoulos in 1974 before being acquired by Dr. Phil Nuytten in 2004 [...]
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Most isolated atoll
By Jeffrey Gallant
The coral atoll of Kiritimati, located in the northern Line Islands is part of the Republic of Kiribati. Based on the United Nations Environment (UNEP) Index of Isolation [...]
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First female scuba diving instructor
By Jeffrey Gallant
1955 — Dottie May Frazier (USA). Mrs. Frazier was also the first female commercial diver, and the first female dive shop owner (Penguin) [...]
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Most habitat missions (Science)
By Jeffrey Gallant
180 scientific missions were conducted aboard Hydro-Lab in the Bahamas (100) and in St. Croix, USVI (80) from 1970. Hydro-Lab was built by Perry [...]
Read More
First underwater self-portrait (selfie?)
By Jeffrey Gallant
1893 — Louis Boutan took an underwater self-portrait at a depth of 3 m (10 ft) using a camera known as the Detective which he inserted [...]
Read More
Deepest dive on scuba (Ocean | Men)
By Jeffrey Gallant
332.35 m (1,090 ft) — Ahmed Gabr (Egypt), Dahab, Egypt, September 18, 2014. Time to descend to 335 m (1,100 ft) was 14 minutes but the actual [...]
Read More
Deepest saturation dive (Openwater)
By Jeffrey Gallant
534 m (1,752 ft) — COMEX Hydra 8, Hyperbaric Experimental Centre, Marseille, France, 1988. Breathing a gas mixture of hydro-heliox, it [...]
Read More
Oldest order of female divers
By Jeffrey Gallant
Ama divers (Sea People) in Japan have been diving for food and pearls for 2,000 years. Traditional Ama divers wear only a loincloth (isogi) and no diving [...]
Read More
Highest altitude freedive (STA | Men)
By Jeffrey Gallant
4,720 m (15,486 ft) - On November 19, 2017, Vitomir Maričić (Croatia) did a static (STA) breath-hold dive of 3 min 28 sec in the Annapurna Ice [...]
Read More
Highest altitude freedive (STA | Women)
By Jeffrey Gallant
4,720 m (15,486 ft) — On November 19, 2017, Lidija Lijić (Croatia) did a static (STA) breath-hold dive of 2 min 21 sec in the Annapurna Ice Lake [...]
Read More
Longest cave penetration dive (DPV)
By Jeffrey Gallant
8,800 m (28,871 ft) — British-led team of divers (Jason Mallinson, Rick Stanton, John Volanthen, and Dutch caver Rene Houben), September 2010, Pozo Azul [...]
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First shark observation suit
By Jeffrey Gallant
1978 — Neptunic Sharksuit by marine biologist Jeremiah Sullivan (a.k.a. Chain Mail Anti-Shark Suit); the suit was developed in 1978-1979 [...]
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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 [...]
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Fastest torpedo
By Jeffrey Gallant
260 knots (483 km/h / 300 mph) — Shkval (squall) supercavitating rocket-propelled torpedo (Russia). The Shkval produces an envelope of supercavitating bubbles preventing the [...]
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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 [...]
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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.
DELOIRE, Michel
By Jeffrey Gallant
Longtime underwater cameraman for the Cousteau Society; began in 1965 as the alternate cameraman for Philippe Cousteau during Conshelf III; cinematographer [...]
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MCNEESE, Doug
By Jeffrey Gallant
President and CEO of Scuba Schools International (SSI); purchased NASDS in 1993 and merged with SSI in 1998; Chairman of The Dive Shop, Inc, which was founded by his [...]
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COUSTEAU, Jean-Michel
By Jeffrey Gallant
Explorer; environmentalist; educator; film producer; architect; President of Ocean Futures; longest active diver in the world; produced over 75 films; member of the world's first scuba [...]
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COUSTEAU, Fabien
By Jeffrey Gallant
Aquanaut; oceanographic explorer; environmental advocate; engineer; filmmaker; Founder of the Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center in 2016; lived and worked underwater [...]
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COUSTEAU, Céline
By Jeffrey Gallant
Documentary film director and producer; designer; founder and Director of CauseCentric Productions and founder/President of the non-profit organisation [...]
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COUSTEAU, Jan (née Sullivan)
By Jeffrey Gallant
Co-founder of EarthEcho International; served as a photographer, paramedic and cook during 20 Cousteau expeditions over a period [...]
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COUSTEAU, Philippe
By Jeffrey Gallant
Environmentalist; explorer; film producer; lead cinematographer for multiple Cousteau Society films; pilot; dove for the first time in 1945 at the age of four using a miniature version of the [...]
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CLARK, Russell
By Jeffrey Gallant
Filmmaker; Co-Director of Seaproof.TV with partner Trisha Stovel; Editor and Art Director of DIVER Magazine; brand art director; dive industry media consultant; took the world's [...]
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FRAZIER, Dottie May
By Jeffrey Gallant
First female scuba instructor; first female commercial (hard-hat) diver; first female dive shop owner (Penguin); wetsuit and drysuit designer; charter member of the Long Beach Neptunes [...]
Read More
GILPATRIC, John Guy
By Jeffrey Gallant
Freediving pioneer; directly influenced the careers of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Hans Hass, Philippe Tailliez and Frédéric Dumas in the 1930s when he personally [...]
Read More
HASS, Hans, D.Sc.
By Jeffrey Gallant
Scientist; diving and underwater photography pioneer; explorer; author first published in 1939 with Jagd unter Wasser mit Harpune und Kamera; made his first dive in the Mediterranean [...]
Read More
HASSON, Wayne
By Jeffrey Gallant
President of Aggressor Fleet and Dancer Fleet; co-founder of Aggressor Fleet with wife Anne Hasson, and captain of the first Cayman Aggressor in 1984; helped install the first [...]
Read More
BEEBE, William
By Jeffrey Gallant
Pioneer ecologist; explorer; author; co-invented the Bathysphere with Otis Barton; made record descent to 923 m (3,028 ft) with Barton aboard the Bathysphere in 1934; among [...]
Read More
CALYPSO, The
By Jeffrey Gallant
BYMS-1 Class Motor Minesweeper: laid down 12 August 1941 as BYMS-26 by the Ballard Marine Railway Co., Inc., Seattle, WA; completed and transfered to Great Britain [...]
Read More
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 [...]
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 [...]
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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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STONEMAN, John, M.Sc.
By Jeffrey Gallant
Underwater cinematographer; zoologist; President of Mako Films; Producer of The Ocean World; produced or directed over 250 underwater documentaries, including the first underwater [...]
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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
These trailblazing underwater women have inspired so many divers to follow their passion and make a difference [...]
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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
From true to life nature scenes to the surreal, these amazing underwater artists will make you dream of diving [...]
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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.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Kessler designs diving bell
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 1616 ] German inventor Franz Kessler designs an unstable diving bell with a harness and glass ports. Kessler was also a was a portrait painter, a [...]
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Antikythera Shipwreck found
By Jeffrey Gallant
[ 1900 ] Greek sponge divers discover the Antikythera Shipwreck and recover artifacts, including the oldest known analog computer. The [...]
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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.