No.5 MARINE EXPLORERS - 20th century

Ben Cropp - International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame 2000  

Ben's Bio -In 1964, Cropp won the coveted world Underwater Photographer of the Year, following in the footsteps of Hans Hass and Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and the same became the first Australian producer to sell to the giant US networks.

After making several specials for the United States’ NBC and ABC, Cropp released into syndication 12 episodes of the series The Coral Jungle, hosted by Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame. Another series of 10 specials around Australia, entitled This Rugged Coast, were sold worldwide. Cropp then made 15 one-hour films for The Disney Channel, one of which, The Young Adventurers, was nominated for an Emmy Award.

To date, Cropp has filmed and produced over 100 wildlife adventure documentaries, all sold worldwide. Cropp’s documentaries are a mixture of underwater wildlife and adventure. His most successful was March of the Crabs. Recent productions are on dugong, the deadly box jellyfish and sea snakes. Ben’s two sons feature in most of his films, and have become skillful cameramen.

Cropp lives in Port Douglas, Australia where he operated, until recently, a Shipwreck Museum. He has discovered more than 100 shipwrecks, including the Pandora, Australia’s most important.

In 1999 Cropp was awarded an Order of Australia AM for his marine and coastal conservation work and promotion and awareness of the Australian marine environment as a documentary filmmaker.  (International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame - directory 2000).

Ben's boat and dinghy (before the shark bite at Batt Reef).

ALBY ZIEBELL

Captain Alby Ziebell with wife Irene, purchased TSMV Coralita from Wally Muller and made major upgrades including destinations visited, for her international travelers. An unfortunate series of accidents followed. (See 'Coralita was a charter boat', post #6)

Mrs Irene Ziebell

Captain Alby Ziebell  (1949-2003)





COUSTEAU CREW 

J.Y. Cousteau film crew (below)

  Diver Marc Blessington from southern England and underwater cameraman Michel Deloire, at Cairns, Queensland aboard Alcyone.


The team worked in The Coral Sea during 1988

 

 

RON ISBELL

Captain Ron Isbell ventured to Saumarez Reef in the 1960s
operated mainly in the Capricorn and Bunker Group with occasional trips to The Swain Reefs where Ron Isbel Reef  (sic) is located today. 

A spear fishing champion and charter boat owner-captain, Ron Isbell launched his purpose-built Sea Hunt in 1968 from his base at Gladstone, Queensland.  It was some years before he installed an air compressor for scuba diving as the early divers were interested in free diving spear fishing.

As the popularity of scuba exploded Ron catered for both scuba and spearing – managing to keep both groups happy by taking them to separate sections of reef. Only possible when very few boats are working an area.

His favorite area was the Capricorn and Bunker Group offshore between Yeppoon, Gladstone and Bundaberg. In the early days this and Cairns was the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns had not got off the ground with an international airport so anyone wishing to avoid the long trip north went to the southern section of the Great Barrier Reef.

The ‘Great Barrier reefs’ leave the coast further north and extend well offshore, the southern section being The Swain Reefs (The Swains) – a vast area where less tourists venture.


Inshore is the Capricorn and Bunker Group, the most scenic low white-sand islands with vegetation and trees with surrounding coral reef. These are separate from the chain of more than 2000 reefs commonly called the Great Barrier Reef.  "A more accurate title would have been Great Barrier Reefs", said marine biologist Dr. Robert Endean.

WALLY MULLER

Riversong  Engine was a 48 HP Gardner.

Wally Muller using a sextant during his first voyage to Chesterfield Reef in 1971

Wally Muller with the salvaged shipwreck anchor which probably saved Coralita during a cyclone at Middleton Reef in the southern end of The Coral Sea (1972).

(You Tube) Wally Muller honoured by International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame 2015

WALLY  G. MULLER remembered by Muller's Reef in The Swain Reefs.

1964 expedition  - Riversong ventured  approx. 240 miles offshore.

Featuring Captain Wally Muller and the fishing vessel Riversong.

Ron Taylor's SLAUGHTER AT SAUMAREZ (1964) 360P

Ron Zangari  a regular "unpaid" deckhand for Wally Muller including the filming expedition "Slaughter at Saumarez" (1964).

SPEAR FISHING DETAILS by Ron Zangari (2 pages)

 




RON TAYLOR

Ron Taylor from the cover of a French magazine, crowned in Tahiti (1965) "World spear fishing champion"  the only Australian to have won this title to date (2017).

In recognition is Ron Taylor Reef - The Swain Reefs, southern section Great Barrier Reef.
Note: This is a partial list of explorers known to the author who have Great Barrier reefs named in their memory. Search elsewhere for a complete list which will include marine biologist Dr Robert Endean, also a colleague of this author.