Women Divers Hall of Fame

Last updated
Women Divers Hall of Fame
AbbreviationWDHOF
Legal statusNonprofit tax-exempt 501C(3) [1]
PurposeTo honor the accomplishments of women divers
Region served
International
FieldsWomen in underwater diving
Membership (2023)
254
President
Robin Parish [2]
Chair
Susan Bangasser [2]
Vice President
Patti Kirk Gross [2]
Secretary
Patty Seery [2]
Website https://www.wdhof.org

The Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF) is an international honor society. Its purpose is to honor the accomplishments of women divers, [3] [4] [5] and their contributions to various fields of underwater diving. [6] [1] Full membership is restricted to nominees who have been found to meet the WDHOF's criteria, which include being an underwater diver and having contributed to diving in ways recognised as being significant. [7]

Contents

History

The WDHOF was founded in 1999 by a group of people and organizations, including the Underwater Society of America. [8] [9] 72 women were inducted in 2000, followed by 26 new members the next year. [10]

Scholarships and grants

The WDHOF awards many scholarships and training grants [11] to support women of "all ages who are pursuing careers involving diving" [12] including the J. Berman Memorial Grant for Sea Turtle Conservation, the Sherry Reed Memorial Undergraduate Marine Conservation Scholarship, the Laurel Clark Sea to Space Physiology Research Grant and the Amelia Behrens-Furniss Memorial Hardhat Dive Training Grant. [13] [14] [15]

Members

As of 2023, there are 254 members. [16] They include:

NameDatesInductionDetails
Pamela Balash-Webber 1953-20202022Co-founder of the Virgin Islands Diving Association, PADI course director, and promoter of ocean conservation
Carole Baldwin 2022Scientist, author, and educator. An authority on marine biology, especially tropical-marine fishes, conservation and sustainable seafood
Sally Bauer 2011Diving museum founder and historian, aquaculturist, author, and public speaker [17]
Amelia Behrens-Furniss 1895-19702012Pioneering American deep sea diver
Wendy Benchley 2015Marine conservation leader, governmental policy advocate, and spokesperson on shark conservation [18]
Bette Bolivar 1962-2005US Navy Diving and Salvage Officer; commanding Officer of USS Salvor, and of the Navy Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit [19]
Mary Bonnin 2001First woman US Navy Master Diver; US Navy diving instructor; naval diving safety advocate [20]
Cathy Church 1945-2000American marine biologist, SCUBA diver, underwater photographer and educator
Eugenie Clark 1922-20152022An American ichthyologist known for both her research on shark behaviour and her study of fish in the order Tetraodontiformes; a pioneer in the field of scuba diving for research purposes
Laurel B. Clark 1961-20032003Clark did active duty training with the Diving Medicine Department at the United States Navy Experimental Diving Unit; completed Navy undersea medical officer training at the Naval Undersea Medical Institute in Groton, Connecticut, and diving medical officer training at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center; she dove with Navy divers and Naval Special Warfare Unit Two SEALs and performed many medical evacuations from US submarines; designated as a Naval Submarine Medical Officer and Diving Medical Officer
Céline Cousteau 1972-2011
Annie Crawley 1968-2010American underwater photographer, [21] filmmaker, speaker, educator, and ocean advocate. [22] In 2007, she founded Dive Into Your Imagination, a multimedia ocean inspiration, entertainment, and education series for youth. [23]
Mandy-Rae Cruickshank 1974-2009Canadian World champion free-diver and record-holder
Sylvia Earle 1935-2000Oceanographer and marine biologist (former Chief Scientist at NOAA), author and consultant
Dottie Frazier 1922-20222000American diver and dive shop owner; the first female scuba instructor and the first female dive shop owner. [24]
Honor Frost 1917-20102019Pioneer in the field of underwater archaeology, who led Mediterranean archaeological investigations and was noted for her typology of stone anchors and skills in archaeological illustration
Lotte Hass 1928-20152000Austrian underwater diver, model and actress
Hillary Hauser 1944-2000American photojournalist and environmental activist with a focus on the oceans — underwater diving adventure, politics, and conservation
Mehgan Heaney-Grier 1977-2000American champion free-diver
Jill Heinerth 1965-2000Canadian cave diver, underwater explorer, writer, photographer and film-maker
Denise Herzing 2021Founder and Research Director of the Wild Dolphin Project [25]
Lauren Hutton 1943-2007Conservationist and scuba advocate
Darlene Iskra 1952-2008US Navy diving and salvage officer, first woman to command a commissioned US Navy ship, public speaker, and author
Karen Kohanowich 2001Retired U.S. Naval officer and ocean research and technology program manager for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER)
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo 2007
Dení Ramírez Macías 1978-2021Mexican marine biologist ocean scientist, and conservationist, and director of Whale Shark México (Tiburon Ballena Mexico) [26]
Andrea Marshall 2023 marine biologist known for wildlife conservation and research on large marine animals like manta rays & whale sharks; co-founder and a principal scientist of the Marine Megafauna Foundation
Simone Melchior-Cousteau [27] 1919-19902017First woman scuba diver and aquanaut; wife and business partner of undersea explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Audrey Mestre 1974-20022002French world record-setting freediver
Zale Parry 1933-2000American pioneer scuba diver, underwater photographer and actress
Penelope Powell 1904-19652023Pioneering cave diver in 1935 [28] [29]
Lesley Rochat [30] 2010South African marine and shark conservationist, [31] campaigner, [32] wildlife filmmaker, underwater photographer, [33] [34] environmental writer, [35] author, speaker [36] and activist. [37] She founded the non-profit organisation AfriOceans Conservation Alliance
Dee Scarr 2000American environmentalist, marine naturalist, and scuba diver
Claudia Serpieri 2002Italian world-record technical diver and instructor
Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper 1963-2007American salvage officer. Projects include de-stranding the tanker Exxon Houston off the coast of Barbers Point, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, and developing the plan for the Peruvian Navy salvage of the Peruvian submarine
Tanya Streeter 1973-2000British-Caymanian-American world champion freediver
Kathryn Sullivan 1951-2008American, first woman to dive into the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench
Valerie Taylor 1935-2000Australian diver, underwater photographer and film maker
Donna Tobias 1952-20102001 United States Navy's first female deep sea diver
Ruth Turner 1914-20002001Pioneering U.S. marine biologist and malacologist
Michele Westmorland 2011American photographer, specializing in underwater photography
Susan Williams 1951-20182019American marine biologist
Cristina Zenato [38] 1971-2011Shark protection consultant; TDI and NSS-CDS technical and full cave instructor; explorer, surveyor and mapper of cave systems; and ocean advocate

Related Research Articles

Tanya Streeter is a British-Caymanian-American world champion freediver, inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame in March 2000.

Audrey Mestre was a French world record-setting freediver.

Mandy-Rae Cruickshank is a world champion free-diver and record-holder from Vancouver, British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotte Hass</span> Pioneering diver and underwater photographer

Lotte Hass was a pioneering Austrian diver, underwater photographer and model. She was nicknamed The First Lady of Diving. She was the first woman to dive in the Red Sea, the first woman to dive with autonomous diving equipment and the first underwater model. She was also the first person to take “in-water footage” of whale sharks and manta rays. She was married to Hans Hass, the Austrian biologist and fellow diving pioneer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zale Parry</span> American pioneer scuba diver, underwater photographer and actress

Rosalia (Zale) Parry (1933-) is an American pioneer scuba diver, underwater photographer and actress.

The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame (ISDHF) is an annual event that recognizes those who have contributed to the success and growth of recreational scuba diving in dive travel, entertainment, art, equipment design and development, education, exploration and adventure. It was founded in 2000 by the Cayman Islands Ministry of Tourism. Currently, it exists virtually with plans for a physical facility to be built at a future time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Bonnin</span> United States Navy Master Chief, underwater diver

Mary Bonnin is a former Master Chief in the United States Navy. She retired from her position in 1996. She had been with the United States Navy for 20 years, graduating at the top of her class in both air and gas surface-supplied diving. She then became the first woman Master Diver, and later she would be one of the first women to enter the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bret Gilliam</span> Pioneering technical diver and author (1951–2023)

Bret Clifton Gilliam was an American pioneering technical diver. He was most famous as co-founder of the certification agency Technical Diving International along with Mitch Skaggs, and as the one time holder of the world record for deep diving on air. He is also one of diving's most popular writers. Gilliam is the author or coauthor of 72 books, over 1500 feature magazine articles, and over 100 magazine cover photos. In his diving career he has logged over 19,000 dives(NOT VERIFIED) since 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mehgan Heaney-Grier</span> American free-diver, fashion model, actress, conservationist and television personality

Mehgan Heaney-Grier is an American champion freediver, fashion model, actress, conservationist, and TV personality.

Divers Academy International is a private, for-profit technical educational institution in New Jersey that offers training in commercial diving and underwater welding.

Hillary Rika Hauser is an American photojournalist and environmental activist with a focus on the oceans — underwater diving adventure, politics, and conservation. In 2009, in recognition of her ocean environmental work as it relates to underwater diving, Hauser received the NOGI Award for Distinguished Service from the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences. In 2013 the Academy elected Hauser as president of its board of directors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jill Heinerth</span> Canadian diver, writer and underwater filmmaker

Jill Heinerth is a Canadian cave diver, underwater explorer, writer, photographer and film-maker. She has made TV series for PBS, National Geographic Channel and the BBC, consulted on movies for directors including James Cameron, written several books and produced documentaries including We Are Water and Ben's Vortex, about the disappearance of Ben McDaniel.

Lesley Rochat is a South African marine and shark conservationist, campaigner, wildlife filmmaker, underwater photographer, environmental writer, author, speaker and activist. She founded the non-profit organisation AfriOceans Conservation Alliance in 2003 for which she is the chief executive officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Marshall</span> American marine biologist

Andrea Marshall is a marine biologist known for wildlife conservation and research on large marine animals like manta rays & whale sharks. Marshall is co-founder and a principal scientist of the Marine Megafauna Foundation, where she leads many of MMF’s projects around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Crawley</span> American underwater photographer (born 1968)

Annie Crawley is an American underwater photographer, filmmaker, speaker, educator, and ocean advocate. In 2007, she founded Dive Into Your Imagination, a multimedia ocean inspiration, entertainment, and education series for youth. In 2010, she became a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame. Crawley resides in Edmonds, Washington.

Catherine "Cathy" Church is an American marine biologist, SCUBA diver, underwater photographer and educator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerie Taylor (diver)</span> Australian underwater photographer

Valerie May Taylor AM is an Australian conservationist, photographer, and filmmaker, and an inaugural member of the diving hall of fame. With her husband Ron Taylor, she made documentaries about sharks, and filmed sequences for films including Jaws (1975).

Cristina Zenato is an Italian-born shark diver and conservationist. She is known for her work with Caribbean reef sharks in The Bahamas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Diving Museum</span> Museum of underwater diving in Islamorada, Florida

The History of Diving Museum is located in Islamorada, Florida which is in the Florida Keys. The museum's exhibits include a collection of vintage underwater diving equipment, a notable collection of diving helmets and various artifacts that are dedicated to the history of underwater diving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela Balash-Webber</span> American diving instructor and ocean conservationist (1953–2020)

Pamela "Pam" Sue Balash-Webber (1953-2020) was an American diving instructor and ocean conservationist.

References

  1. 1 2 "Women Divers Hall of Fame". www.wdhof.org. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Officers". www.wdhof.org. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  3. ↑ "Women Veteran Divers Assist National Park Service in Underwater Surveys - Channel Islands National Park (U.S. National Park Service)". National Park Service . 22 November 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  4. ↑ "Women Divers Hall of Fame". Skin Diver. Petersen Publishing Company. 50 (9). September 2001.
  5. ↑ "Women Divers Hall of Fame Inducts Six New Members for 2015". California Diver Magazine. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  6. ↑ Singh, Vijay (25 June 2023). "Mumbai woman inducted in Women Divers Hall of Fame in USA". The Times of India . Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  7. ↑ "Member Nominations". www.wdhof.org. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "About". www.wdhof.org. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "Women Divers Hall of Fame Announces Scholarships". Ocean News & Technology. Vol. 10, no. 3. 2004. p. 63. ProQuest   199926226.
  10. ↑ "New Inductees for Women's Diving Hall". Sport Diver. Vol. 9, no. 2. March 2001. p. 17.
  11. ↑ "Women Divers Hall of Fame Announces 2015 Scholarship Program". californiadiver.com. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
  12. ↑ Tanabe, Gen (2022). The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2022 Billions Of Dollars In Scholarships, Grants And Prizes. Belmont, California: SuperCollege. p. 390. ISBN   1-61760-164-0.
  13. ↑ Laguardia-Kotite, Martha (25 May 2021). Changing the Rules of Engagement: Inspiring Stories of Courage and Leadership from Women in the Military. U of Nebraska Press. p. 241. ISBN   978-1-64012-473-8.
  14. ↑ "Deadline for 2015 Women Divers Hall of Fame scholarships and training grants: 28 November". Ocean News & Technology. Vol. 20, no. 10. October 2014. p. 16. ProQuest   1615352472.
  15. ↑ Durbin-Sherer, Erin (15 November 2019). "Women Divers Hall Of Fame Has Been Celebrating Extraordinary Divers For 20 Years! - DeeperBlue.com". www.deeperblue.com. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  16. ↑ "Member Roster". www.wdhof.org. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  17. ↑ Johnson, Kalie (20 June 2018). "BW biology alumna celebrates lifelong passion with growing diving museum". Baldwin Wallace University . Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  18. ↑ "Women Divers Hall of Fame Inducts Six New Members for 2015". Florida Diver. March 24, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  19. ↑ Cole, William (25 February 2017). "Naval region gets Hawaii-born leader". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. ProQuest   1871919931.
  20. ↑ "Master Chief Mary Bonnin". www.navy.mil. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  21. ↑ "Dive Into Your Imagination: Manta Encounter in Raja Ampat".
  22. ↑ Weber, Katherine (June 13, 2010). "The Imagination of Ocean Annie". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Dive Into Your Imagination". Annie Crawley. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  24. ↑ Denny, Megan (2017-03-23). "7 Women in Diving Everyone Should Know". blog.padi.com. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
  25. ↑ "Wild Dolphin Project". Wild Dolphin Project.
  26. ↑ "Dra. Dení Ramírez Macías - Articulando Conocimiento Global". Innovation Match MX (in Spanish). 2012-04-17.
  27. ↑ Lunn, Rosemary E. (8 March 2021). "WDHOF announces new Simone Melchior Cousteau Grant". X-Ray International Dive Magazine. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  28. ↑ Shaw, Trevor; Ballinger, Christine (2020). A Biographical Bibliography: Explorers, Scientist and Visitors in the World's Karst 852BC to the Present. Ljubljana, Slovenia: Založba ZRC. p. 250. ISBN   978-9610504443.
  29. ↑ "Cave Diving – How it all started". startcaving.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  30. ↑ Helen Bamford (20 Feb 2010) Hall of Fame for marine Conservationist. The Saturday Star. Retrieved 1 October 2014
  31. ↑ Diving with sharks on Top Billing SABC3 (5 July 2013) Retrieved 14 February 2015
  32. ↑ Swimming with Jaws: Campaigner does a bikini swim with sharks to help ban shark nets (23 August 2013) UK Daily Mirror
  33. ↑ More Judges, Divesite Archived 17 February 2015 at archive.today
  34. ↑ Underwater Photographer Lesley Rochat (16 March 2012) Underwater Photographers
  35. ↑ Save our priceless oceans (10 October 2013)Cape Times Lesley Rochat
  36. ↑ Speakers of Note Archived 12 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  37. ↑ Activist entangles herself in sea net for campaign (11 May 2012)Cape Argus Lauren Manning
  38. ↑ Kirkby, Sarah (4 May 2011). "Local diver is recognized at 'Women Divers Hall Of Fame'". www.thebahamasweekly.com. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.