New inductees join Hall of Fame

The world’s underwater experts converge on the
Marriott to mark the latest inductions to the Hall of
Fame.

Underwater pioneers
Scuba diving pioneers from all over the world
converged on the Marriott Hotel this week to celebrate
the induction of newcomers to the Scuba Hall of Fame.
(L-r) Ernest Brooks, Innes Bergman, representing her
deceased husband, Dewey Bergman, and Captain Don
Stewart were the newest names on the list.

Friday,  October 14, 2005

Two new inductees joined the prestigious International Scuba Hall of Fame during their annual breakfast at the Marriott Beach Resort on Wednesday, 12 October.

The upstairs ballroom of the hotel was decorated, from top to bottom, with plastic fish and coral, in honour of the scuba diving pioneers from all around the world who had flown in especially for the breakfast, and the formal dinner that followed in the evening.

The scuba pioneers had a chance to exchange stories about the industry’s development from all their different countries, with local representatives of the diving industry.

Only two of the inductees were able to attend, Captain Don Stewart and Ernest Brooks, as the other two, Andreas Rechnitzer and Dewey Bergman had both died, but Mr Bergman was represented at the breakfast by Innes Bergman, his widow.

All four inductees have shown a consistent record of aiding the development, growth and promotion of the sport of recreational scuba diving around the world.

Ernest Brooks is a major contributor to underwater photography instruction, and has won international acclaim for his underwater photography and audio-visual presentations; Mr Brooks became President of the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California in 1971.

Dewey Bergman led the way in researching, planning, organizing and operating diving tours, and participated in diving and scientific expeditions to Tahiti, Europe, South America, Mexico, the Bahamas, Africa and Belize.

Mr Bergman created See & Sea, Inc, a San Francisco-based scuba-diving travel agency in 1965. Mr Bergman passed away in 1993.

Andreas Rechnitzer, Ph.D, was one of the true pioneers of diving and ocean science, and contributed over 50 years of dedicated service to undersea vehicles, diving, ocean technology, and ocean science. 

The fourth inductee, Captain Don Stewart was nominated for his founding of dive tourism in the island of Bonaire, and for founding the Council of Underwater Resort Operators.

He has spent the greater part of his life in Bonaire taking visitors diving and campaigning to protect the natural underwater environment.

Pilar Bush, Director of Tourism, said: “The Board of Directors of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, and the Cayman Islands, are very proud to honour these extraordinary individuals. Each inductee has had a great impact on scuba diving’s growth and popularity in their various areas of expertise.”

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