Ron Taylor
Role: underwater filmmaker, diver, marine conservationist First appearance: 2010 ([1]) Born: 1934 Died: September 2012
Biography
Ronald Josiah Taylor (1934-2012) was an Australian icon of ocean exploration, scuba diving pioneer, underwater filmmaker, and marine conservationist. Born under the star sign of Pisces, Ron first submerged into the seas off Botany Bay, Sydney in 1951 ([2]).
He began as a breath-hold skin diver and became an accomplished spearfisherman, winning four consecutive Australian National spearfishing championships between 1962 and 1965, and the World Spearfishing Championship in Tahiti in 1965. He eventually became completely disenchanted with competitive spearfishing and gave up the sport entirely ([3]).
In 1955, Ron built his first underwater breathing apparatus from war surplus parts. He constructed his own underwater housings for cameras throughout his career, starting with a 16mm Bell and Howell camera housed in Perspex — “a harbinger of the dozens of Taylor-made, custom-built underwater housings he would construct for all of his cameras over the next fifty years” ([4]).
In 1960 at the Heron Island Dive Festival, he met Valerie Heighes, who would become his wife and lifelong collaborator. In 1965, Ron became “the first man in the world to film a great white shark underwater and the first man to photograph a great white shark underwater without the use of an anti-shark cage” ([5]).
Contributions
- “Blue Water, White Death” (1969): Hired with Valerie by Peter Gimbel as cameraman for this milestone documentary about hunting the great white shark. The film broke all box office records for a documentary and was the second grossing film of the year after only “Love Story” ([6]).
- “Jaws” (1974): Ron and Valerie shot the live action great white shark sequences for Steven Spielberg’s film. Other Hollywood credits include Orca, Gallipoli, The Last Wave, and The Blue Lagoon ([7]).
- Chain-mail anti-shark suit: Developed a revolutionary stainless steel, chain-mail inspired anti-shark suit, featured as the May 1981 cover story of National Geographic Magazine ([8]).
- Marine conservation: His films on the Yongala wreck and the Cod Hole on the Great Barrier Reef, combined with intense personal lobbying, led to protection of Australia’s marine heritage. His work was “instrumental in allowing the Australian public to see and appreciate and ultimately to protect their rare and precious marine legacy” ([9]).
- Shark conservation advocacy: In 2010, Ron and Valerie were interviewed by CNN as part of Talk Asia coverage, advocating against the shark fin trade ([10]).
Honors
- Order of Australia (2003): “For service to conservation and the environment through marine cinematography and photography” ([11])
- International Divers Hall of Fame (2000, with Valerie) ([12])
- Australian Geographic Society Lifetime of Conservation Award (with Valerie) ([13])
- Australian Cinematographers Society Hall of Fame (with Valerie) ([14])
Timeline
- 1951: First submerged into the ocean at Botany Bay, Sydney ([15])
- 1960: Met Valerie Heighes at Heron Island Dive Festival ([16])
- 1962: First film, “Playing With Sharks,” released in cinemas by Movietone News ([17])
- 1962-1965: Won four consecutive Australian National spearfishing championships ([18])
- 1965: Won World Spearfishing Championship in Tahiti; became first person to film and photograph a great white shark underwater without a cage ([19])
- 1969: Cameraman on “Blue Water, White Death” documentary ([20])
- 1974: Shot live great white shark sequences for “Jaws” ([21])
- 2003: Awarded Order of Australia ([22])
- 2010-10: Interviewed with Valerie on CNN Talk Asia about shark conservation ([23])
- 2012-09: Died; tribute by Douglas David Seifert published on Wetpixel ([24])
References
Sources
- Wetpixel article, Oct 6, 2010: Ron And Valerie Taylor On Cnn ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 6, 2010: Ron And Valerie Taylor On Cnn ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 6, 2010: Ron And Valerie Taylor On Cnn ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 9, 2012: A Tribute To Ron Taylor 1934 20120 ↩
- Ron and Valerie Taylor on CNN (article) ↩
- A tribute to Ron Taylor (1934-2012) (article) ↩