List of underwater explorers
This is a list of notable professional and amateur explorers who have personally explored the underwater environment and contributed towards expanding the knowledge and understanding of that environment. The list may include archaeologists, wreck divers, treasure hunters, biologists, marine geologists, geophysicists, ocean engineers, oceanographers, crew of exploration submersibles, cave divers and surveyors of the underwater topography, but these categories are not exclusive.
A
- David Attenborough
B
- Robert Ballard, underwater archaeologist, professor at University of Rhode Island
- Graham Balcombe, a founder of the Cave Diving Group
- Michael C. Barnette
- Otis Barton
- George F. Bass, pioneer underwater archaeologist, author, founded Institute of Nautical Archaeology in 1973
- William Beebe
- Samuel Stillman Berry, U.S. marine zoologist.
- Henry Bryant Bigelow, U.S. marine biologist.
- Mensun Bound, British maritime archaeologist
- David Bright
C
- James Cameron
- Rachel Carson, American Marine Biologist and Author.
- John Chatterton, co-discoverer of the Pirate Ship of Joseph Bannister, Golden Fleece
- Carl Chun, German marine biologist
- Arthur C. Clarke, – discovered the underwater ruins of the Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka
- Barry Clifford, – American underwater archaeological explorer
- Jacques-Yves Cousteau, French marine biologist and explorer
- Clive Cussler
E
- Sylvia Earle, American oceanographer
- Sheck Exley, cave diving pioneer
F
- Michèle Marie Fieux, oceanographer
- Mel Fisher, archeologist
G
- Nuno Gomes, South African diver, holder of world records for deep diving and deepest cave dive
H
- Richard Harris, Australian cave diver
- Jochen Hasenmayer, German cave diver
- Hans Hass, Austrian marine biologist and diving pioneer
- Graham Hawkes – Submersible designer and pilot
- Jill Heinerth – Cave diver and underwater explorer
- Gotthilf Hempel, German marine biologist
- Johan Hjort, Norwegian marine zoologist and one of the founders of ICES
- Bruno Hofer, German fisheries scientist
- Emperor Showa of Japan, jellyfish taxonomist
J
- Jarrod Jablonski, pioneering technical diver and record setting cave diver
K
- Brian Kakuk, cave diver in the Bahamas
- Uwe Kils, German marine biologist
- John Knauss, oceanographer
- Artur Kozłowski, Polish cave diver who died on a dive in Ireland
- August David Krohn, Russian/German zoologist
L
- Steve Lewis, Canadian cave diver, author, marine archaeologist
- Jon Lindbergh,
- Edwin Albert Link
M
- Robert F. Marx, pioneer underwater archaeologist, prolific author
- John Mattera, discoverer of the pirate ship of Joseph Bannister, and the Golden Fleece, and cave diver who mapped cave systems in the Dominican Republic
- Agnes Milowka, Australian cave diver, underwater photographer and author
- Sir John Murray, Scots–Canadian marine biologist
N
- Mark M. Newell, founder of Georgia Archaeological Institute
- Wheeler J. North, American marine biologist and diving pioneer
- Phil Nuytten – Deep-ocean explorer, and inventor of atmospheric diving suits
P
- Auguste Piccard, Swiss physicist, inventor and explorer
- Jacques Piccard, Swiss oceanographer and engineer
R
- Roger Revelle
- Ed Ricketts, American marine biologist noted for a pioneering study of intertidal ecology
- Harald Rosenthal, German hydrobiologist known for his work in fish farming and ecology
- William R. Royal, explorer of Warm Mineral Springs and Little Salt Spring in Florida
S
- David Shaw, Australian cave diver
- Jack Sheppard, pioneer of cave diving in the United Kingdom and a founder of the Cave Diving Group
- Wes Skiles, documentary filmmaker
- Edd Sorenson, American cave diver known for rescues and body recoveries
- E. Lee Spence, pioneer underwater archaeologist and treasure hunter
- Rick Stanton
- Robert Sténuit, underwater archeologist and the world's first aquanaut
- Bill Stone, American caver and explorer, known for exploring deep caves, sometimes with autonomous underwater vehicle
- Kathryn D. Sullivan, Marine geologist
T
- Peter Throckmorton, pioneer underwater archaeologist, director of the Sea Research Society
- Gunnar Thorson, Danish marine biologist
- Ruth Turner, marine biologist
V
- Victor Vescovo
- Allyn Vine,
W
- Don Walsh