Scuba Sport Magazine is the only scuba magazine that offers diving news, dive travel, scuba gear, diving destinations and underwater photography that caters to the recreational diver.
KXPSEDFNV LQ D VPDOO LQÁDWDEOH UDIW
, SLORWHG
the little craft within feet of giant whales while Mike tried to position the show's host, Boyd Matson, in the frame with a whale. Boyd was good on camera and, amazingly, had even better hair than Mike, but he wasn't an experienced diver. Strapping him in a rebreather and throwing him in with whales was like asking a teenager to do heart surgery. Ever the consummate and SDWLHQW SUR 0LNH WULHG IRU ÀYH GD\V WR JHW the shot. We had dozens of close whale encounters but the stars didn't line up and ÀOPLQJ D ELUWK VHHPHG PRUH DQG PRUH RXW of reach.
Finally we decided to put a hood on one of the dive masters—a stunt double if you will— just to get the shot. Mike, who was one of the planet's most talented documentarians, got some insurance footage but we never ZLWQHVVHG D ELUWK PXFK OHVV JRW LW RQ ÀOP However, we dove with countless whales, we laughed until we cried, we lived full throttle, and we became friends.
For most photo journalists, working with National Geographic is the pinnacle. But at 44-years old, Mike was just warming up. He went on to do documentaries for Blue Planet, shot footage of the Titanic, won Emmys, and was an expert submarine pilot. He chased the architeuthis (giant VTXLG ÀOPHG GHHS ZDWHU WKHUPDO vents, and became known as one of the EHVW ÀOPPDNHUV DQG QLFHVW JX\V \RX·G ever meet.
When the helicopter he was in exploded in Australia in February of 2012, he was working with James Cameron, the world's PRVW VXFFHVVIXO ÀOPPDNHU L H 7KH $E\VV Terminator, Titanic, Avatar, and Sanctum.
Mike not only had incredible talent behind the camera, but he was articulate and engaging in from of it too. His intelligence was intense but not threatening. He was a funny, passionate guy who once said he spent more time on the deck of the Titanic than the passengers who died there. He went to the bottom of the ocean and was on the top of the world at the peak of his career when he perished.
Mike started his obsession with the ocean when he took up scuba diving at age 12. For the next 48 years, he pursued his passion with a vengeance. He cared deeply about the natural ZRUOG DQG KLV ÀOPV GHOLYHUHG LW into our living rooms.
We were lucky to have a guy like Mike in our midst and I was lucky to count him as a friend. I mourn his loss but celebrate the amazing stories he revealed to us. I don't know why he was taken from us so suddenly, but in his six decades he packed in a lot of living, a lot of diving, a lot of friendship, and a lot of fun.
6 ScubaSport