Men have dominated scuba diving ever since the beginning of time. In fact, the world’s first certified scuba diver is Jean-Michel Cousteau. It is told that he his first diving experience was when he was 7. His father strapped on his newly-invented aqualung onto young Cousteau’s back and just like that, he was thrown to the sea. There are many notable men in scuba diving but do you know that there are several superwomen in scuba diving too?

The topic actually came up while scuba diving in Cebu. Us divers were idly chatting about how there are very few women who want to try scuba diving compared to men. I realized then that this was true. There were times when I would be the only female diver in a group. I’m not really quite sure why as I can’t imagine not being able to scuba dive but I guess scuba diving is just simply preferred by men. 

In any case, with a little bit of research, I found a few women who have made invaluable contributions in the world of scuba diving:

Dr. Eugenie Clark

Born in 1922, Dr. Eugenie Clark is more famously known as “The Shark Lady”. This is because in 1968 Dr. Clark was onboard the legendary maiden voyage of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s ship, the Calypso as it toured globally to film ocean environments.  While on that journey Dr. Clark participated in experiments on shark behavior.  Her career resulted in her becoming one of the leading experts in shark behavior.

Dr. Clark studied zoology and became a research assistant at the he Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She actually began her scuba training in the 1940’s. In 1955, she then became the founding director of Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida; formally the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory and she remained a Mote trustee until her death just a few months ago in February of 2015.

Dr. Clark’s famous quote is: “those of us who love the sea wish everyone would be aware of the need to protect the sea”. 

Dr. Sylvia Earle

Often referred to as “The Sturgeon General” or “Her Deepness”, Dr. Sylvia Earle was born in 1935. She is the Explorer-in-Residence of the National Geographic Society. 

Dr. Earle made an open-ocean dive to the sea floor near Oahu in a JIM suit, setting the women’s depth record of 1,250’. In 1990, Dr. Earle was the first woman to hold the title of Chief Scientist for NOAA. She has logged more than 7,000 hours underwater and has led over a hundred expeditions.  

Dr. Earle is strong proponent of safeguarding and preserving our marine ecosystems and in so doing has received more than a hundred national and international honors.  “People ask: Why should I care about the ocean? Because the ocean is the cornerstone of earth’s life support system, it shapes climate and weather. It holds most of life on earth. 97% of earth’s water is there. It’s the blue heart of the planet — we should take care of our heart. It’s what makes life possible for us. We still have a really good chance to make things better than they are. They won’t get better unless we take the action and inspire others to do the same thing. No one is without power. Everybody has the capacity to do something.” 

Zale Parry

An actress at the Sea Hunt and an underwater photographer, Ms. Perry started scuba diving in the 1940’s. 

In the early 1950’s Ms Parry and her future husband, Parry Bivens, designed, built and marketed the first civilian hyperbaric chamber which they used to test scuba diving equipment. 

In 1953 they formed Scientific Underwater Research Enterprises.  Zale Parry set a new women’s deep diving record of 209’ while testing the Hope-Page non-return valve mouthpiece in open water. She is said to have stopped at 209’ only because she had reached the bottom! 

As a result of her success, the equipment became a standard regulator feature.  The deep diving record and testing was an important news event and a photo Zale Parry was featured on the cover of the May 1955 Sports Illustrated.

There are many more women in the 21st century who have made waves in the world of scuba diving and deep sea diving. In fact, I just recently wrote about Natalia Molchanova, one of the world’s most respected free diver who disappeared while diving in the Mediterranean. Many fear that she is dead but her legacy lives on as her son is also a champion free diver.

Looking at the achievements of these great women has inspired me to push forward with scuba diving, who knows, I might be the next Explorer-in-Residence for the Nat Geo Society? Kidding aside, women certainly can pursue the sport of scuba diving. I have been diving in Cebu and other parts of the world for a few years now and certainly, it has made me a better woman, a better person and an individual who cares deeply about the natural world.

If you’re a woman reading this and want to try scuba diving, please do! It’s absolutely life changing.