Ron & Valerie Taylor
Encyclopedia
Ron Taylor and Valerie Taylor (born in Sydney
9 November 1935) are prominent Australia
n shark
and underwater
experts. Their expertise has been called upon for films such as Jaws
, Orca
and Sky Pirates
.
Ron began diving in 1952, becoming interested in spearfishing
and underwater photography
. Valerie started diving in 1956 and spearfishing in 1960, eventually winning several Australian championships for ladies in both spearfishing and scuba.
They met while both members of St George spearfishing club in Sydney
, Australia
. They became champion spearfishers, however decided to switch from killing to filming them after becoming fascinated with marine life. Conservation did not begin to be an active movement until the late 1960s.
They married in December 1963 and have no children. They made their living in the 1960s by touring briefly with underwater footage they had filmed. The Taylors are credited with being pioneers in several areas - the first people to film great white sharks without the protection of a cage during the making of the movie "Blue Wilderness" in January 1992, together with South Africans George Askew and Piet van der Walt founders of the S African Great White shark Cage Diving industry. The Taylors also filmed the shark sequences for the film Orca
. The Taylors were also the first to film sharks by night to name two ground-breaking events. They are also credited with correcting the belief that sharks need to move forward to survive by obtaining footage of sharks sleeping on the sea-bed.
Valerie is also an accomplished watercolour artist. Her career began as a comic strip artist with The Silver Jacket, an Australian adventure magazine for boys.
Ron is a Member of the Order of Australia
, and Valerie received the Centenary Medal
, both awarded by the Australian government.
50 years after they first ventured underwater, Ron and Valerie Taylor are still active, spending months each year on expeditions to remote corners of the earth to be with the sharks they have learned so much about.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
9 November 1935) are prominent Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
and underwater
Underwater
Underwater is a term describing the realm below the surface of water where the water exists in a natural feature such as an ocean, sea, lake, pond, or river. Three quarters of the planet Earth is covered by water...
experts. Their expertise has been called upon for films such as Jaws
Jaws (film)
Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
, Orca
Orca (film)
Orca is a 1977 horror film directed by Michael Anderson and produced by Dino De Laurentiis, starring Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling, and Will Sampson. The film was poorly received by critics and audiences alike due in part to its similarities to the film Jaws released two years prior...
and Sky Pirates
Sky Pirates
Sky Pirates is a 1986 Australia adventure film, directed by Colin Eggleston.-Cast:*John Hargreaves ... Lt. Harris*Meredith Phillips ... Melanie Mitchell*Max Phipps ... Savage*Simon Chilvers ... Rev. Mitchell*Alex Scott ... Gen. Hackett...
.
Ron began diving in 1952, becoming interested in spearfishing
Spearfishing
Spearfishing is an ancient method of fishing that has been used throughout the world for millennia. Early civilizations were familiar with the custom of spearing fish from rivers and streams using sharpened sticks....
and underwater photography
Underwater photography
Underwater photography is the process of taking photographs while under water. It is usually done while scuba diving, but can be done while snorkeling or swimming.-Overview:...
. Valerie started diving in 1956 and spearfishing in 1960, eventually winning several Australian championships for ladies in both spearfishing and scuba.
They met while both members of St George spearfishing club in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. They became champion spearfishers, however decided to switch from killing to filming them after becoming fascinated with marine life. Conservation did not begin to be an active movement until the late 1960s.
They married in December 1963 and have no children. They made their living in the 1960s by touring briefly with underwater footage they had filmed. The Taylors are credited with being pioneers in several areas - the first people to film great white sharks without the protection of a cage during the making of the movie "Blue Wilderness" in January 1992, together with South Africans George Askew and Piet van der Walt founders of the S African Great White shark Cage Diving industry. The Taylors also filmed the shark sequences for the film Orca
Orca (film)
Orca is a 1977 horror film directed by Michael Anderson and produced by Dino De Laurentiis, starring Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling, and Will Sampson. The film was poorly received by critics and audiences alike due in part to its similarities to the film Jaws released two years prior...
. The Taylors were also the first to film sharks by night to name two ground-breaking events. They are also credited with correcting the belief that sharks need to move forward to survive by obtaining footage of sharks sleeping on the sea-bed.
Valerie is also an accomplished watercolour artist. Her career began as a comic strip artist with The Silver Jacket, an Australian adventure magazine for boys.
Ron is a Member of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, and Valerie received the Centenary Medal
Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
, both awarded by the Australian government.
50 years after they first ventured underwater, Ron and Valerie Taylor are still active, spending months each year on expeditions to remote corners of the earth to be with the sharks they have learned so much about.
History
- 1962:
- Ron's first award for photography, from Encyclopædia BritannicaEncyclopædia BritannicaThe Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
, for a news film titled, Playing With Sharks. - Ron's first major underwater film production, Shark Hunters, made with diving and business partner Ben CroppBen CroppBen Cropp is an Australian former shark hunter and six-time Australian spearfishing champion, having retired from that trade in 1962 to pursue oceanic documentary filmmaking and conservation efforts...
was 16 mm black and white, and was sold to Australian television.
- Ron's first award for photography, from Encyclopædia Britannica
- 1963: Shark Hunters was sold to American television.
- 1965: Ron won the World Spear fishing Championship in TahitiTahitiTahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
, after winning the Australian championship for four years in succession. - 1966: Ron received the Underwater Society of America award and the NOGI statuette for Education and Sports.
- 1967:
- Ron first devised an idea of a diver wearing a full length chain-mail suit over a wet suit as possible protection against shark bite. It was more than a decade before the suit was made and tested.
- The Taylors were employed by the Belgian Scientific Expedition to the Great Barrier ReefGreat Barrier ReefThe Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
as advisors and 35 mm underwater cinematographerCinematographerA cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
s, for six months, the first major educational project of this type on the Great Barrier Reef.
- 1969: Ron Taylor co-filmed, Blue Water, White Death which was released worldwide.
- 1974: The Taylors, assisted by Rodney Fox above water, filmed the short live shark underwater sequences for Jaws.
- 1979: The suit of chain mail was made which Valerie tested with sharks, when it was found the suit was too small for Ron.
- 1981:
- While on a dive trip the Taylors discovered mining claims on several Coral Sea IslandsCoral Sea IslandsThe Coral Sea Islands Territory includes a group of small and mostly uninhabited tropical islands and reefs in the Coral Sea, northeast of Queensland, Australia. The only inhabited island is Willis Island...
. They brought this to the attention of the Australian Federal Government and saved these remote bird breeding islands. - Valerie was honored in 1981 by the Underwater Society of America where she received the NOGI award for Arts.
- While on a dive trip the Taylors discovered mining claims on several Coral Sea Islands
- 1982:
- Wreck of the Yongala, a TV film, was made, showcasing what was then the most spectacular of shipwrecks in shallow water. The film was instrumental in having the wreck protected from fishing.
- The Taylors, inspired by Cairns game fishermen lobbied, via the media, the QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
Government and National Parks to have the potato codEpinephelusEpinephelus is a genus of groupers. They are large sea fish. Members of this genus may also be called a Mero.-Species:FishBase lists 99 species:* Areolate grouper, Epinephelus areolatus ....
of Cormorant Pass near Lizard Island protected. - The Taylors spent four months of 1982 in the Persian GulfPersian GulfThe Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
filming the underwater scenes for six educational films featuring marine life.
- 1986:
- October: Valerie traveled to Holland where she was appointed Rider of the Order of the Golden ArkOrder of the Golden ArkThe Most Excellent Order of the Golden Ark was established by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands in 1971 as an order of merit. Although not awarded by, it is recognized by the government of the Netherlands as a legal order. It is awarded to people for major contributions to nature conservation...
, by his Royal Highness, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. The award was for her work in marine conservation. - Later: Valerie went to SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
where she finalized the picture selection for a coffee table bookCoffee table bookA coffee table book is a hardcover book that is intended to sit on a coffee table or similar surface in an area where guests sit and are entertained, thus inspiring conversation or alleviating boredom. They tend to be oversized and of heavy construction, since there is no pressing need for...
, The Realm of the Shark, a biographical account of the Taylors' lives between the late 1950s, and the late 1980s. - The Taylors supplied some of their pictures to illustrate the Jacques Cousteau coffee table book entitled Great White Shark.
- October: Valerie traveled to Holland where she was appointed Rider of the Order of the Golden Ark
- 1992: January: They went to South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
for filming on the Blue Wilderness TV series. Here they tested an electronic shark repelling barrier, and with George Askew and Piet van der Walt (the founders of the S African Cage Diving industry), became the first people to film great white sharks underwater without the protection of a cage. - 1993: Shadow over the Reef, an adventure swimming with whale sharks was filmed at Ningaloo ReefNingaloo ReefNingaloo Reef is a fringing coral reef located off the west coast of Australia, approximately 1200 km north of Perth. The reef is 260 km long and is Australia's largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef positioned very close to a landmass....
, Western Australia. This film was instrumental in preventing the test drilling for oilPetroleumPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
inside the Ningaloo Marine Park. - 1997:
- The Taylors' documentary Shark Pod was completed. They successfully used the Protective Oceanic DeviceProtective Oceanic DeviceThe Protective Oceanic Device is a portable device that emits an electromagnetic field around a person protecting against sharks. The POD was developed by Natal Sharks Board, and was the first successful electronic shark repellent for scuba divers....
invented in South Africa by Norman Starkey of the Natal Sharks Board against great white sharkGreat white sharkThe great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
s, tiger sharkTiger sharkThe tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, is a species of requiem shark and the only member of the genus Galeocerdo. Commonly known as sea tigers, tiger sharks are relatively large macropredators, capable of attaining a length of over . It is found in many tropical and temperate waters, and is...
s, hammerhead sharkHammerhead sharkThe hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks in the family Sphyrnidae, so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a "hammer" shape called a "cephalofoil". Most hammerhead species are placed in the genus Sphyrna while the...
s, and other species. Shark Pod received the jury award at the Antibes Underwater Festival, France, a high honor judged by their peers. - April 1997: Valerie won the prestigious American Nature Photographer of the year award for a picture of a whale sharkWhale sharkThe whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow-moving filter feeding shark, the largest extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of and a weight of more than , but unconfirmed claims report considerably larger whale sharks...
swimming with her nephew in Ningaloo Marine Park. The award was sponsored by The American Press Club.
- The Taylors' documentary Shark Pod was completed. They successfully used the Protective Oceanic Device
- 1998: The Taylors' book Blue Wilderness won the 1998 Gold Palm Award for images at the 25th World Festival of Underwater Pictures in AntibesAntibesAntibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...
, France. - 1999: Release of the film 'Shadow of the Shark', which reviews Ron and Valerie's long relationship with the sea, and particularly their work with sharks and efforts to change public opinion of them as mindless predators. Film directed by Tina Dalton-Hagege.
- 2000:
- March: Valerie was honoree in the American Women Divers Hall of Fame.
- October: Ron and Valerie were one of the inaugural enshrines into the International Scuba Diving Hall of FameInternational Scuba Diving Hall of FameThe International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame is a web site that recognizes those who have contributed to the success and growth of recreational SCUBA diving in dive travel, entertainment, art, equipment design and development, education, exploration and adventure.This is not just a website but an...
, on the Cayman IslandsCayman IslandsThe Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
.
- 2001: January: Valerie awarded the Centenary Medal.
- 2002:
- Australia DayAustralia DayAustralia Day is the official national day of Australia...
: Valerie was awarded the honor of Australian Senior Achiever of the year. - Early 2002: Ron and Valerie received the Wildlife Preservation Society of AustraliaWildlife Preservation Society of AustraliaThe Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia was founded in Sydney, Australia in May 1909 to encourage the protection of, and to cultivate interest in, the Australian flora and fauna. The founding President of the Society was The Hon Frederick Earle Winchcombe MLC . David Stead was one of four...
's Serventy Conservation Medal.
- Australia Day
- 2003: January: Ron awarded Membership of the Order of Australia.
- 2008: Ron Taylor supports the Great Australian Shark Count Australian Underwater Federation
Filmography
- Shark Hunters (1962)
- Blue Water, White Death (1971)
- Taylor's Inner Space, a series of 13 films made in 1972 and 1973.
External links
- Ron and Valerie Taylor's Official Web Site
- Ron's Order of Australia award
- Valerie's award of the Centenary Medal
- Fathom magazine 1970