In 1928, William Beebe and his fellow members of the Department of Tropical Research of the New York Zoological Society made their way to the coral reef’s of Haiti. Equipped with rudimentary scuba gear and early underwater photography technology, they plumbed the proverbial, and actual, depths off the island’s coast.
Though far from the flashy images we’re used to seeing of bioluminescent jellyfish and behemoth sea creatures who live their lives in the murky darkness of the deep ocean, Beebe’s photographs nevertheless evoke an equal sense of awe. At least for me in any case. They are the first look at a new frontier and that alone is an inspiration to keep exploring.
Lorissa Rinehart 