Post by Tamrin on Sept 9, 2012 20:28:07 GMT 10
Pioneer shark expert Ron Taylor dies (excerpt)[/b]
Australian marine conservation pioneer and renowned shark expert Ron Taylor has passed away at the age of 78.
Mr Taylor suffered myeloid leukaemia for two years and died peacefully this morning at a private hospital near his Sydney home.
Mr Taylor and his wife Valerie are regarded worldwide for their marine conservation work and their groundbreaking marine documentaries.
A Member of the Order of Australia, Mr Taylor first became fascinated with marine life in the 1950s as a spear fisherman, but later decided to "hunt with a camera" instead of a spear.
He was the first photographer to capture images of a great white shark underwater without the protection of a diving cage.
The Taylors are regarded as pioneers in underwater cinematography, and produced some of the very earliest underwater footage of great white sharks.
Crowned Australia's spearfishing champion several times, Mr Taylor turned his attention to conservation after a life-changing revelation during a spearfishing competition.
Mr Taylor told the ABC's Talking Heads program in 2005 that giving up the sport was the best thing that he had ever done.
"I just thought, 'What am I doing down here killing these poor, defenceless marine creatures?' he said.
"So I just packed up, went home - didn't even weigh my fish in - and never went back to another spearfishing competition.
"At the same time I was doing my photography. I was trying to get close to the fish to capture beautiful images with a still camera and a movie camera. And then on the weekend I'd go out and start killing them and that just didn't - that was wrong.
"Now I hunt with my movie camera or video camera and it's the same sense of achievement to get close to a marine creature and capture some behaviour, or perhaps a shark - a dangerous looking shark."
Mr Taylor suffered myeloid leukaemia for two years and died peacefully this morning at a private hospital near his Sydney home.
Mr Taylor and his wife Valerie are regarded worldwide for their marine conservation work and their groundbreaking marine documentaries.
A Member of the Order of Australia, Mr Taylor first became fascinated with marine life in the 1950s as a spear fisherman, but later decided to "hunt with a camera" instead of a spear.
He was the first photographer to capture images of a great white shark underwater without the protection of a diving cage.
The Taylors are regarded as pioneers in underwater cinematography, and produced some of the very earliest underwater footage of great white sharks.
Crowned Australia's spearfishing champion several times, Mr Taylor turned his attention to conservation after a life-changing revelation during a spearfishing competition.
Mr Taylor told the ABC's Talking Heads program in 2005 that giving up the sport was the best thing that he had ever done.
"I just thought, 'What am I doing down here killing these poor, defenceless marine creatures?' he said.
"So I just packed up, went home - didn't even weigh my fish in - and never went back to another spearfishing competition.
"At the same time I was doing my photography. I was trying to get close to the fish to capture beautiful images with a still camera and a movie camera. And then on the weekend I'd go out and start killing them and that just didn't - that was wrong.
"Now I hunt with my movie camera or video camera and it's the same sense of achievement to get close to a marine creature and capture some behaviour, or perhaps a shark - a dangerous looking shark."
