Membership Directory

Amy Giannotti is a marine ecologist, scuba diver, and enthusiastic science communicator. She is the Director of Development for Schoolyard Films, a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 2008. Schoolyard Films brings the planet’s most remote locations into schools and classrooms via high-end environmental documentaries for youth. Raising awareness through expert filmmaking provides a bridge for connecting humans to nature. She is dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment, combining her scientific expertise, leadership, and a profound commitment to conservation through education.

Amy Malkoski is Naturalist and Expedition Diver for Lindblad Expeditions and an Associate member of the Boston Sea Rovers. A NAUI Divemaster and licensed captain, she specializes in cold-water diving. Using underwater videography, remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and other technology she educates guests on marine life while aboard vessels in remote regions.

Amy has been part of several dive clubs over the years and began volunteering with the Boston Sea Rovers in 2013. Most of her diving has been in New England, where she helped develop and contributed photos to two Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) ID programs for the Northeast U.S. and Canada—one for invertebrates and algae, and another for fish. She’s shared her nudibranch photos at club meetings and helped coordinate the REEF Great Annual Fish Count in Gloucester, MA, for several years.

Andy Martinez has been diving and photographing marine life for over 50 years. His work has been used in many magazines and books and aquaria. His popular app, Marine Life North Atlantic, is a necessary resource for anyone wanting to know the critters from this area. He has led many diving groups to the Philippines, Indonesia and many islands in the Caribbean

Raised on wreck diving and photography Becca Boring has been the Operations Manager of Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo since 2013. She is passionate about documenting and helping others capture the beauty of the underwater world and has a particular fondness for shipwrecks of the Pacific.

Rarely in life do we encounter someone who was as impressive yet unassuming, humble, and gracious as R.W. ‘Bill’ Hamilton, Ph.D. On September 16th, 2011, Bill died surrounded by his family and close friends, after a sudden illness. Born in Midland, Texas, Bill would always explore things on the edge of the envelope. He obtained a liberal arts degree at the University of Texas, then went on to earn a master’s degree in animal breeding at Texas A&M. He finished up his formal education by earning his doctorate degree in physiology and biophysics at the University of Minnesota. Along the way Dr. Bill joined the U.S. Air Force, earning the rank of Major and serving as a jet fighter pilot during the Korean War and again in Vietnam, where he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, and other decorations. Dr. Hamilton and his colleagues developed many types of decompression procedures for a wide variety of diving and exposures to pressure, ranging from submarine free ascent to space travel to deep commercial diving, including detailed instructions for treatment of decompression sickness. This work resulted in and has depended on a comprehensive computer program called DCAP, the first such computational program designed for use by individual researchers. For NASA he developed excursion and decompression procedures for use with a hyperbaric lock on a space station, and he assisted in the implementation of enriched air in the neutral buoyancy pools. Always a strong proponent of safe diving practices, Dr. Hamilton applied his experience with decompression, physiological effects of gases, and methods of managing exposure to oxygen to help divers avoid narcosis when diving beyond the “recreational” range. Unique decompression and operational methods using oxygen-helium-nitrogen trimixes that he helped produce in cooperation with safety-conscious divers were instrumental in the origination and development of the new field of “technical diving.” He helped apply this to the problems of deep cave diving, specifically on several record-setting cave exploration dives with scuba over the depth range of 200 to beyond 870 fsw. Bill was a member of the Boston Sea Rovers since the mid- 90’s, and was our 1997 Diver of the Year. He will be sorely missed, but he will never be forgotten.

Dr. Robert Ballard is most renowned for his 1985 discovery of the Titanic. He founded the Ocean Exploration Trust in 2008 and acquired the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus, which continues to explore the world’s oceans. Bob became a Boston Sea Rover in 1967 and the 1980 Walter Feinberg Diver of the Year. Director of the Center for Ocean Exploration at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, and Research Scholar at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He is an Explorer-at-Large for the National Geographic Society, served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy for more than 30 years and is a pioneer in the development of deep-sea submersibles and remotely operated vehicle systems. He has discovered hydrothermal vents and “Black Smokers”, the RMS Titanic, the German battleship Bismarck, 55 ancient shipwrecks, the USS MIDWAY, 14 WW II warships in Iron Bottom Sound, Guadalcanal and John F. Kennedy’s boat, PT-109. The author of numerous books, scientific papers, and articles, he has been featured in more than 25 National Geographic television programs. He was a special advisor to Steve Spielberg on the futuristic television show seaQuest DSV. His honors include 21 Honorary Doctorates, National Geographic’s highest award, the Hubbard Medal, the Explorer’s Club Medal, Lindberg Award, Order of Magellan, and a National Endowment for the Humanities Medal. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2014.

Bob Boyle was a true New England Diver, a passionate friend, and an enthusiastic supporter of diving and the marine environment. Certified by New England Divers in the 1970’s, he would often work at the shop after school. On weekends, he would dive at sunrise, work all day at the shop, and then meet friends for an exciting night dive. He would travel anywhere and anytime for a dive with friends, or even new friends. Over the years, Bob dove all over the world but his favorite destination was Bonaire. He led his 60th trip there in March 2015 and was recognized by the Bonaire Tourism Corporation with the title of “Bonaire Ambassador”. Bob studied at Brooks Institute of Photography and headed the underwater photography department at New England Divers, working in their Massachusetts, Miami, and Seattle stores. Bob helped open Northeast Scuba in Beverly in 1979, and worked there for seven years before he left to open his own shop, Undersea Divers on June 20, 1986 in the very same location as the original New England Divers. Bob also started the Undersea Divers Dive Society and Underwater Photo Society for the purpose of encouraging divers to enjoy and participate in diving. A PADI instructor, he certified thousands of divers and fostered their life-long interest in the sport. His marine life images and great stories about the biggest, the most unusual, the near misses and the perfect shot excited and inspired several generations of divers and photographers. He wanted people to love diving as much as he did, and he knew that once they began diving, they would. Even later in life when his body wouldn’t let him dive anymore, he still loved to see people enjoy diving and the ocean world. Bob was a strong supporter and long-time member of the Boston Sea Rovers, unselfishly helping the club behind the scenes for many years. A staunch supporter of the Boston Sea Rovers Summer Internship, he donated a full scuba diving package for each Intern and provided them with the opportunity to learn about dive shop operations at the store. In 2013, Bob was named the 2013 Walter Feinberg Memorial Diver of the Year. Fittingly, the inscription on the special silver bowl reads, Bob Boyle – Boston Sea Rovers Special Ambassador to the Underwater Realm

An active member of the Boston Sea Rovers for decades, Bob served as the Exhibit Chairman from the ’80s into the mid-90’s, and as the Club Treasurer for many years after that. While enjoying his retirement in Maine, he would often return to the Clinics with his trusty old club flag, filling it with signatures of all the old and new club members. Photo: Bob Cartier on the left with fellow Rover Frank Murphy at the 50th clinic holding a declaration from the Governor declaring it Sea Rover Weekend.

Brian Skerry is a film producer/director and veteran photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife. Brian’s signature style is to create stories and visuals that evoke emotion and connect audiences to stories that create positive impact. Among his recent documentary film credits are Secrets of the Whales (concept creator and producer) and Return of the White Shark (co-creator and producer), both currently streaming on Disney+. Among his upcoming projects is a PBS television series scheduled for release in 2024. In 2021 Brian received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary as a producer of Secrets of the Whales. Among his recent documentary film credits are Secrets of the Whales (concept creator and producer) and Return of the White Shark (co-creator and producer), both currently streaming on Disney+. Among his upcoming projects is a PBS television series scheduled for release in 2024. In 2021 Brian received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary as a producer of Secrets of the Whales. Among his recent documentary film credits are Secrets of the Whales (concept creator and producer) and Return of the White Shark (co-creator and producer), both currently streaming on Disney+. Among his upcoming projects is a PBS television series scheduled for release in 2024. In 2021 Brian received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary as a producer of Secrets of the Whales. Since 1998 Brian has been a contributing photographer for National Geographic Magazine, where he has created and photographed more than 30-feature stories, including 6 cover stories. His work has also been featured in publications such as Sports Illustrated, The NY Times, The Washington Post, Paris Match, Esquire, and Audubon. He is an 11-time award winner in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition held in London. Brian has also been recognized with awards from Pictures of the Year International, Nature’s Best, Communication Arts and is the only photographer to win the coveted Peter Benchley Award for Excellence in Media. In 2014 he was named as a National Geographic Society Photography Fellow and then named a National Geographic Society Storytelling Fellow in 2017 the same year he was awarded the title of Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. In 2016 he received the National Geographic Magazine – Photographer’s Photographer Award, a recognition bestowed by his colleagues, other National Geographic Magazine photographers. In 2019 he received the NOGI Award for Arts. In 2021, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree by Worcester State University in Massachusetts. Brian is the author of 12 books including the acclaimed monographs Ocean Soul, SHARK and Secrets of the Whales. Brian frequently lectures on ocean exploration, storytelling and conservation, having presented at venues such as The United Nations General Assembly, The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, TED Talks, The National Press Club in Washington, DC, The Royal Geographical Society in London and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. He has had numerous solo-photographer exhibits in cities worldwide including Geneva, Barcelona, Lisbon, Siena, Shanghai and Paris.

Villiam “Chip”Cooper was a fixture in the southern New England diving community for Imost 60 years. He started diving in 1954, and he claimed to have made over 10,000 lives by the mid-nineties. That may, or may not, have been true, but it really didn’t natter. He dove a lot. Chip’s diving was primarily centered around the New England vaters, but he had also made a ton of dives up and down the East Coast, and all around he Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. He’s also dove the Pacific West Coast, Red ea, throughout the Caribbean, Australia and Micronesia. Chip was a proud member of he Boston Sea Rovers, and a best friend of former Rover President Bunky Hodge. He is a past president of the Connecticut Council of Diving Clubs and the Gillmen Club. 1 1991 Chip was elected a member ofThe Explorers Club and in 1993 was elected a felllow of the American Society of Oceanographers. His passion was wreck diving, and e dove on over 300 shipwrecks ranging from the 1733 wreck of a Spanish Galleon to 1e Andrea Doria. Chip taught over 1300 students to dive and was a PADI Instructor meritus and a NAUI Instructor. He will not be forgotten.

Chuck Davis is a freelance cameraman, photographer and director of photography, who specializes in underwater photography. During a career spanning over 40 years, he has filmed in worldwide locations, including Arctic Alaska, Greenland and the Antarctic. His filming credits include work on several IMAX productions, including two Academy Award-nominated films, Alaska: Spirit of the Wildand TheLiving Sea. Davis also worked as a cinematographer and still photographer on numerous expeditions with the Cousteau filming teams aboard vessels Alcyone and Calypso, working with the late Jacques Yves Cousteau and his son Jean-Michel during production of the Rediscovery of the WorldTV series and later on Jean-Michel Cousteau’s award-winning Ocean Adventures PBS series. His feature film experiences include underwater 2nd unit filming for films such as Warner Brother’s Sphereand Walden Productions,’ Chasing Mavericks. Davis’ still photography has been widely exhibited in museums and galleries and published in magazines such as LIFE, Lenswork, B&W, Silvergrain Classics, National Geographic, ORION, and BBC Wildlife; he is the author/photographer of California Reefs (Chronicle Books). In 2017, Davis was awarded the prestigious NOGI Award for Arts by the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences.

Cristian Dimitrius is a Brazilian Emmy Award Winning cinematographer, photographer and television presenter specializing in wildlife and natural history films. Cristian’s innovative cinematography and unorthodox camera techniques are helping revolutionize the way people see wildlife. He is one of the most experienced cinematographers working in Brazil, having shot and produced for the BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Netflix, Disney+, PBS, CNN and many more. He was also Boston Sea Rovers Diver of the year 2024 and his life-long mission is to inspire people to fall in love with our planet through his images.

Dan Orr is President of Dan Orr Consulting providing a variety of services to the diving community. Recently retired from the position of President of Divers Alert Network (DAN) and Chairman of the Board of International DAN, he has helped DAN focus on its worldwide diving safety mission. Dan is also currently Chairman of the Board of the Historical Diving Society (HDS-USA). Prior to coming to DAN, he worked and taught recreational diving in a retail store, developed and implemented course curricula in the academic environment, collected data and supervised research efforts in the field of science diving, tested diving equipment for military contractors and worked for or served on the Boards of various not-for-profit organizations during his career. He has published and co-authored over 100 articles and a dozen books and manuals including: Scuba Diving Safety, Pocket Guide to First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries; Pocket Guide for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries; and the DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries Training Manual. He has published and co-authored over 100 articles and a dozen books and manuals including: Scuba Diving Safety, Pocket Guide to First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries; Pocket Guide for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries; and the DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries Training Manual. He has published and co-authored over 100 articles and a dozen books and manuals including: Scuba Diving Safety, Pocket Guide to First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries; Pocket Guide for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries; and the DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries Training Manual

Dave “Mort” Morton was certified in 1976, right after he turned 15, the minimum age back then. He attended his first Sea Rovers Clinic that same year when it was held at Boston University, amid rumors that Jacques Cousteau was going to be there again, since he attended just the year before. He joined the Rovers in 1992 after being invited by Brian Skerry, served as president for 16 years, Evening Film Festival Chair for 18 years, and has been a Board member for over 30.

Heather Knowles and David Caldwell are the co-founders of Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions, Inc. They operate their dive charter boat, Gauntlet, with a focus on shipwreck diving and exploration. Both are technical diving instructors and fellows of the Explorer’s Club. Heather and Dave have had the privilege of exploring some of the world’s notable shipwrecks off the East Coast U.S. as well as shipwrecks in Canada, the Mediterranean and the South China Sea. In addition, they have made shipwreck discoveries in their local waters, including the USS Nezinscot, among others, and have collaborated on research projects with NOAA in support of exploration in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

One of the original six members of the club, Don was actively involved with our organization for 65 years, retiring from the Board of Directors in 2016. He served as the club president and/or officer for many years throughout the first several decades of the Rovers and had been a staunch and tireless leader behind the scenes on the Board of Directors. In 2017, Don was named the Walter Feinberg Diver of the Year. True to Don’s steadfast wishes of remaining behind the scenes, we needed to word the award in such a way as to recognize all of Rovers before he would consider accepting it. The inscription on the special silver bowl reads: For Providing a Guiding Hand and An Even Keel, Ensuring that the Good Ship Sea Rover Has Remained on Course for Over Sixty Years.