Patrick Weir won last year’s Underwater Digital Photo Competition with superb shots like this.

Submitted

The diving world in all its glory is revealed on Cayman this weekend with two major international events. Pioneers of the world beneath the seas will be recognised for their outstanding work over the years.

The International Underwater Film Festival, 2010, takes place tonight, Friday 29 January at Harquail Theatre. It will feature presentations from luminaries including Ron and Val Taylor, Kirk Krack and Hans Haas.

Presented by Cayman Islands Tourism Association, the evening’s festivities also comprise a silent auction fundraiser for CITA and marine conservation projects.

Pioneers

At the film festival a series of early pioneers will be honoured including Louis Boutain, Yves Le Prier, Benoit Rouquayrol, Augueste Denayrouze and Henry Fluess.

Films by Kirk Krack, Ron & Val Taylor, Carl Ross & Leslie Leaney and Wyland will be shown at the event, which begins at 6.30pm with films beginning at 7.30pm.

Ron and Valerie Taylor are multi-award winning Australian filmmakers. They present Shadow of the Shark. Carl Ross & Leslie Leaney present a condensed version of Hans Haas’ underwater movie Under the Red Sea, Kirk Krack will be introducing Performance Freediving in the Cayman Islands and marine artist Wyland’s Earth Day movie won best San Diego Film at the Californian city’s Film Festival.

Tickets are $25 at the door and more information can be gathered from CITA on 959-8522.

Hall of fame

Saturday 30 January’ sees the tenth International Scuba Diving Hall Of Fame and there are inductees of some standing.

Dr. Eugenie Clark is a world-renowned ichthyologist and authority of sharks who is a recipient of three honorary D.Sc degrees and many, many awards.

In 1969, Nick Icorn became the first executive director of Professional Association of Diving Instructors. He is a leader in commercial and technical diving.

Blue corner

Francis Toribiong discovered the world-famous Blue Corner dive site as well as thirty Japanese World War II wrecks, alongside Klaus Lindemann. In 1996 he was the star of the Academy Award-nominated documentary The Living Sea.

 Robert Wyland is a scuba diver, conservationist and artist. Official US Olympic artist Wyland is a painter, sculptor, photographer, writer and SCUBA diver.

A series of events are happening both in the gallery and restaurant to coincide including the announcement of the winners of the Best of Cayman Underwater Digital Photo Competition.

Awards

Every year the Ministry of Tourism honours Caymanians, paying tribute to the role that they have played in transforming Cayman into an outstanding dive and snorkelling destination.

This year Charles ‘Captain Chuckie’ Ebanks and Patrick Evans will be honoured by Premier McKeeva Bush.

Captain Chuckie ran a fishing and snorkelling charter business for over two decades in his 40-foot boat, Black Princess.

He is a member of the boards of the International Scuba Diving Hall Of Fame, Marine Conservation, an ex-Fisheries Officer and president of the National Water Sports Association.

Patrick Evans, already a snorkeller and spear fisherman, took to diving at age 23 with his brother Atles before the pair established a successful dive operation.

After retiring in 1999, Patrick bought a 34-foot houseboat on which he took snorkellers from Treasure Island to a number of sites including Stingray City. Now retired to the Brac, Patrick rates the North Wall and Bloody Bay as the best diving he’s ever seen.