Testimonials
Dr. Sylvia Earle - Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society
Thirtyone years ago I had the joy of visiting Cocos, above and below the sea, and now, in 2004, I was thrilled to find that the sharks, dolphins, puffer fish, garden eels, corals, starfish and other sea creatures are still prospering in a wilderness ocean, thanks to the ethic of caring by the people of Costa Rica.
Avi Klapfer, the Captain and crew of the Undersea Hunter provide an experience that is unparalleled in the world, a rare combination of competence, professionalism, and sheer underwater poetry that will haunt anyone who comes aboard for the rest of their lives. I look forward to returning to explore with beautiful new submersibles depths beyond where divers can now venture . . . and to the realization of the dream of expanded protection for the Seascape that embraces Cocos, Galapagos, Malpelo, Coiba, and Gorgona – the realm that turtles, tuna, dolphins, whalesharks and other high seas creatures know as home.
This experience is unparalleled in the world, a rare combination of competence, professionalism, and sheer underwater poetry that will haunt anyone who comes aboard for the rest of their lives.
Avi Klapfer, the Captain and crew of the Undersea Hunter provide an experience that is unparalleled in the world, a rare combination of competence, professionalism, and sheer underwater poetry that will haunt anyone who comes aboard for the rest of their lives. I look forward to returning to explore with beautiful new submersibles depths beyond where divers can now venture . . . and to the realization of the dream of expanded protection for the Seascape that embraces Cocos, Galapagos, Malpelo, Coiba, and Gorgona – the realm that turtles, tuna, dolphins, whalesharks and other high seas creatures know as home.
This experience is unparalleled in the world, a rare combination of competence, professionalism, and sheer underwater poetry that will haunt anyone who comes aboard for the rest of their lives.
Ernest H. Brooks II - Award winning photographer, adventurer, diver and educator
Thank you & thanks to the Undersea Hunter Group for sending me your newest newsletter - Shark Times...It was on my birthday 1990 that I first met you and ventured to Cocos.....three images from that first trip are now in the Ansel Adams exhibit "Fragile Waters" about to tour the World!......They also are in the archives of 50 Fathoms First edition from Blancpain 50 Fathoms 2008 limited edition that toured Tokyo, Dubai, Paris......all because of our memories aboard your Undersea Hunters...in 2012 at Beneath the Sea I will be the last person to receive "Legend of the sea"......10 total carved in Granite by Viktor and on display at Google Headquarters......it was diving with you offshore Cocos that broadened my view of the Oceans....because your trip was my very first outside of the Channel Islands Avi!!!!!
So there you have it..............Today I have a grand following in Black and White, from China to Dubai...the U.S. to Antarctica......so I will be looking at 2013 for a Global Encounter to revisit your Island and present a voyage to witness Cocos with AVI and ERNIE BROOKS..... I will look forward to planning this event with photographers who afford the Quality you have presented....
My Best,
Ernie Brooks
Silver Seas
erniebrooksea.com/thephotographer.html
So there you have it..............Today I have a grand following in Black and White, from China to Dubai...the U.S. to Antarctica......so I will be looking at 2013 for a Global Encounter to revisit your Island and present a voyage to witness Cocos with AVI and ERNIE BROOKS..... I will look forward to planning this event with photographers who afford the Quality you have presented....
My Best,
Ernie Brooks
Silver Seas
erniebrooksea.com/thephotographer.html
Howard and Michele Hall - Filmmakers
During the last decade, Michele and I have accumulated over one year of charter time on the Undersea Hunter. There is a reason we keep coming back. Our film projects have grown in scope and complexity from relatively simple 16mm television shows diving open circuit to major IMAX features diving trimix rebreathers to over 350 feet. One of the most important ingredients for making these films successfully and safely has been the logistical support provided by Undersea Hunter. The boat, her equipment, management and crew have been 100% reliable.
Undersea Hunter's management has been totally committed to creating a logistical operation that supports our underwater film projects in the most efficient and comfortable manner. Over the years, Avi and Yosy have added many features to the boat and her skiffs that make underwater film production easier. In my many years of making underwater films, I have never dived from a more perfect film production platform. Undersea Hunter is simply the best there is.
Since 1991, we’ve now made 17 trips to the island with Undersea Hunter Group. Prior to this, the last one was almost 7 years ago. It was so nice to be back at Cocos! During our dives, we saw not only the ‘regulars,’ including hammerhead and white tip reef sharks, mobula rays and giant schools of big-eye jacks… but we also saw Galapagos sharks and tiger sharks! This was a first for Howard and me. Some years ago Lotte and Hans Hass told me that they saw tiger sharks at Cocos in 1951, but these grand creatures disappeared from the Island over the decades. Now they’re back… and now finally I have also seen them at Manuelita.
An added bonus was ‘diving’ where few are able to go: the deep reefs around Cocos in Deep-See. This is a submarine experience that shouldn’t be missed. Looking up through the clear dome to see hammerheads school, tuna darting about, mobulas flying and turtles drifting past… oh my. And then, seeing Ragged Tooth Sharks at 300 feet at The Arch… it felt like I was living a dream – so much so that I had to pinch myself to be sure it was real.
Undersea Hunter's management has been totally committed to creating a logistical operation that supports our underwater film projects in the most efficient and comfortable manner. Over the years, Avi and Yosy have added many features to the boat and her skiffs that make underwater film production easier. In my many years of making underwater films, I have never dived from a more perfect film production platform. Undersea Hunter is simply the best there is.
Since 1991, we’ve now made 17 trips to the island with Undersea Hunter Group. Prior to this, the last one was almost 7 years ago. It was so nice to be back at Cocos! During our dives, we saw not only the ‘regulars,’ including hammerhead and white tip reef sharks, mobula rays and giant schools of big-eye jacks… but we also saw Galapagos sharks and tiger sharks! This was a first for Howard and me. Some years ago Lotte and Hans Hass told me that they saw tiger sharks at Cocos in 1951, but these grand creatures disappeared from the Island over the decades. Now they’re back… and now finally I have also seen them at Manuelita.
An added bonus was ‘diving’ where few are able to go: the deep reefs around Cocos in Deep-See. This is a submarine experience that shouldn’t be missed. Looking up through the clear dome to see hammerheads school, tuna darting about, mobulas flying and turtles drifting past… oh my. And then, seeing Ragged Tooth Sharks at 300 feet at The Arch… it felt like I was living a dream – so much so that I had to pinch myself to be sure it was real.
Simon Rogerson - Editor of DIVE Magazine
Dear Undersea Hunter Group,
I wanted to write to thank you for looking after Charles Hood and myself on board the Sea Hunter. Throughout the voyage, your team supported us in many different ways to help us experience the best of Cocos Island. The crew were extremely professional, the dive guides were diligent and good-humoured...
the whole experience was a joy from beginning to end.
We had some very good hammerhead action throughout the trip, and we are now well placed to write a story about experiencing Cocos in three different ways - on open circuit, rebreather and submersible. I anticipate that our feature will be published in DIVE's July edition, which comes out in mid-June.
The Sea Hunter remains one of the finest liveaboard experiences. The vessel was immaculate, and wonderfully suited to its purpose. We had calm crossings in both directions, so I was able to enjoy the Sea Hunter at my leisure. I was especially fond of the excellent coffee, by far the best I have had on any boat. Several guests remarked that the food was fresh and delicious, and I have to agree. Every mealtime was something to look forward to - with that and the diving, we were in heaven!
It had been a decade since my previous trip on Sea Hunter, and I was anxious to see if things had changed. If anything, the whole experience has improved
- your guides' understanding of the cleaning stations (and how to marshall divers around) them allows for much better hammerhead encounters. And the availability of DeepSee adds a whole new dimension to the experience - our descent onto Mount Everest was a revelation, watching from our bubble as we were mobbed by a school of almaco jacks. It's rare in life that I get to do something completely new; observing a deep reef environment from a submersible was simply beyond my wildest dreams.
Complaints? Well, perhaps the t-shirt sizes are a bit small... or maybe I enjoyed myself too much at mealtimes!
Please extend my gratitude to Avi and the rest of the Undersea Hunter family. I will no doubt be in touch with questions as the article progresses, but for now I just wanted to express my gratitude, and to congratulate you for running such an excellent operation.
For me, Cocos is a wonderful, precious place. Every second I spent there was a privilege, and I will be dreaming of hammerheads until my next visit.
Until then, thank-you for reminding me how amazing the Eastern Pacific can be.
With best regards,
Simon Rogerson
Editor,
DIVE magazine
Suite 1.17, Q West,
Great West Road,
Brentford, TW8 0GP
I wanted to write to thank you for looking after Charles Hood and myself on board the Sea Hunter. Throughout the voyage, your team supported us in many different ways to help us experience the best of Cocos Island. The crew were extremely professional, the dive guides were diligent and good-humoured...
the whole experience was a joy from beginning to end.
We had some very good hammerhead action throughout the trip, and we are now well placed to write a story about experiencing Cocos in three different ways - on open circuit, rebreather and submersible. I anticipate that our feature will be published in DIVE's July edition, which comes out in mid-June.
The Sea Hunter remains one of the finest liveaboard experiences. The vessel was immaculate, and wonderfully suited to its purpose. We had calm crossings in both directions, so I was able to enjoy the Sea Hunter at my leisure. I was especially fond of the excellent coffee, by far the best I have had on any boat. Several guests remarked that the food was fresh and delicious, and I have to agree. Every mealtime was something to look forward to - with that and the diving, we were in heaven!
It had been a decade since my previous trip on Sea Hunter, and I was anxious to see if things had changed. If anything, the whole experience has improved
- your guides' understanding of the cleaning stations (and how to marshall divers around) them allows for much better hammerhead encounters. And the availability of DeepSee adds a whole new dimension to the experience - our descent onto Mount Everest was a revelation, watching from our bubble as we were mobbed by a school of almaco jacks. It's rare in life that I get to do something completely new; observing a deep reef environment from a submersible was simply beyond my wildest dreams.
Complaints? Well, perhaps the t-shirt sizes are a bit small... or maybe I enjoyed myself too much at mealtimes!
Please extend my gratitude to Avi and the rest of the Undersea Hunter family. I will no doubt be in touch with questions as the article progresses, but for now I just wanted to express my gratitude, and to congratulate you for running such an excellent operation.
For me, Cocos is a wonderful, precious place. Every second I spent there was a privilege, and I will be dreaming of hammerheads until my next visit.
Until then, thank-you for reminding me how amazing the Eastern Pacific can be.
With best regards,
Simon Rogerson
Editor,
DIVE magazine
Suite 1.17, Q West,
Great West Road,
Brentford, TW8 0GP
Stan Waterman - Underwater Film Producer & Photographer
Over the years I have dived in several deep range submersibles. On this last of my annual tours to Cocos Island on the Sea Hunter I explored the deep water in their newly launched DeepSee. With a 1,500 ft. depth range, comfortable seats for two passengers and unimpeded visibility from inside an acrylic bubble I consider DeepSee the finest submersible I have ever experienced. It must be the ultimate adventure for the diver who thought he had seen everything. It was for me.
The DeepSee is a state-of-the-art submersible, available to all dive guests on the boat. At 300’ I had the exciting experience of following a fourteen-foot, deep-water ragged tooth shark, so close that she seemed to be right under my feet sitting in the acrylic dome of the sub. Other guests went to 1,000 feet where the pilot had discovered the territory of a new species of shark, the Prickly.
These are explorations and adventures that have only previously been available to scientists with research grants. That makes Sea Hunter totally unique in the world of live-aboard dive boats. Many of the finest adventures I have had in my fifty-odd years of diving have been experienced here with the Sea Hunter. Sometimes I dream of the food on this ship and wake up sobbing.
The DeepSee is a state-of-the-art submersible, available to all dive guests on the boat. At 300’ I had the exciting experience of following a fourteen-foot, deep-water ragged tooth shark, so close that she seemed to be right under my feet sitting in the acrylic dome of the sub. Other guests went to 1,000 feet where the pilot had discovered the territory of a new species of shark, the Prickly.
These are explorations and adventures that have only previously been available to scientists with research grants. That makes Sea Hunter totally unique in the world of live-aboard dive boats. Many of the finest adventures I have had in my fifty-odd years of diving have been experienced here with the Sea Hunter. Sometimes I dream of the food on this ship and wake up sobbing.
Mike deGruy Filmmaker, September 2008
I’m a lucky guy. For all of my working life I have been privileged enough to travel literally around the globe (numerous times), dive under the ice of both poles and spend countless years observing and filming the wonders of the nature world. The last 7 or 8 years I have spent diving in a variety of submersibles, often as the pilot, to the extraordinary hidden treasures of the deep sea, the hydrothermal vents, underwater lakes, cool seeps, the Titanic and to the realm of the insane creatures of black mid water.
It is with this history and experience that I comment on my recent visit to Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. I was invited to join Steve Drogin and Avi Klapfer’s new alliance, the 120 foot M/V Argo with its resident 3-man submersible, DeepSee. I have known Steve for many years and also have chartered Avi’s superb vessels in Costa Rica and know each of these men to share a common interest: high quality diving. So it was with great interest and high expectations that I joined their collaborative venture into the world of submersible operations. And did they ever deliver! Admittedly, I was a tad skeptical as I arrived the Argo – after all, I had been in Alvin, Johnson Sea Link, both single and double Deep Rovers, Deep Workers, Star II, Perry, Pisces, the MIRs… you get the idea. I had reasons to be a little bit spoiled and even snooty at this new “tourist sub” that Steve and Avi had created. And built by a company who’s subs went no deeper than 100 feet or so and the bloody pilot was in scuba gear outside! Preposterous! This new sub will surely be a joke for any real work!
Once again I was reminded to enter situations with eyes wide open and check the presumptions and prejudices at the door. What sat neatly in front of me was a beautiful submersible – no facsimile – definitely the real thing. I carefully walked around the DeepSee, looking for the shortcuts; the plastic where the Titanium belonged, the gaffers tape and chewing gum sealing gaps, something to give away a newcomers approach to sub building … but I saw none of this. DeepSee is the real thing, a robust and cleverly designed submersible capable of taking 3 people down to 1500 feet in extraordinary comfort and safety. It has the latest communication and navigation equipment and is brimming with top notch lighting, video and still cameras. Did I mention comfort? I have not been down in a submersible as comfortable as this one.
Finally, it was time to dive. Steve had told me about a discovery they had made, something that no one had ever seen in the Sea of Cortez – a hydrothermal vent at 450 feet. The Chief Pilot and man in charge of the sub, Shmulik Blum, was to be my pilot and Avi went along to help answer any logistical questions I may have as he knew my agenda on this trip was as much to assess the feasibility of using this new operation in a future project as my desire to dive a sub in the Sea of Cortez. So, here I was with the A team. The Argo anchored about 1 mile away from dive site. Using the massive “A” frame at the stern of Argo they deftly lifted the DeepSee off the deck and dropped it into the “Utility Bay” at the stern, created by building two narrow 22 ft. sections on either end of the stern creating a calm U-shaped bay between the added sections of the hull. Here the DeepSee floated awaiting our easy step-in. Soon I was seated in a very comfortable chair with ample legroom to shift and stretch during the dive. Avi sat next to me at the same level and Shmulik, the pilot, was slightly below, behind and between us with the operating electronics directly in front of him. The 6-foot acrylic dome (3.3 in. thick) was lowered over us and we were away.
The DeepSee is unique. Most submersibles are, well, submersibles; DeepSee seems to be somewhat of a hybrid, operating like a sluggish boat motoring along the surface with the passengers high above the water and only when they reach the dive site will they empty the huge bladders of air holding them up and become a submarine. And in the same length of time it has taken me to write this sentence, we were dropping below the surface; our dive had officially begun.
They had asked me to write a paragraph of my experience and here I am on page 2. That should suggest 2 things: I am (more than) happy to oblige, and I have a lot to say about this operation. But back to the dive… it was perfect. All systems operated flawlessly and we were able to spend several hours moving up, down and across an area seen only by 4 eyes prior to me. And such is the Deep, always revealing new things. And such is the Argo / DeepSee operation; giving people unique opportunities, the rare chance in life to truly discover new things, see animals and landscapes never seen by anyone before. In our overpopulated, overdeveloped world, these chances are becoming fewer and fewer and I for one am thrilled to have been part of this one. Thank you Steve, Avi, Shmulik and the entire Argo and DeepSee team for what I will remember the rest of my life as an incredible voyage to Deep Mexico!
Michael deGruy
September 12, 2008
It is with this history and experience that I comment on my recent visit to Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. I was invited to join Steve Drogin and Avi Klapfer’s new alliance, the 120 foot M/V Argo with its resident 3-man submersible, DeepSee. I have known Steve for many years and also have chartered Avi’s superb vessels in Costa Rica and know each of these men to share a common interest: high quality diving. So it was with great interest and high expectations that I joined their collaborative venture into the world of submersible operations. And did they ever deliver! Admittedly, I was a tad skeptical as I arrived the Argo – after all, I had been in Alvin, Johnson Sea Link, both single and double Deep Rovers, Deep Workers, Star II, Perry, Pisces, the MIRs… you get the idea. I had reasons to be a little bit spoiled and even snooty at this new “tourist sub” that Steve and Avi had created. And built by a company who’s subs went no deeper than 100 feet or so and the bloody pilot was in scuba gear outside! Preposterous! This new sub will surely be a joke for any real work!
Once again I was reminded to enter situations with eyes wide open and check the presumptions and prejudices at the door. What sat neatly in front of me was a beautiful submersible – no facsimile – definitely the real thing. I carefully walked around the DeepSee, looking for the shortcuts; the plastic where the Titanium belonged, the gaffers tape and chewing gum sealing gaps, something to give away a newcomers approach to sub building … but I saw none of this. DeepSee is the real thing, a robust and cleverly designed submersible capable of taking 3 people down to 1500 feet in extraordinary comfort and safety. It has the latest communication and navigation equipment and is brimming with top notch lighting, video and still cameras. Did I mention comfort? I have not been down in a submersible as comfortable as this one.
Finally, it was time to dive. Steve had told me about a discovery they had made, something that no one had ever seen in the Sea of Cortez – a hydrothermal vent at 450 feet. The Chief Pilot and man in charge of the sub, Shmulik Blum, was to be my pilot and Avi went along to help answer any logistical questions I may have as he knew my agenda on this trip was as much to assess the feasibility of using this new operation in a future project as my desire to dive a sub in the Sea of Cortez. So, here I was with the A team. The Argo anchored about 1 mile away from dive site. Using the massive “A” frame at the stern of Argo they deftly lifted the DeepSee off the deck and dropped it into the “Utility Bay” at the stern, created by building two narrow 22 ft. sections on either end of the stern creating a calm U-shaped bay between the added sections of the hull. Here the DeepSee floated awaiting our easy step-in. Soon I was seated in a very comfortable chair with ample legroom to shift and stretch during the dive. Avi sat next to me at the same level and Shmulik, the pilot, was slightly below, behind and between us with the operating electronics directly in front of him. The 6-foot acrylic dome (3.3 in. thick) was lowered over us and we were away.
The DeepSee is unique. Most submersibles are, well, submersibles; DeepSee seems to be somewhat of a hybrid, operating like a sluggish boat motoring along the surface with the passengers high above the water and only when they reach the dive site will they empty the huge bladders of air holding them up and become a submarine. And in the same length of time it has taken me to write this sentence, we were dropping below the surface; our dive had officially begun.
They had asked me to write a paragraph of my experience and here I am on page 2. That should suggest 2 things: I am (more than) happy to oblige, and I have a lot to say about this operation. But back to the dive… it was perfect. All systems operated flawlessly and we were able to spend several hours moving up, down and across an area seen only by 4 eyes prior to me. And such is the Deep, always revealing new things. And such is the Argo / DeepSee operation; giving people unique opportunities, the rare chance in life to truly discover new things, see animals and landscapes never seen by anyone before. In our overpopulated, overdeveloped world, these chances are becoming fewer and fewer and I for one am thrilled to have been part of this one. Thank you Steve, Avi, Shmulik and the entire Argo and DeepSee team for what I will remember the rest of my life as an incredible voyage to Deep Mexico!
Michael deGruy
September 12, 2008
Nigel Marven, TV Presenter
What a joy it's been, filming my new 5 episodes of “Shark Island”, with the Undersea Hunter Group. With all my traveling, it is one of the best dive operations to work with. Cocos Island is one of the greatest dive sites - an unbeatable combination.
The diving guide and the skiff driver took us through amazing schooling Hammerheads, cleaning Silvertips sharks, and a bait ball action, something I have never seen before. The night dive with hundreds of hungry whitetip shark crawling around me was the most memorable experience of my life.
Part of our production was around the DeepSee sub, a unique spectacle that added a different dimension to the film. Descending 300 meters to the black abyss, the submarine pilot showed us the Jello-nose fish, Mobula rays and the rare Prickly shark. The sub was the ultimate filming tool for us and I would highly recommend the sub experience to anyone who takes a trip to Cocos Island.
Thank you very much all, for the great professionalism, the spirit and good time.
The diving guide and the skiff driver took us through amazing schooling Hammerheads, cleaning Silvertips sharks, and a bait ball action, something I have never seen before. The night dive with hundreds of hungry whitetip shark crawling around me was the most memorable experience of my life.
Part of our production was around the DeepSee sub, a unique spectacle that added a different dimension to the film. Descending 300 meters to the black abyss, the submarine pilot showed us the Jello-nose fish, Mobula rays and the rare Prickly shark. The sub was the ultimate filming tool for us and I would highly recommend the sub experience to anyone who takes a trip to Cocos Island.
Thank you very much all, for the great professionalism, the spirit and good time.