I have devoted my life to diving and I am grateful for every minute of that! Also I am grateful for the inspirational men and women I have known along the way who opened my eyes to the possibilities, the excitement, the beauty and the mind expanding opportunities the marine world offers.

One of these wonderful folks is Neville Coleman. I first met Neville on a boat dive back in 1966. He was already an ambassador for all living things in the sea and he was on a quest to discover, reveal and educate us about all marine creatures big and small. Unfortunately at the time I, like most divers at the time, was only interested in Big Stuff although I respected Neville's enthusiasm and inspiration. My mind was focused elsewhere, my view narrow and my knowledge basic. I was preoccupied with big fish, sharks, shipwrecks and girls!

Kevin and Neville preparing to dive and film a segment of Mike Willessie Productions Sink or Swim for Channel 9, circa 1980's.

Fortunately I was also an underwater photographer and eventually the photographer in me could not help but notice from time to time some of the pretty little stuff that crawled by on the bottom. Whenever you photographed something like that the only person you could turn to for information was Neville.  Not only could Neville tell you what it was but also something about its behaviour! There was however a consequence, you could be sure that Neville would always try to inspire you to discover, learn, understand and educate others about marine animals.  It was Neville, who introduced me to nudibranchs, and Neville who explained the Latin meaning, Nudi for Naked and Branch for gills (or lungs), it simply meant Naked Gills! So it was that Neville taught me my first words of Latin!

As our career paths developed as divers and photographers I was fortunate to have the opportunity of crossing paths with Neville many times and it was always inspirational. When my brother Jeff and I developed the diving facilities on Lord Howe Island in the 1980's we were able to host Neville and he would run marine naturalist education for our divers while expanding the knowledge of marine species in this environment. I always attended Neville's workshops because I had discovered I would always learn something new. By now Neville's never say die attitude had begun to work its magic on me and I was subliminally becoming a marine naturalist.

When Dive 2000 was born in 1982 Neville would drive down from Brisbane to run marine naturalist courses for us, his dedication and enthusiasm were contagious. By the mid 1980's I was established as a professional photographer and underwater cameraman so I would leave the dive centre from time to time to shoot documentaries for TV productions. My paths crossed Neville's again when Channel 9 Mike Willisey Productions contracted me to shoot the underwater segments of Neville tutoring several delinquent teenagers to dive and hopefully, be inspired by the wonders of the marine environment. Neville was tireless in his efforts as I have never seen a tougher audience than these teenagers but none the less there were breakthroughs. I will never forget the moment I was able to film the teenagers introducing Mike Willesie to the undersea world while Neville proudly supervised his students in action. I also saw their excitement when Neville showed them their first shark.. Neville's efforts to succeed with these kids was again inspirational.

None of us could have guessed that years later, at this same dive site at Lord Howe Island, Neville would discover a new species of pygmy seahorse, just one of many species he has discovered that have been named in his honour, proving once again just how much there is to know but for me proving once again how often its Neville that guides us along the way! I for one am delighted that marine science saw fit to name this beautiful little seahorse Hippocampus Colemani

This month we are delighted to have Neville once only for 2009 available to offer his marine naturalist workshop in the wonderful environment of Nelson Bay Port Stephens and have him as our feature guest at our next Speaker Evening in Sydney. I encourage you to do your best to attend either or both as I can promise you amazing discoveries, mind opening awareness, dedication, beautiful pictures, and most of all, inspiration from one of the most inspiring men I have ever met.

Written by, Kevin Deacon, Photographer, Marine Naturalist & Author, thanks to among others, Neville Coleman. 

Kevin Deacon circa 1968