Spent decades at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and later joined the University of Rhode Island. The Titanic and the "Secret" Mission
Served 30 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a Commander. Bob Ballard: An Explorer's Life
The massive German battleship, found in water 4,000 feet deeper than the Titanic. Spent decades at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Born in Wichita, Kansas in 1942, Ballard’s path to the deep sea began in San Diego. His fascination with the ocean was ignited at age 12 by the Disney film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea . He grew up dreaming of being Captain Nemo, a goal he pursued through a unique combination of military service and high-level science. The massive German battleship, found in water 4,000
John F. Kennedy's lost World War II patrol boat in the Solomon Islands.
Ballard's mother famously told him it was "too bad" he found the Titanic, fearing people would forget his more important scientific work. Ballard himself often states that finding in 1977 was his greatest contribution to science. These deep-sea geysers revealed an entire ecosystem independent of sunlight, powered by chemosynthesis—a discovery that completely shifted biological theory. Other legendary discoveries include: