Cordell Expeditions: Oral History Project
The Cordell Expeditions team have a unique history. They were the first ones to see Cordell Bank (that we know of!) with their own eyes. Their work in the 1970's and 80's was the backbone of why Cordell Bank was designated as a National Marine Sanctuary in 1989, with the surrounding seafloor and waters. The Sanctuary has been collecting oral histories of these divers to collect and remember their unique and challenging stories of exploring Cordell Bank. This page has short excerpts from the interviews, the full interviews can be listened to and downloaded from the Voices of the Fisheries Database here. The entire transcripts from the interviews can be downloaded here (348 page pdf).
"Cordell Bank, having the opportunity to dive there, help describe it, is the number one high point in my life, excluding family." -Don Dvorak
Interview with Dr.
Robert Schmieder, Founder of Cordell Expeditions"Cordell Bank was for about ten years...my obsessive driving interest to see this project through to the establishment of a National Marine Sanctuary." -Dr. Robert Schmieder
Interview with "The Sacto Team," John Walton, Steve
Williamson, Jerry Seawell, Dave Walls, Dave Cassotta"We could fill volumes of our life experiences of what we've done, and we've all lived fairly adventurous lives. But for me Cordell Bank was the highlight of it all." -Dave Cassotta
Interview
with Bill Kruse and Tom Santilena"To me it was really a leap of faith and I really wasn’t nervous about that...more going down, down, down, into the deep, deep deep blue water. Not knowing when you're gonna get there, if you’re gonna get there, and what you’re going to find once you do get there." -Tom Santilena