On Saturday, February 4th, 2012 world-renowned filmmaker and Santa Barbara local Mike DeGruy passed away unexpectedly in a helicopter crash in Eastern Australia. Mike was an “Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and marine biologist who through the lens of his submersible cameras transported viewers to the deepest crags of the oceans and face to face with swirling, pulsing sea creatures…” (LA Times). Mike will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
Hooked by an octopus: Mike deGruy on TED.com
Underwater filmmaker Mike deGruy has spent decades looking intimately at the ocean. A consummate storyteller, he takes the stage at Mission Blue to share his awe and excitement — and his fears — about the blue heart of our planet. (Recorded on the Mission Blue Voyage, April 2010 on the National Geographic Endeavor, the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Duration: 16:10)
We all just lost a man who’s work and passion will have a profound effect on our planet. Mike was a great friend of our oceans and planet. Take the time to watch this short clip.