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G
eorgienne Bradley, founder/
director of Sea Save Foundation
( seasave.org )and a producer at
Bradley Ireland Productions, is
an enthusiastic scientist, writer
and activist who has spearheaded
conservation efforts for most of her life.
Among Bradley’s many accomplishments are being
the Latin American Representative for the Cousteau
Society, the cochair/cofounder of the American Society
of Media Photographers underwater specialty group,
an inductee in the Women Divers Hall of Fame, an
SSI Platinum Pro Award winner and the founder of
Earth Images and Bradley Ireland Productions. She
has written three books, hundreds of magazine articles
and multiple scientific papers and has produced
work for Paramount, Disney, National Geographic
and others. Her first published documentation of
shark finning was in 1989. One of Bradley’s most
noteworthy achievements was having worked closely
with the Costa Rican government for more than 26
years on projects protecting Cocos Island and its shark
population, culminating in Cocos Island becoming a
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.
How did a girl from Pennsylvania discover diving?
Both my parents and grandparents owned marinas, so
I was on the water from a young age, moving the boats
around. In high school, a friend of mine was a diver. I
knew you weren’t supposed to dive if you didn’t have
the certification, but I was a strong swimmer and
young and stupid. In Monterey, Calif., I convinced my
friend to rent some gear, and I walked off the pier and
laid on my back in the water and watched a sea lion
bark at me. I thought, “This is the coolest thing ever.”
My friend then realized I’d never dived before, and
I had to ’fess up. She then told me the area we’d just
seen was rubbish, but even so I had been thrilled by it.
What made you decide on a career in diving?
There’s a twofold answer to this. The first part I can
summarize with a name: Jacques Cousteau. What
Cousteau was doing was all new. I was a kid watching
with my family, and he would use his camera to bring
us along on his adventure.
Subconsciously, I think, I saw how you could inspire
with imagery. It’s a very strong tool. At Sea Save the
lengths to which we have to go to get people to take
advocacy steps is crazy. People want to see the oceans
protected but are not always willing to take time to
engage, even in the smallest actions. Cousteau showed
people the personalities of whales and the beauty of
the oceans, and from there it was an easy sell to get
people to say, “Let’s protect them.”
The second thing that moved me toward a career
in diving was a project I spearheaded: the Costa Rica
Marine Imaging Project (CRMIP). I recognized that
there was a strong need for marine-related educational
programs in Costa Rica; with some creative solutions,
Jay Ireland, my partner at Bradley Ireland Productions,
and I were able to execute several national educational
programs with little funding. The projects included
the creation of a series of national postage stamps and
educational and PR campaigns that increased awareness
Hometown:
Croydon, Pa.
Years Diving:
32
Favorite Dive Destination:
Cocos Island, Costa Rica
Why I’m a DAN Member:
I can focus on my work
knowing that DAN experts are available at any
time and that I have access to premier evacuation
coverage and medical treatment.
GEORGIENNE BRADLEY
By Terry Ward
28
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FALL 2016
DIVE SLATE
DAN MEMBER PROFILE
JAY IRELAND