Bob Ballard: An Explorer's Life Apr 2026

Earned undergraduate degrees in chemistry and geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara .

Served 30 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a Commander.

Today, Ballard remains active through the and his flagship, the E/V Nautilus . His mission has pivoted from discovery to inspiration. Through Nautilus Live , students and the public can watch real-time deep-sea exploration and interact with scientists from around the globe. Bob Ballard: An Explorer's Life

The massive German battleship, found in water 4,000 feet deeper than the Titanic.

In 1985, Ballard made his most famous discovery: the wreckage of the . However, the mission itself was actually a top-secret Navy project to survey two lost nuclear submarines, the USS Thresher and USS Scorpion . Only after completing the military objective was Ballard permitted to use the remaining time to search for the famous liner. Earned undergraduate degrees in chemistry and geology from

John F. Kennedy's lost World War II patrol boat in the Solomon Islands.

Well-preserved Roman and Byzantine vessels in the anoxic (oxygen-free) waters of the Black Sea. Inspiring the Next Generation Today, Ballard remains active through the and his

His discovery was made possible by revolutionary "telepresence" technology—unmanned, camera-equipped robots like and Jason that allowed him to see the seafloor without being physically present in a submersible. Beyond the "Rusty Old Boat"