Hans Hass

Hans Hass (1919-2013) was an Austrian pioneer in diving, marine biology, and underwater filmmaking, born in Vienna to a lawyer father and initially studying law before switching to zoology after his first dives in 1937. He invented early dive equipment like the System Hans Hass swim fin, produced the world's first underwater documentary in 1939, authored over 30 books including 'Manta: Under the Red Sea,' and led groundbreaking expeditions to places like the Red Sea and Caribbean. A rival to Jacques Cousteau, Hass's work popularized ocean exploration and conservation through films and photography.