Valerie Taylor shares underwater life

The underwater world of storyteller, shark researcher and conservationist Valerie Taylor will be told in Valerie Taylor: An Underwater Life which is now on show at the Australian Maritime Museum.

The collection is based on the Valerie Taylor’s extensive archive of her images and objects which she has donated to the National Maritime Collection. It showcases the work of Valerie and her late husband Ron and their significant contributions to marine conservation, diving and underwater filming.

Taylor has recorded the marine environment and shared her knowledge with the public for over 60 years, staunchly advocating for better protection of the ocean, its animals, and their habitats.

Highlights of the exhibition include Valerie and Ron Taylor’s cameras and underwater housings, Valerie’s iconic blue fins and dive suits, and the stainless-steel chainmail suit she wore to get up close and personal with sharks. The showacse also includes movie posters from more than four decades of working in Hollywood, from Jaws to The Island of Dr Moreau, and more than 500 images from the Australian Maritime Museum collection of animals, people, places and worlds now under threat.

Celebrated globally, Valerie has paved the way for future generations of divers, filmmakers, and environmentalists.

Australian Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, until August 31 2024.

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