Mike deGruy had a lifelong interest in all things ocean, a BS and 3 years of Graduate School in Marine Biology, followed by making films in the ocean for over 35 years. 

He was a dynamic force exposing and espousing the wonders of the sea. His enthusiasm fired up audiences around the globe and his film work thrilled everyone who was lucky to watch.

He was an award winning filmmaker, writer, producer, director of photography and television host with over thirty prestigious awards including three EMMYs. The list of his work is very long but it does not do justice to the enthusiasm that inspired, excited and motivated everyone that he interacted with.

On April 2, 1978, Mike deGruy and a fellow researcher were shooting in a little known area of the Eniwetok Atoll when he was violently attacked by a grey reef shark. It ripped the top of his right arm off and left him bleeding profusely in the shark-filled waters of the lagoon. His diving partner was less severely attacked by the same shark. They were 10 miles out, with no land in sight and nobody in their 21-foot boat to help. Mike accepted his impending fate, rolled over on his back, used his left hand to clamp off the blood flow from his right arm, and slowly kicked toward the boat. The expected second attack never came, and his partner was already in the boat to help him.

Mike has filmed everything from enormous orcas attacking sea lions in the frozen north with Mike in the frozen water amid the sea lions, to a tiny yellow pufferfish blowing itself up as big as it could possibly get when it was suddenly attacked by an eel. The little puffer kept blowing and finning with its little fins as fast as possible, while the eel worked and worked on gulping it down until…until….the pufferfish got away!
Mike worked for Discovery Channel, National Geographic, PBS and the BBC, and with David Attenborough, James Cameron and Turner Broadcasting.
Mike has dived under the ice at both poles, been to all continents, become a submersible pilot, dived hundreds of times in many types of submersibles, filmed hydrothermal vents and had more meals on the Titanic, now resting at 12,500 feet deep, than did the doomed passengers.
On February 3, 2012, Mike died in a helicopter crash in Australia while working on another in his long list of photo expeditions. He leaves behind is wife Mimi Armstrong deGruy, an associate producer for Ted Turner when they met to work on a film in Hawaii. They have two teen-aged children Max and Frances. Max is also an underwater cinematographer.

Thank you to Hillary Hauser for contributions to this biography.