In Memoriam: Captain Don Walsh

Captain Don Walsh passed away on Sunday, 12 November 2023 at the age of 92.

The Society for Underwater Technology released a statement saying: “Don Walsh will forever be remembered as a pioneer in exploration and especially for his famous first, when he and Jacques Piccard piloted the bathyscaphe Trieste to the deepest point in the world’s ocean with their dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 1960. He will also be remembered for his lifetime of contribution to ocean technology.

“But for those that had the honour of knowing him, he will most be recalled for his humility, kindness and generosity. A true renaissance man and someone whose attributes we should all strive to emulate.”

Walsh obtained a bachelor's degree in engineering at the US Naval Academy, a master's degree in Political Science from San Diego State University, and a master's degree and a PhD in physical oceanography from Texas A&M University.

He enlisted in the US Navy in 1948 and later became the commanding officer of the submarine USS Bashaw (SSKS-241) before becoming the Navy’s first deep submersible pilot.

The Society for Underwater Technology and Marine Technology Society will continue to honor Walsh through the annual Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration. Dr Peter Girguis, Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and Adjunct Oceanographer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, was announced the winner of the 2023 Captain Don Walsh Award in August.