Throughout centuries, mankind has conquered seas and oceans in an attempt to explore every corner of the world. Odysseus, the heroes of epic journeys, Phoenician sailors, ancient Viking explorers, the discoverers of the Americas and the West Indies during the Spanish and Portuguese maritime dominance... Technological, economic and military supremacy has always been tied to the mastery of the seas.
Since the earliest seafarers, humanity has sought answers to explain the principles governing the nature of the seas and what occurs beneath their surface. Prior to the need for diving, there emerged a profound knowledge of navigation, by sail or propelled by the power mankind could generate through oars.
Perhaps one purpose of this interest was the exploitation of the infinite resources the sea offered. Gathering and fishing numerous species for trade, both for sustenance and for ornamental use in creating jewellery and beautiful objects, has been the goal of many coastal peoples.
Evidence of the oldest attempts can be found in shells discovered at prehistoric sites, in sponges fished by divers in Crete, pearls and corals traded in Egypt since 3500 BC, or pearls and mother-of-pearl from India that were sold in the Mediterranean around 1200 BC.
From this seafaring aspect arose the need to recover the remains of ships that, for various reasons, ended up sinking or whose cargo fell into the sea. When this occurred in shallow waters, many would rush to try to recover their cargo. This was extremely complicated when just a few metres of water separated them, preventing access to the submerged remains.
We must also not forget the military purpose behind the earliest dives. Attacking enemy vessels without being detected by soldiers required an extremely cautious underwater approach.
Other scientists suggest that mankind's fascination with the sea may stem from satisfying the need to return to our origins. The origin and evolution of species on land comes from a transformation over millions of years of life forms originating from the seas that populated the earth. This ancient legacy may explain the attraction mankind has always felt to discover what lies beneath the waters.
Our mammalian nature requires a continuous renewal of the air we breathe to survive. The waters composing the seas are not our natural environment, and therefore the first incursions were limited to short periods of holding one's breath in apnea. Another significant drawback was the poor visibility due to light refraction underwater, which greatly complicated the collection of objects and catching fish with arrows and spears.
The long journey marking the evolution of diving techniques and equipment began over 7,000 years ago and continues every day with new advancements...
Today, we are still far from colonising underwater depths, and in the future, numerous incredible discoveries will be made in underwater conquest, extending the limited time we still have for submersion.
