Bret Gilliam has had a 40-year career in professional diving, logging over 19,000 dives in military, commercial, scientific, filming, and technical diving operations. He is one of the diving industry's most successful entrepreneurs with investments in publishing, training agencies (TDI/SDI), manufacturing, resorts, dive vessels, cruise ships, and film production companies. He is a currently licensed U.S. Coast Merchant Officer with the rank of Master, aircraft pilot, deep submersible pilot, and holds a variety of credentials within the diving medical community including Recompression Chamber Supervisor and Diver Medic Technician Trainer. His company Ocean Quest International operated a 550-ft., 28,000 ton diving cruise ship from 1987-1990 that remains the largest single diving operation in history, averaging over 1,200 dives per day among its passengers and staff.
Author of nearly 1500 published articles, his photos have graced over 100 magazine covers, and he is principal author or contributor to over 70 books & manuals. His writing and photography have been published worldwide. He also has worked as location director, cameraman, and operations manager on scores of Hollywood movies, television series, documentaries (including National Geographic and the Cousteau series), and IMAX films. He is a Fellow National of the elite Explorers Club and the world record holder as the deepest scuba diver on conventional scuba equipment.
He continues a limited practice as a widely sought litigation consultant and expert witness for diving and maritime legal cases, appearing in nearly 400 cases without a loss. He also specializes in risk management for diving, shipping, resorts, training agencies, and insurance syndicates, as well as crafting emergency medical treatment protocols for remote accident management of diving injuries where evacuation is not an option.
After nearly 30 years living in the Caribbean and equatorial regions worldwide, he now lives in Maine where he divides his time between two homes and a motor yacht. He is still active in special film and publishing projects. His book, a large hardbound coffee table style volume, Diving Pioneers & Innovators: An In-Depth Series of Interviews, has been met with widespread enthusiasm by reviewers internationally and has become a valued collector’s work.