The Women Divers Hall of Fame (WDHOF) is an international
honor society. Its purpose is to honor the accomplishments of women divers,
and their contributions to various fields of
underwater diving
Underwater diving, as a human activity, is the practice of descending below the water's surface to interact with the environment. It is also often referred to as diving, an ambiguous term with several possible meanings, depending on contex ...
.
Full membership is restricted to nominees who have been found to meet the WDHOF's criteria, which include being an underwater diver and having contributed to diving in ways recognised as being significant.
The WDHOF was founded in 1999 by a group of people and organizations, including the
Underwater Society of America.
The initial 72 women were inducted in 2000, followed by 26 new members the next year.
The WDHOF also awards scholarships and training grants.
Members
As of 2022, there are 250 members. They include (induction-year in parentheses):
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Pamela Balash-Webber (2022), co-founder of the Virgin Islands Diving Association,
PADI course director, and promoter of ocean conservation.
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Carole Baldwin (2003), scientist, author, and educator. An authority on marine biology, especially tropical-marine fishes, conservation and sustainable seafood.
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Sally Bauer (2011), diving museum founder and historian, aquaculturist, author, and public speaker.
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Wendy Benchley
Winifred "Wendy" Benchley ( Wesson; born February 4, 1941) is a marine and environmental conservation advocate and former councilwoman from New Jersey. She is known for co-founding various environmental organizations and for being the wife of aut ...
(2015), marine conservation leader, governmental policy advocate, and spokesperson on shark conservation.
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Bette Bolivar (2005), US Navy Diving and Salvage Officer; commanding Officer of
USS Salvor, and of the Navy Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit.
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Mary Bonnin (2001), first woman
US Navy Master Diver; US Navy diving instructor; and naval diving safety advocate.
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Cathy Church (2000)
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Eugenie Clark
Eugenie Clark (May 4, 1922 – February 25, 2015), popularly known as The Shark Lady, was an American ichthyologist known for both her research on shark behavior and her study of fish in the order Tetraodontiformes. Clark was a pioneer in the fie ...
(2000)
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Laurel B. Clark
Laurel Blair Clark (née Salton; March 10, 1961 – February 1, 2003) was a NASA astronaut, medical doctor, United States Navy captain, and Space Shuttle mission specialist. Clark died along with her six fellow crew members in the Space Shuttle ...
(2003)
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Céline Cousteau (2011)(
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Annie Crawley (2010)
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Mandy-Rae Cruickshank
__NOTOC__
Mandy-Rae Cruickshank (born May 10, 1974, in Canada) is a world champion free-diver and record-holder from Vancouver, British Columbia.
Cruickshank holds several Canadian and world records. She set the women's world record for constant ...
(2009)
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Sylvia Earle (2000), oceanographer and marine biologist (former Chief Scientist at NOAA), author and consultant.
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Dottie Frazier (2000)
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Honor Frost (2019)
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Lotte Hass (2000)
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Hillary Hauser (2000)
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Mehgan Heaney-Grier (2000)
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Jill Heinerth (2000)
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Denise Herzing (2021)
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Lauren Hutton (2007)
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Darlene Iskra (2008), US Navy diving and salvage officer, first woman to command a commissioned US Navy ship, public speaker, and author.
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Karen Kohanowich (2001)
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Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the House Deputy Speakers since 2022, and previously from 2016 to 2017. She previously ...
(2007)
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Dení Ramírez Macías (2021)
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Simone Melchior-Cousteau (2017)
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Audrey Mestre (2002)
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Zale Parry (2000)
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Lesley Rochat (2010)
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Dee Scarr (2000)
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Claudia Serpieri (2002)
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Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper
Heidemarie Martha Stefanyshyn-Piper (born February 7, 1963) is an American Naval officer and former NASA astronaut. She has achieved the rank of Captain in the United States Navy. She is also a qualified and experienced salvage officer. Her ...
(2007)
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Tanya Streeter (2000)
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Kathryn Sullivan
Kathryn Dwyer Sullivan (born October 3, 1951) is an American geologist, oceanographer, and a former NASA astronaut and US Navy officer. She was a crew member on three Space Shuttle missions.
A graduate of University of California, Santa Cruz ...
(2008)
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Valerie Taylor (2000)
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Donna Tobias (2001)
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Ruth Turner (2001)
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Michele Westmorland (2011)
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Susan Williams(2019)
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Cristina Zenato
Cristina Zenato is an Italian-born shark diver and conservationist. She is known for her work with Caribbean reef sharks in The Bahamas.
Early life
Zenato was born in Italy in 1971. Her father was a special forces military diver. She was rais ...
.
(2011), shark protection consultant; TDI and NSS-CDS technical and full cave instructor; explorer, surveyor and mapper of cave systems; and ocean advocate.
References
External links
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Women Divers Hall of Fame Introduction V2 WDHOF video
{{Underwater diving, hisdiv
Underwater diving
Sports halls of fame
Science and technology halls of fame
Honor societies