Bob Ballard: An Explorer's Life File

John F. Kennedy's lost World War II patrol boat in the Solomon Islands.

The massive German battleship, found in water 4,000 feet deeper than the Titanic. Bob Ballard: An Explorer's Life

His discovery was made possible by revolutionary "telepresence" technology—unmanned, camera-equipped robots like and Jason that allowed him to see the seafloor without being physically present in a submersible. Beyond the "Rusty Old Boat" John F

"I am an explorer and mapmaker," Ballard says, continuing to push the boundaries of what is known about the 70% of our planet that lies underwater. Navy, retiring as a Commander

Served 30 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a Commander.

Earned undergraduate degrees in chemistry and geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara .

Bob Ballard: An Explorer’s Life Dr. Robert "Bob" Ballard is arguably the most famous underwater explorer of our time. While the world primarily knows him as the man who found the , his life’s work spans over 150 expeditions that have fundamentally changed our understanding of the ocean floor, biology, and human history. A Childhood Dream Realized