Canadian ocean explorer joe macinnis reflects on decades of deep-sea discovery and environmental lessons from the abyss

At 88 years old, legendary Canadian underwater explorer Joe MacInnis has witnessed the ocean’s most dramatic stories firsthand—from being trapped by the Titanic’s wreckage to discovering one of the Great Lakes’ most infamous shipwrecks. His decades-long career exploring the deep has given him unique insights into how the sea serves as both teacher and guardian of environmental history.

MacInnis’s adventures read like maritime legend. During one dive to the Titanic, he and Russian deep-water pilot Anatoly Sagalevich found themselves snagged by a telephone wire from the ship’s pilot house, trapped two and a half miles beneath the ocean’s surface. In another groundbreaking moment, MacInnis and his team became the first humans to lay eyes on the Edmund Fitzgerald, the 729-foot vessel that mysteriously vanished into Lake Superior’s depths 50 years ago so quickly that its crew couldn’t even send a distress call.

These expeditions represent more than thrilling adventures—they offer crucial environmental insights. Shipwrecks serve as time capsules, preserving evidence of how human activities have impacted marine ecosystems over decades. MacInnis describes shipwrecks and the ocean itself as the “greatest of all teachers,” revealing how the sea responds to human presence and environmental change.

As climate change continues to alter ocean conditions and affect underwater ecosystems, the experiences of pioneers like MacInnis become invaluable. His work documenting deep-sea environments provides baseline data for understanding how these remote ecosystems are changing, making his “rip-roaring” career not just an adventure story, but an important chapter in environmental science.