# Bill Curtsinger

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**Bill Curtsinger** is an American photographer and writer who publishes on [underwater photography](/source/Underwater_photography) and [natural history](/source/Natural_history) subjects. Curtsinger has photographed thirty-five articles, including six cover stories for *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)* and a cover story for *[Life](/source/Life_(magazine))*. His photos have also appeared in *[Smithsonian](/source/Smithsonian_(magazine))*, *[Natural History](/source/Natural_History_(magazine))*, various [scientific journals](/source/Scientific_journals), and a number of books worldwide.

## Early life and education

Curtsinger was born in [Philadelphia](/source/Philadelphia), Pennsylvania, in 1946 and grew up in [Mount Holly, New Jersey](/source/Mount_Holly,_New_Jersey)[1] near the [Pine Barrens](/source/New_Jersey_Pine_Barrens) region. In later life, he provided photographic images for a book about the sprawling [ecosystem](/source/Ecosystem) at the barrens.[2]

As a teenager, Curtsinger was inspired to photograph the underwater arena by reading [Jacques Cousteau](/source/Jacques_Cousteau)'s book *[The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure](/source/The_Silent_World:_A_Story_of_Undersea_Discovery_and_Adventure)*.[3] Cousteau was an award-winning [underwater diver](/source/Underwater_diver) who captured exotic underwater videos and photos.[4] Curtsinger also read his grandfather's *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)* magazines for additional inspiration.[2]

Further inspiration as a teenager would come in the form of a poem by [Robinson Jeffers](/source/Robinson_Jeffers).[2]

...Integrity is wholeness, the greatest beauty is organic wholeness, the wholeness of life and things, the divine beauty of the universe. Love that...

— [Robinson Jeffers](/source/Robinson_Jeffers), '**The Answer*[5]***

At the age of 16, Curtsinger bought his first camera, a [Kodak Retinette](/source/Kodak_Retinette) 1A 35mm [rangefinder](/source/Rangefinder_camera). The first image he took was a [Northern red-bellied turtle](/source/Northern_red-bellied_cooter) at Pine Barrens.[2]

## U.S. Navy career

During the [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War), in 1967 after graduating high school at 18, Curtsinger attended [Northern Arizona University](/source/Northern_Arizona_University) in [Flagstaff](/source/Flagstaff,_Arizona). After a year he transferred to [Arizona State University](/source/Arizona_State_University) in [Tempe](/source/Tempe,_Arizona) to join their photography program. During the transfer of schools he lost [course credits](/source/Course_credit) and was deemed a second-year [freshman](/source/Freshman). Because of this, the [draft board](/source/Draft_board) reclassified him, making him eligible to be drafted into the Vietnam War effort. Curtsinger preemptively joined the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) to circumvent being drafted into the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army).[6][7]

Due to his interest in photography, the Navy excepted Curtsinger into the elite Navy Photo Unit, [Atlantic Fleet](/source/United_States_Atlantic_Fleet) Combat Camera Group based at [Naval Station Norfolk](/source/Naval_Station_Norfolk).[8] The camera unit was disestablished in 2018.[9][7]

After graduating from [U.S. Navy Dive School](/source/Navy_diver_(United_States_Navy)) in [Key West, Florida](/source/Key_West,_Florida), curtsinger earned his [Jump Wings](/source/Parachutist_Badge_(United_States)) in [Lakehurst, New Jersey](/source/Lakehurst,_New_Jersey), and attended various U.S. [Navy Flight Crew training](/source/Naval_Air_Training_Command) units around [Norfolk, Virginia](/source/Norfolk,_Virginia). He traveled the world on special assignments for the [United States Fleet Forces Command](/source/United_States_Fleet_Forces_Command) of the Atlantic Fleet, including the Navy's [research and development](/source/Research_and_development) department photographing new launches of [submarines](/source/Submarine),[6][7] such as the [USS Narwhal (SSN-671)](/source/USS_Narwhal_(SSN-671)).[10]

Curtsinger spent most of his Navy career covering the [United States Navy carrier air operations](/source/Modern_United_States_Navy_carrier_air_operations). He qualified to fly in the [F-4 Phantom](/source/F-4_Phantom) and [A-6 Intruder](/source/A-6_Intruder) to carry out his photo missions. He was made an honorary member of the *Red Rippers*, [U.S. Navy Fighter Squadron VF-11](/source/VFA-11), and is credited as having the first color front and back covers in *Naval Aviation News* (1968).[6][11]

As a [Petty officer third class](/source/Petty_officer_third_class) in 1968 Curtsinger was sent to [Antarctica](/source/Antarctica) to photograph the [National Science Foundation](/source/National_Science_Foundation)'s Office of Polar Programs at [McMurdo Station](/source/McMurdo_Station) as part of [Operation Deep Freeze](/source/Operation_Deep_Freeze),[12] and in 1969 to [Palmer Station](/source/Palmer_Station), for which he was awarded the [Antarctica Service Medal](/source/Antarctica_Service_Medal).[1]

After six months in the Antarctic, Curtsinger approached [Admiral George J. Dufek (Ret.)](/source/George_J._Dufek), who at the time was the director of the [Mariner's Museum](/source/Mariners'_Museum_and_Park) in [Newport News, Virginia](/source/Newport_News,_Virginia), and knew of his work with Naval Aviation News and [Antarctic Science](/source/Antarctic_Science).[13]: 32:26 Dufek led the first U.S. science effort in the Antarctic during [Operation Highjump](/source/Operation_Highjump).[14] Curtsinger has stated that during a conversation with Dufek, he made a call to [Gilbert M. Grosvenor](/source/Gilbert_M._Grosvenor), President of the [National Geographic Society](/source/National_Geographic_Society) to set up a meeting to meet with Curtsinger.[13]: 33:10

In 1970 Curtsinger was transferred to the [United States Navy Reserve](/source/United_States_Navy_Reserve) as a [Petty officer second class](/source/Petty_officer_second_class), where he served until 1973, resigning to pursue freelance photography for *National Geographic*.[7][1]

## Freelance career

Curtsinger is one of the first underwater photographers to capture extensive images of [marine life](/source/Marine_life) under the [polar ice](/source/Polar_ice) in Antarctica. He had been a freelance photographer since leaving the U.S. Navy with his photographic imagery focusing on underwater, [natural history](/source/Natural_history), [maritime archaeology](/source/Maritime_archaeology), people, culture, environments and wildlife. He has photographed thirty-three articles, including six cover stories, for *National Geographic*. Curtsinger's photos have also appeared on the cover of *[Orion](/source/Orion_(online_magazine))*, *[Life](/source/Life_(magazine))* and *[Natural History](/source/Natural_History_(magazine))* magazines with stories in a number of other magazines such as *[BBC Wildlife](/source/BBC_Wildlife)* and *[Smithsonian](/source/Smithsonian_(magazine))*.[6]

The subjects of Curtsinger's photographs have included species and natural systems such as whales, [walruses](/source/Walruses), penguins, dolphins, [seals](/source/Pinniped), [sea turtles](/source/Sea_turtles) and sharks. His stories have featured locations such as [Antarctica](/source/Antarctica), Canada, [Argentina](/source/Argentina), Africa and The [Caroline Islands](/source/Caroline_Islands) of the tropical [Pacific](/source/Pacific_Ocean).[15][16]

Curtsinger's work also includes numerous textbooks, journals and aquarium displays and he has been a contributor to [Gulf of Maine Research Institute](/source/Gulf_of_Maine_Research_Institute) publications and website.[6] He has eight titled published books including *Extreme Nature: Images from the World's Edge*, a four hundred page retrospective of his career, published in 2005 by [White Star Publishers](/source/White_Star_Publishers) in nine languages.[17]

Curtsinger has stated that he pitched his first assignment with *National Geographic* to [Bob Gilka](/source/Robert_E._Gilka) because he knew the magazine had not published any articles about the [peninsula](/source/Antarctic_Peninsula). Having spent six months in the cold barren landscape of Antarctica he knew that the peninsula was more interesting and more biological diverse than what was previously published in the *Geographic*.[13]: 33:10 His very first article was a cover story in the November 1971 issue of *National Geographic*, "Antarctica's Nearer Side" by Samuel W. Matthews.[18]

With his crisp, clean photos of whales, seals, penguins, and dolphins, ex-Navy photographer Bill Curtsinger helped the National Geographic Society pioneer the field of underwater marine life photography with stunning pictures such as this shot of an [Emperor penguin](/source/Emperor_penguin) gliding through the waters of [McMurdo Sound](/source/McMurdo_Sound), Antarctica.

— [National Geographic Society](/source/National_Geographic_Society)[19]

### Grey reef shark

In January 1995 *National Geographic* published an article photographed and written by Curtsinger about [grey reef sharks](/source/Grey_reef_shark). In a subsection of the story, he reminisces about a 1973 encounter with the same species of sharks in the [Micronesian](/source/Federated_States_of_Micronesia) lagoon in the [Caroline Islands](/source/Caroline_Islands).[20]

The shark came at me like a rocket. I had time only to lift my hand...(The shark then) raked my right shoulder. At that moment a friend rescued me in a [dingy](/source/Dingy).

— Curtsinger, Bill *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*[20]

After this encounter he only needed minor [reconstructive surgery](/source/Reconstructive_surgery) to his hand and shoulder. He has stated that grey reef sharks are extremely territorial, suspect in many attacks on [indigenous](/source/Indigenous_peoples) islanders throughout Oceania and was most likely driving away a perceived competitor or [predator](/source/Predator).[20]

### Shipwrecks

Curtsinger has also photographed many [shipwrecks](/source/Shipwrecks) throughout his career, like the *[Mary Rose](/source/Mary_Rose)* at [Portsmouth Harbour](/source/Portsmouth_Harbour), which was active during the reign of [Henry the VIII](/source/Henry_VIII).[21] He has also photographed the 16th century [Basque whaling](/source/Basque_whaling) ship off the coast of [Labrador](/source/Labrador),[22] the 17th century Swedish [warship](/source/Warship) [*Kronan*](/source/Kronan_(ship)) that sank in the [Baltic Sea](/source/Baltic_Sea) off the Swedish island of [Öland](/source/%C3%96land)[23] and a 14th-century [Bronze Age](/source/Bronze_Age) [merchant ship](/source/Merchant_ship), which was the oldest known shipwreck at that time (1987).[24]

In 1991 he captured the sunken fleet of [Operation Crossroads](/source/Operation_Crossroads) at [Bikini Atoll](/source/Bikini_Atoll) in the [Marshall Islands](/source/Marshall_Islands). Operation Crossroads was a [classified](/source/Classified_information) undertaking by the U.S. military to test [nuclear weapons](/source/Nuclear_weapons) underwater in 1946. *National Geographic* ran a story about the underwater wreckage in their June 1992 issue authored by John L. Elliot and photographed by Curtsinger.[25] Also, a [scientific journal](/source/Scientific_journal) was published for the [United States Department of the Interior](/source/United_States_Department_of_the_Interior), *The Archeology of the Atomic Bomb*, featuring select images from Curtsinger.[26]

### Firsts

- First colored photographs published in the *Naval Aviation News* (1968)[11]
- First published underwater photographs of [right whales](/source/Right_whale) (1972) [Argentina](/source/Argentina)[13]: 42:10[27]
- First published underwater photographs of [narwhal whales](/source/Narwhal)[28]
- First underwater photograph of [leopard seals](/source/Leopard_seal) (1971)[29]
- First photojournalist to cover the *[Mary Rose](/source/Mary_Rose)* shipwreck.[21]
- First photographs of [emperor penguins](/source/Emperor_penguin) (flying) swimming underwater[19]
- First photograph (1984) of a [Blainville's beaked whale](/source/Blainville's_beaked_whale) mother and calf.[30]

## Inspiring others

As new generations of photographers enter the field of photography, some have been inspired by Curtsinger's work, such as [Brian Skerry](/source/Brian_Skerry). In a 2021 article in *The Maine Magazine*, Skerry recalls Curtsinger turning down a *National Geographic* photo shoot of the 1717 [pirate](/source/Pirate) shipwreck *[Whydah Gally](/source/Whydah_Gally)*, buried in the sand off [Cape Cod](/source/Cape_Cod). Curtsinger turned down the job due to scheduling issues, but put in a good word for Skerry, who in turn, took the job.[31] Skerry had his photos published in the May 1999 issue of *National Geographic*.[32]

## Personal life

In 1972, during Curtsinger's second photo assignment with *National Geographic* about [salt marshes](/source/Salt_marsh), he moved to [Maine](/source/Maine),[33] where in 1974 he married Kate Mahoney. They had two children together, Justin and Owen. In June 2003, Mahoney died from a seven-year battle with breast cancer. Curtsinger and Mahoney were married for twenty-nine years and during that time, Mahoney was responsible for the organization and sales of Curtsinger's stock photos business, which she created.[34] Mahoney was a founding member of Peregrine Press located in [Portland, Maine](/source/Portland,_Maine).[35]

With the advance of the internet and declining [stock photo](/source/Stock_photography) sales, Curtsinger left Maine and moved to [Port Townsend, Washington](/source/Port_Townsend,_Washington) in 2006. He became the co-owner, along with his second wife Sue Ohlson, of Sunrise Coffee Company.[15]

Even though Curtsinger in no longer a freelancer in the field of photography, he continues to photograph and in 2021 collaborated with [Kenneth Brower](/source/Kenneth_Brower) on the book *Curtsinger: Reflections on the Life and Adventures of Bill Curtsinger*.[36]

## Awards and recognition

1st row Navy Good Conduct Medal National Defense Service Medal[1] National Defense Service Medal[1]

- (2001) *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)* 100 Best wildlife photos[33]
- (2002) "Outstanding Science Trade Book" [National Science Teachers Association](/source/National_Science_Teachers_Association) recognition for the book *Sea Soup: Zooplankton*[37]
- (2006) [NOGI Award](/source/NOGI_Awards) Arts, Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences[38]
- (2022) Associate member of the Boston Sea Rovers[39]
- (2022) Honorary member of Peregrine Press[40]

## Exhibitions

- (1990) "Underwater Nudes" – Evans Gallery, [Portland, Maine](/source/Portland,_Maine)[41]
- (2000) "Photographing Maine: 1840 to 2000" – [Maine Coast Artists](/source/Maine_Coast_Artists), [Rockport, Maine](/source/Rockport,_Maine).[42]
- (2005) "Extreme Nature: Images from the World's Edge" [University of New England](/source/University_of_New_England_(United_States)), [Westbrook, ME](/source/Westbrook,_Maine).[43]
- (2006) "Oceans Expo II: A world to discover" – Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano ([ICPNA](/source/ICPNA)), [Peru](/source/Peru).[44]
- (2007) "Underwater" [Naturmuseum Senckenberg](/source/Naturmuseum_Senckenberg), [Frankfurt, Germany](/source/Frankfurt)[45]

## Bibliography

### Cover stories

[Magazine covers](/source/Magazine#Cover) that have featured Curtsinger's photos.

Title Year Publication Author Location Ref Our Crowded Skies 1970 Proceedings Cdr. R. J. Koch, Jr., USN Sky [46] R/V Hero: Assignment Antarctic 1971 Proceedings Curtsinger, Bill Antarctica [47] Antarctica's Nearer Side 1971 National Geographic Mathews, Samuel W. Antarctica [18] Life or Death for the Harp Seal 1976 National Geographic Lavigne, David M. Canada [48] Will We Kill the Last Whale? 1979 Life Fadiman, Anne Global [49] 16th Century Basque Whaling in America 1985 National Geographic Robert, Grenier · Tuck, James Canada [22] Oldest Known Shipwreck 1987 National Geographic Bass, George Aegean Sea [24] The bottom of the bottom of the world 1992 Natural History Campbell, David G. Global [50] Sea Turtles: In a Race for Survival 1994 National Geographic Rudloe, Anne · Rudloe, Jack Bahamas [51] Gray Reef Sharks 1995 National Geographic Curtsinger, Bill Marshall Islands [52] Generation to Generation 1995 Orion Sobel, David Et al. Costa Rica [53]

### Books

Title Year Authors Publisher ISBN Wake of the Whale 1979 Brower, Kenneth Friends of the Earth ISBN 978-0-52522-950-6 The Pine Barrens 1981 McPhee, John Farrar, Straus and Giroux ISBN 0-374-23362-4 Monk Seal Hideaway 1995 Ackerman, Diane Crown Publishing Group ISBN 978-0-51759-674-6 Sea Soup: Phytoplankton 1999 Cerullo, Maru M. Tilbury House, Publishers ISBN 978-0-88448-208-6 Sea Soup: Zooplankton 2001 Cerullo, Mary M. Tilbury House, Publishers ISBN 978-0-88448-219-2 Life Under Ice 2003 Cerullo, Mary M. Tilbury House, Publishers ISBN 978-0-88448-246-8 Extreme Nature: Images from the World's Edge 2005 Curtsinger, Bill White Star Publishers ISBN 978-8-85440-078-8 Curtsinger: Reflections on the Life and Adventures of Bill Curtsinger 2021 Brower, Kenneth Northwind Art ISBN 978-0-98835-508-8

### Film and video

Title Year Role Distributor Ref Grey Reef Sharks 1995 Self National Geographic Explorer [54][55] The Life of a Tiger Shark 2000 Self National Geographic Explorer [56][57] The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie 2005 Archival footage Paramount [58] An Inconvenient Truth 2006 Archival footage Paramount [59] Cannibal Sharks 2019 Archival footage National Geographic channel [60]

### Journals

Title Year Authors Journal Publisher Role Ref Population Study of Seals in the Weddell Sea 1969 Erickson, Albert W. Cline, David R. Hopman, Robert J. Antarctic Journal of the United States National Science Foundation Photographer Cover photo [61] Freezing Resistance in Fishes of the Antarctic Peninsula 1969 Devries, A.L.; Department of Food Science & Technology; University of California, Davis Antarctic Journal of the United States National Science Foundation Photographer [62] The Prey Capture by the Brown Pelican 1975 Schreiber, Ralf W. Woolfenden, Glen E. Curtsinger, William R. The Auk American Ornithological Society Co-author [63] Research ship Hero is 7 years old 1975 Michael Mulcary Antarctic Journal of the United States National Science Foundation Photographer [64] Preliminary Underwater Observations of the Breeding Behavior of the Harp Seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus) 1978 Merdsoy, Bora R. Curtsinger, Bill Renouf, Deane Journal of Mammalogy Oxford University Co-author [65] Observations on Structure and Evaluation of Possible Functions of the Vexillum in Larval Carapidae (Ophidiiformes) 1984 Govoni, John J. Olney, John E. Markle, Douglas F. Curtsinger, William Bulletin of Marine Science Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science Co-author [66] The Archeology of the Atomic Bomb: A Submerged Cultural Resources Assessment of the Sunken Fleet of Operation Crossroads at Bikini and Kwajalein Atoll Lagoons 1991 Delgado, J.P. Lenihan, D. Murphy, L. Southwest Cultural Resources Center Professional Papers United States Department of the Interior Photographer [26]

## References

1. ["Bill Curtsinger Navy Record"](https://archive.org/details/bill-curtsinger-navy-record). *[U.S. Navy](/source/United_States_Navy)*. November 2, 1970. Retrieved October 17, 2011. – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

1. ["An interview with Bill Curtsinger, a National Geographic photographer"](https://www.saltstoryarchive.com/magazineview.php?mid=13089#?c=&m=&s=&cv=11&xywh=-179%2C2434%2C4001%2C2375). Vol. 60, no. 61. [Salt Institute for Documentary Studies](/source/Salt_Institute_for_Documentary_Studies). January 1, 2006. pp. 66–67.

1. Curtsinger, Bill (December 20, 2005). ["Extreme Nature"](http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0512/20/lt.02.html) (Video (On Air)) (Transcript). [CNN](/source/CNN). Retrieved November 14, 2022.

1. ["Jacques Cousteau | French ocean explorer and engineer"](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacques-Cousteau). *Encyclopædia Britannica*. Retrieved October 17, 2022.

1. [Robinson Jeffers](/source/Robinson_Jeffers). ["The Answer"](https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/answer-13). *poetrynook.com*. Retrieved 18 October 2022.

1. ["Bill Curtsinger – Arts"](https://www.auas-nogi.org/biographies-a-f). Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences. 2006. Retrieved October 10, 2022.

1. Routhier, Ray (November 20, 2005). ["Life in the Lens"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/850610463/?terms=%22Newsweek%22%20%22Curtsinger%22&match=1). *[Portland Press Herald](/source/Portland_Press_Herald)*. Retrieved October 16, 2022. – via [newspapers.com](/source/Ancestry.com#Newspapers.com) (subscription required)

1. ["National Geographic photographer at Rice Public Library"](https://www.fosters.com/story/entertainment/2005/12/01/national-geographic-photographer-at-rice/52584500007/). December 1, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2022.

1. ["Expeditionary Combat Camera Completes Final Mission"](https://www.navy.mil/DesktopModules/ArticleCS/Print.aspx?PortalId=1&ModuleId=523&Article=2249769). United States Navy. 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2022.

1. Jacobs, Tom (2008). *Sons of God*. Pau Pono Publishing. ISBN 978-0-97863-052-2.

1. Wilbur, [(CDR)](/source/Commander) Ted (October 1968). ["Editors Corner"](https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/histories/naval-aviation/Naval%20Aviation%20News/1960/pdf/oct68.pdf). *Naval Aviation News*. p. 2. Retrieved October 12, 2022.

1. ["On Assignment"](https://archive.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic/1990-may/flipbook/D1/). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*. Vol. 177, no. 5. May 1990. p. D1. (subscription required)

1. [*A Night with Bill Curtsinger & Kenneth Brower*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0Zbf1srlM4) (Video). Port Townsend, Washington: Northwind Art. October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2022. – via YouTube.

1. Kearns, David A. (2005). ["Operation Highjump: Task Force 68"](https://archive.org/details/wherehellfreezes00davi). *Where Hell Freezes Over: A Story of Amazing Bravery and Survival*. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 0-312-34205-5.

1. Anderson, Ross (August 26, 2021). ["Bill Curtsinger's Voyage: Camera to Coffee"](https://rainshadownorthwest.com/2021/08/26/bill-curtsingers-voyage-camera-to-coffee/). *Rainshadow Journal*. Retrieved October 19, 2022.

1. Urbani de la Paz, Diane (September 3, 2021). ["Undersea photographer's show open in Port Townsend"](https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/entertainment/undersea-photographers-show-open-in-port-townsend/). *[Peninsula Daily News](/source/Peninsula_Daily_News)*. Retrieved June 15, 2023.

1. Curtsinger, Bill (2005). [*Extreme Nature: Images from the World's Edge*](https://books.google.com/books?id=YHTQAQAACAAJ). [White Star Publishers](/source/White_Star_Publishers). ISBN 978-8-85440-078-8. – via [Google Books](/source/Google_Books)

1. Matthews, Samuel W. (November 1971). ["Antarctica's Nearer Side"](https://archive.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic/1971-nov/flipbook/622/). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*. Vol. 140, no. 5. pp. 622–655. (subscription required)

1. ["Milestones in Underwater Photography"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210410204310/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/milestones-underwater-photography). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic_(magazine))*. Archived from [the original](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/milestones-underwater-photography) on April 10, 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2022. – Slide 6

1. Curtsinger, Bill (January 1995). ["Survivor's Tale of a Shark Attack"](https://archive.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic/1995-jan/flipbook/56/). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*. Vol. 187, no. 1. p. 56. Retrieved 26 December 2022. (subscription required)

1. Rule, Margaret (May 1983). ["Henry VIII's Lost Warship"](https://archive.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic/1983-may/flipbook/646/). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*. Vol. 163, no. 5. pp. 646–675. (subscription required)

1. Grenier, Robert & Tuck, James A. (July 1985). ["16th Century Basque Whaling In America"](https://archive.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic/1985-jul/flipbook/40/). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*. Vol. 148, no. 1. pp. 40–71. (subscription required)

1. Franzén, Anders (April 1989). ["Remnants of a Mighty Warship"](https://archive.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic/1989-apr/flipbook/438/). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*. Vol. 175, no. 4. pp. 438–465. (subscription required)

1. Bass, George F. (December 1987). ["Oldest Known Shipwreck"](https://archive.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic/1987-dec/flipbook/692/). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*. Vol. 172, no. 6. pp. 692–733. (subscription required)

1. Eliot, John L. (June 1992). ["Bikini Islands Nuclear Graveyard"](https://archive.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic/1992-jun/flipbook/70/). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*. Vol. 181, no. 6. pp. 70–83. (subscription required)

1. Delgado, J.P.; Lenihan, D.; Murphy, L. (1991). ["The Archeology of the Atomic Bomb: A Submerged Cultural Resources Assessment of the Sunken Fleet of Operation Crossroads at Bikini and Kwajalein Atoll Lagoons"](https://books.google.com/books?id=NTJ6AAAAMAAJ&q=%22bill%20Curtsinger%22). *Southwest Cultural Resources Center Professional Papers*. Marshall Islands: [United States Department of the Interior](/source/United_States_Department_of_the_Interior). – via [Google Books](/source/Google_Books)

1. Moir, Rob (Oct 29, 2021). ["Remember the right whales with a special day"](https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/remember-the-right-whales-with-a-special-day/). *commonwealthmagazine.org*. [MassINC](/source/MassINC). Retrieved June 14, 2023.

1. Kwok, Roberta (2018). ["Click"](https://muse.jhu.edu/article/707663). *[The Southern Review](/source/The_Southern_Review)*. **54** (4): 616–617. [Louisiana State University Press](/source/Louisiana_State_University_Press). Retrieved October 10, 2022.

1. ["National Geographic Magazine: 50 Years of Covers"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210419132424/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/national-geographic-magazine-50-years-of-covers). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic_(magazine))*. April 14, 2017. Archived from [the original](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/national-geographic-magazine-50-years-of-covers) on April 19, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2022. Slide 13

1. Minasian, Stanley M.; Balcomb, Kenneth C.; Foster, Larry (1984). [*The World's Whales: The Complete Illustrated Guide*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Ww4XAQAAIAAJ). Washington, D.C.: [Smithsonian Books](/source/Smithsonian_Books). p. 92. ISBN 978-0-89599-014-3. – via [Google Books](/source/Google_Books) This remarkable photograph is the only known of a [Blainville's beaked whale](/source/Blainville's_beaked_whale) mother and calf.

1. Fiorentino, Anna (May 2021). ["The Maine Man Capturing the World's Oceans"](https://www.themainemag.com/the-maine-man-capturing-the-worlds-oceans/). *The Maine Magazine*. Retrieved October 26, 2022.

1. Webster, Donovan (May 1999). ["Pirates of the Whydah"](https://archive.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic/1999-may/flipbook/64/). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*. Vol. 195, no. 5. pp. 64–77. (subscription required)

1. Connerty-Marin, David (November 20, 2001). ["One of the 100"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/850613826/?terms=Bill%20Curtsinger). *[Portland Press Herald](/source/Portland_Press_Herald)*. Retrieved October 30, 2022. – via [newspapers.com](/source/Ancestry.com#Newspapers.com) (subscription required)

1. ["Obituary: Kate Mahoney Curtsinger, 52"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/850210155/?terms=Mahoney%20Curtsinger&match=1). *[Portland Press Herald](/source/Portland_Press_Herald)*. June 11, 2003. – via [newspapers.com](/source/Ancestry.com#Newspapers.com) (subscription required)

1. ["The Kate Mahoney Memorial Fund"](https://peregrinepress.com/kmmf.html). *peregrinepress.com*. Retrieved October 30, 2022.

1. Brower, Kenneth (2021). *Reflections on the Life and Adventures of Bill Curtsinger*. Northwind Art. ISBN 978-0-98835-508-8.

1. ["Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/i40124069). *Science and Children*. **39** (6). [National Science Teachers Association](/source/National_Science_Teachers_Association). March 2022.

1. ["Recipient(s)"](https://www.auas-nogi.org/recipnew). [Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences](/source/Academy_of_Underwater_Arts_and_Sciences). Retrieved October 10, 2022.

1. ["Associate members"](https://bostonsearovers.com/membership/). October 1, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022.

1. ["Artist's statement"](https://peregrinepress.com/individualartists-pages/curtsinger-b/billcurtsinger.html). Retrieved October 16, 2022.

1. ["Public reception"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/853463356/?terms=Underwater%20Nudes%20Evans%20Gallery%20%22Bill%20Curtsinger%22&match=1). *Evening Press*. December 6, 1990. p. 14. Retrieved December 11, 2022. – via [newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com) (subscription required)

1. ["Artist's Statement: Selected Exhibitions"](https://peregrinepress.com/individualartists-pages/curtsinger-b/billcurtsinger.html). *peregrinepress.com*. Retrieved October 19, 2022.

1. ["Excellent UW Photo Exhibit"](https://scubaboard.com/community/threads/excellent-uw-photo-exhibit.114489/). *scubaboard.com*. Retrieved December 12, 2022.

1. ["Oceans Expo II: A world to discover"](https://thelivingoceans.org/oceans-a-world-to-discover). Retrieved October 19, 2022.

1. ["Underwater"](https://archive.org/details/underwater-2007-naturmuseum-senckenberg-frankfurt-germany-bill-curtsinger). January 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2022. – via [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

1. Koch, R. J. (September 1970). "Our Crowded Skies". *[Proceedings](/source/Proceedings_(magazine))*. Vol. 96, no. 9. [United States Naval Institute](/source/United_States_Naval_Institute)

1. Curtsinger, Bill (February 1971). "R/V Hero: Assignment Antarctic". *[Proceedings](/source/Proceedings_(magazine))*. Vol. 97, no. 2. [United States Naval Institute](/source/United_States_Naval_Institute)

1. Lavigne, David M. (January 1976). ["Life or Death for the Harp Seal"](https://archive.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic/1976-jan/flipbook/128/). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*. Vol. 149, no. 1. pp. 128–142. (subscription required)

1. Fadiman, Anne (July 1979). "Will We Kill the Last Whale?". *[Life](/source/Life_(magazine))*. Vol. 2, no. 7. pp. 18–28.

1. Campbell, David G. (November 1992). "The bottom of the bottom of the world". *[Natural History](/source/Natural_History_(magazine))*. Vol. 101, no. 11.

1. Rudloe, Anne & Rudloe, Jack (February 1994). ["Sea Turtles: In a Race for Survival"](https://archive.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic/1994-feb/flipbook/94/). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*. Vol. 185, no. 2. pp. 94–122. (subscription required)

1. Curtsinger, Bill (January 1995). ["Gray Reef Sharks"](https://archive.nationalgeographic.com/national-geographic/1995-jan/flipbook/44/). *[National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic)*. Vol. 187, no. 1. pp. 44–67. (subscription required)

1. Sobel, David; Rogers, Pattiann; Williams, Lorraine; Pyle, Robert Michael (Autumn 1995). "Beyond Ecophobia". *[Orion Magazine](/source/Orion_(online_magazine))*. Vol. 14, no. 4. Generation to Generation. p. 10.

1. McCall, Samantha (June 23, 2022). ["Photographer's Work Featured in Special on Sharks"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/848790499/?terms=%22Bill%20Curtsinger%22&match=1). *[Portland Press Herald](/source/Portland_Press_Herald)*. Retrieved October 23, 2022. – via [newspapers.com](/source/Ancestry.com#Newspapers.com) (subscription required)

1. Curtsinger, Bill (Self) (June 25, 1995). "Grey Reef Sharks" (Documentary). *[National Geographic Explorer](/source/National_Geographic_Explorer)* Aired on [TBS](/source/TBS_(American_TV_channel))

1. ["The Life of a Tiger Shark"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/417666860/?terms=%22Bill%20Curtsinger%22&match=1). *Chippewa Herald-Telegram*. December 28, 2000. Retrieved October 23, 2022. – via [newspapers.com](/source/Ancestry.com#Newspapers.com) (subscription required)

1. Curtsinger, Bill (Self) (December 29, 2000). "The Life of a Tiger Shark" (Documentary). *[National Geographic Explorer](/source/National_Geographic_Explorer)* Aired on [CNBC](/source/CNBC)

1. Curtsinger, Bill (Archival footage) (2005). "[The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie](/source/The_Naked_Brothers_Band:_The_Movie)" (Documentary). *[Paramount](/source/Paramount_Home_Entertainment)*

1. [Gore, Al](/source/Al_Gore) (Writer, Host); Curtsinger, Bill (Archival footage) (2006). "[An Inconvenient Truth](/source/An_Inconvenient_Truth)" (Documentary). *[Paramount](/source/Paramount_Vantage)*. pp. 53:56. Credited through [Getty Images](/source/Getty_Images), see [book](#Other_books) by the same name.

1. Curtsinger, Bill (Archival footage) (2019). "Cannibal Sharks" (Documentary). *[National Geographic channel](/source/National_Geographic_(American_TV_channel))*

1. Erickson, Albert W.; Cline, David R.; Hopman, Robert J. (July 1969). ["Population Study of Seals in the Weddell Sea"](https://s3.amazonaws.com/Antarctica/AJUS/AJUSvIVn4.pdf). *[Antarctic Journal of the United States](/source/Antarctic_Journal_of_the_United_States)*. **4** (4): 99–100. Antarctica: [National Science Foundation](/source/National_Science_Foundation)

1. Devries, A.L. (July 1969). ["Freezing Resistance in Fishes of the Antarctic Peninsula"](https://s3.amazonaws.com/Antarctica/AJUS/AJUSvIVn4.pdf). *[Antarctic Journal of the United States](/source/Antarctic_Journal_of_the_United_States)*. **4** (4): 104. Antarctica: [National Science Foundation](/source/National_Science_Foundation)

1. Schreiber, Ralf W.; Woolfenden, Glen E.; Curtsinger, William R. (October 1975). ["Prey Capture by the Brown Pelican"](https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v092n04/p0649-p0654.pdf). *[The Auk](/source/Ornithology_(journal))*. **92** (4): 649–654. Florida: [American Ornithological Society](/source/American_Ornithological_Society). [doi:10.2307/4084778](https://doi.org/10.2307/4084778). [JSTOR 4084778](https://www.jstor.org/stable/4084778)

1. Mulcary, Michael (May 1975). ["Research ship Hero is 7 years old"](https://s3.amazonaws.com/Antarctica/AJUS/AJUSvXn3.pdf). *[Antarctic Journal of the United States](/source/Antarctic_Journal_of_the_United_States)*. **10** (3). Antarctica: [National Science Foundation](/source/National_Science_Foundation)

1. Merdsoy, Bora R.; Curtsinger, Bill; Renouf, Deane (17 February 1978). ["Preliminary Underwater Observations of the Breeding Behavior of the Harp Seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus)"](https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-abstract/59/1/181/924771). *[Journal of Mammalogy](/source/Journal_of_Mammalogy)*. **59** (1): 181–185. [Oxford University](/source/Oxford_University). [doi:10.2307/1379887](https://doi.org/10.2307/1379887). [JSTOR 1379887](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1379887)

1. Govoni, John J.; Olney, John E.; Markle, Douglas F.; Curtsinger, William (1984). ["Observations on Structure and Evaluation of Possible Functions of the Vexillum in Larval Carapidae (Ophidiiformes)"](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233682791). *[Bulletin of Marine Science](/source/Bulletin_of_Marine_Science)*. **34** (1): 60–70.

## External links

- [National Geographic photographer's page (UK)](https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/photographer/bill-curtsinger)
- [Official website](https://www.billcurtsinger.com/)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bill Curtsinger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Curtsinger) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Curtsinger?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.