The Ultimate Ocean Adventurer

For some reason I ran across the name of geophysicist/adventurer and National Geographic "explorer in residence" Robert Ballard (of "Titanic" fame).

Says "National Geographic" of Ballard:

Best known for the discovery of RMS Titanic, Ballard has led more than 120 oceanographic expeditions. He located the wrecks of the battleship Bismarck, the aircraft carrier Yorktown, John F. Kennedy’s PT-109, the nuclear attack submarines USS Scorpion and USS Thresher, and numerous ancient ships in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. He also discovered and documented the extraordinary marine communities surrounding deep-sea hydrothermal vents.

And here's a recent "60 Minutes" report on him:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Ballard is certainly an entertaining guy, as this next video, a TED mini-lecture, demonstrates. And a staunch advocate of ocean awareness and exploration. You know, the kind of guy that you hope a lot of kids grow up wanting to emulate.