The ocean is a vast world, the majority of it still unexplored — which is why for those growing up during the '80s and '90s, it was hard not to be captivated by the images brought back from the undersea expeditions led by University of Hawai'i submarines.
The Hawaiʻi Undersea Research Laboratory, or HURL, sent submersibles to explore maritime archaeological sites and undersea volcanoes for decades. In 2018, they were retired after their support ship was put out of commission.
These submarines, known as Pisces IV and Pisces V, were left in storage for years — but now their research will be brought to light thanks to a deal struck between UH and the Bishop Museum.
To learn more, HPR had the opportunity to interview several scientists involved with the exhibition from within the Pisces V submarine.
Terry Kirby was the submarine's chief pilot. Since retiring, he's taken up art to capture images of the sub and its explorations, which will be part of the upcoming exhibition.
"I was drawn to the ocean from as early as I can remember," Kirby recounted to HPR.
"For me, every dive was like the first dive … and I think the exciting thing now is having that experience and being able to share that. So share it through like the artwork I'm doing to depict as much detail of specific dives that we've done over the years," he continued.
HPR also spoke with Steve Price, the maintenance chief for the HURL submarines. For him, returning to the Pisces V was a kind of homecoming.
He recounted his last day on the job, making sure the two submarines were in good shape before being put to rest.
"I did 40 years working underwater in different variations, and that was my final day. I came in and did a final inspection of both Pisces IV and Pisces V because I knew nobody was going to be looking at them for a while."
And for submersible pilot Max Cremer, the preservation of this part of exploration history is personal.
As Cremer told HPR, his ancestor is the famed 16th century Flemish cartologist Gerardus Mercator, best known for his projection of the world still used today.
"How little of the ocean has been explored. Only 25% has been mapped, and less than a 10th of a percent has actually been looked at," he reflected.
"I always found this distinct feeling that we are planetary observers, these are little planetary observers. We know almost as little about our own ocean than we know about the ocean beneath Europa's ice," he continued, referring to Jupiter's icy moon.
"So I believe we're planetary observers, and we're still learning our planet."
With the Pisces V submarine relocated to its new home at Bishop Museum, work is now underway for an exhibit honoring the HURL voyages in 2027.
