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Jett Britnell Photographics

Category Life As It Happens

Life As It Happens

Titanic Adventure: One Woman’s True Life Voyage Down to the Legendary Ocean Liner

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onJuly 20, 2020 Comments are off

“It’s strange to have a friend that you have never hugged, never shook their hand, or looked into their eyes. But you have been touched by their soul, seen the good in their hearts and felt the warmth of their being.”

– Unknown

I’m giving a loud shout out today to someone we have never met in person, but who both Kathryn and I consider to be a friend. Last month during a Facebook conversation wherein I said I was going to source an out of print book and ask the author to autograph it, the author said to me, “I will send you one.”


The person I’m speaking about is Jennifer Carter,
(Fellow in the Explorers Club, Author, Producer, and so much more), who along with her late husband, Academy Award-winning composer, Joel Hirschhorn, co-authored the book “Titanic Adventure: One Woman’s True Life Voyage Down to the Legendary Ocean Liner.” Yes, Jennifer was the first woman to dive to the wreck of the Titanic when she signed on as expedition leader for the all-male French/American Titanic expedition in 1987. And this is but one of her long lists of noble accomplishments.


We feel blessed to be able to call Jennifer our friend.

Life As It Happens

Proud to be Mobby’s Ambassadors

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onJune 3, 2020June 4, 2020 Comments are off

Mobby’s

It is a distinct honour for both Kathryn and I to announce we are now Ambassadors for Mobby’s the largest dry suit, wetsuit, and marine sports accessories manufacturer in Japan.

This has been in place for a while. but due to the COVID pandemic some plans were delayed. Now, it’s looking like we will be able to get in the ocean this summer so we can put our Croco Dry FZ drysuits to the test.

Gratitude

Our deepest respect and heartfelt thank you to Mobby’s CEO & President, Mamoru Yasuda san, for the faith he has placed in us. Mr. Yasuda founded Mobby’s in 1963 from his home village of Miyagi, a serene fishing community in Northern Japan’s Sendai district. A legend in the world’s diving community… he is someone whom we hope to have the pleasure to meet in person someday soon. 

In the meantime, some of our pictures were featured in Mobby’s catalogue which we just love.

Also, many thanks to our friends Michel Joseph and George Klikach for introducing us to Mobby’s and their drysuits!

Life As It Happens

League of Underwater Explorers

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onMay 9, 2020May 9, 2020 Comments are off

“To figuratively stand upon the shoulders of great explorers, one must venture outdoors and seize the opportunity to explore the world that surrounds them. In truth, that’s all we ever did. Explore.. Dream… Discover.”

~ Jett Britnell

Kathryn and I both feel honoured to be part of a fraternity that is EXPLOCEAN’s LEAGUE OF UNDERWATER EXPLORERS. Thank you to our long time friend, Bill Nadeau, for the invitation to join such an illustrious band of undersea explorers.

League of Underwater Explorers

EXPLOCEAN and the LEAGUE OF UNDERWATER EXPLORERS primary mandate is to create opportunities for all people to discover our world by promoting underwater exploration. Our objective is to empower future generations to leave a legacy of ecological sustainability and inspire them to take stewardship of the planet and all its waterways by sharing our own discoveries.

More info: Here

Life As It Happens

Explorers Talk Memories

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onMarch 13, 2020March 13, 2020 Comments are off

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” ~ William Arthur Ward

On the same day we learned the 116th Explorers Club Annual Dinner in New York City slated for March 21st had been postponed until October 10th due to growing concerns over the outbreak of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Winter 2020 Issue of The Explorers Log arrived in the mail.

As I thumbed through the pages, I came across the pages containing highlights from the various chapters. A thank you to my friend and Canadian Chapter Chair, George Kourounis, who gave us and the Explorer Club Fellows (Phil Nuytten, Isabelle Groc & Jude Isabella) who presented at our “Explorers Talk” evening last November at the Vancouver Aquarium’s Theatre.

As people know, I was hospitalized in September and was still recovering from the after effects of a severe blood infection in the weeks leading up to this event. Some asked… understandably given my physical condition at the time… if I was going to cancel the event? In true “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” fashion, that thought never entered my mind. However, I did contemplate the real possibility that I might not have sufficiently recovered in time? But I knew something nobody else knew? I had an Ace of Hearts up my sleeve in the personage of Kathryn Britnell who is also an Explorers Club Fellow. There is no one else who I would have asked to speak and present on my behalf. Fortunately, I did not have to play my Ace of Hearts card.

Thanks for the reminder George. It was a great event supported by several others who also brought their A Game. And, Oh my, every presentation left me wanting more.

Life As It Happens

Explorers Talk at Fjällräven Vancouver

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onFebruary 12, 2020February 12, 2020 Comments are off

Despite a key Vancouver intersection being blocked by Indigenous rights protesters just ahead of yesterday’s evening commute, and just blocks away from where Kathryn and I were presenting, our “Explorers Talk” last night at Fjällräven was a Full House!

Fjällräven Vancouver Rocks!

Many thanks to Fjällräven Vancouver’s store manager, Matt Armstrong, and his team for providing such a superb venue along with hors d’oeuvres and refreshments. Also a huge shout out for our friend and Social Media Content Curator at The Explorers Club, Coleen Clancy, who always brings a bright smile and her camera to our Explorers Talk presentations.

Life As It Happens

Explorers Talk at Fjällräven Vancouver

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onJanuary 31, 2020January 31, 2020 Comments are off

“Overture, curtain, lights. This is it, the night of nights.”

We are giving a free “Explorers Talk” evening presentation at Fjällräven Vancouver on Tuesday, February 11th! Our presentation will touch upon the three explorer societies we are involved with, shipwrecks, sharks, salmon, First Nation burial sites, and a remote Norwegian archipelago called Svalbard which lies in the Arctic Ocean between the North Pole and Norway’s mainland.

Here is a link for tickets: Here

Map

Life As It Happens

Explorers Talk: The Morning After

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onNovember 7, 2019November 13, 2019 Comments are off

The Gods Were Smiling

It hit me last night soon after I started Explorers Talk with some opening comments. Kathryn had just introduced the first speaker, Jude Isabella, Chief Editor of Hakai Magazine, when it occurred to me that all the months of organizing, coordinating and preparation leading up to this evening was all in the lap of the gods now. Jude was about 2 minutes into her presentation and I’m sitting in the audience thinking… “Ohhh, this is good!” Clearly, the gods were smiling.

Indeed, the Explorers Club – Canadian Chapter Fellows from the BC / Yukon Region who had graciously agreed to give presentations all knocked it out of the park.

Jett Britnell gives opening remarks at Explorers Talk, Nov 5th 2019, Aquaquest Theatre at Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver Canada. Photo by Craig Minielly.

Jude Isabella

Jude Isabella presented “Taking the Measure of a Mysterious Monkey” which was about the plight of Borneo’s fascinating Proboscis monkey.

Jude Isabella. Photo by Craig Minielly.

Isabelle Groc

Isabelle Groc’s stunning photography visually illustrated her long-term study of Sea Otters in a presentation titled, “A Journey into the Sea Otter Coast.”

Isabelle Groc. Photo by Craig Minielly.

Phil Nuytten

Phil Nuytten’s presentation “Land that Devours Ships” was about the first High Arctic dives in 1981 on the Breadalbane (a British merchant ship which sank in the Barrow Strait near Nunavut’s Beechey Island in 1853) using the WASP, an atmospheric diving suit similar to the Newtsuit. Phil also gave us an enticing glimpse into some ongoing modern-day undersea exploration being conducted in Greece wherein the Hellenic Navy is surveying what has been called “the Titanic of the Ancient World,” the Antikythera treasure shipwreck.

Phil Nuytten. Photo by Craig Minielly.

Antikythera Mechanism

Among the sunken treasures discovered in this Roman-era shipwreck dating from the second quarter of the first century BC, was the celebrated “Antikythera Mechanism,” an ancient Greek analogue computer used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses for calendar and astrological purposes decades in advance. All the statues and other treasures onboard when the vessel sank were gifts destined to be delivered to Julius Caesar. Just pause to think about that… gifts destined for Julius Caesar.

Phil Nuytten at Explorers Talk. Photo by Craig Minielly.

Time, He’s Waiting in the Wings

Our primary concern was to respect the audience’s time by not running overtime. As it turned out, we ended the three presentations with 30 minutes to spare. I asked the audience if they would like to see a brief presentation of some underwater images from British Columbia? It was unanimous, so I gave a presentation called, “Tropical Splendour…in a Cold Sea.”  Afterwards, a heartfelt thank you to all… some gifts of appreciation for our speakers… and wham bam… we had all exited the theatre spot on time at 9PM.

Jett Britnell presenting, Nov 5th 2019, Aquaquest Theatre at Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver Canada. Photo by Craig Minielly.

The Audience

We are filled with gratitude to all who attended Explorers Talk. Some attendees came from as far away as Abbotsford, Whistler, Salt Spring Island and Vancouver Island. Apart from the Explorers Club members who came, I feel we succeeded in creating greater awareness about the The Explorers Club through our outreach to the general public with this event.

Explorers Talk audience. Photo by Craig Minielly.

Kathryn Britnell

No event of this magnitude just happens, nor is it the reflection of work by just one person. Along with the speakers, the Vancouver Aquarium supported us in providing a theatre and Audio Visual and Security personnel at a price far below what they usually charge. My multi-talented wife, Kathryn, coordinated the event insurance through SBC Insurance Agencies Ltd., and also took on the duties of introducing each speaker and inviting them to the stage.

Kathryn Britnell. Photo by Craig Minielly.

Our Volunteers

We also were the beneficiaries of support from three amazing volunteers. We enlisted the assistance of local photo pro, Nikon Ambassador, and TEC Member, Craig Minielly to photograph the event. In return for his photographic prowess, I promised him he would be handsomely rewarded with EXPOSURE (yes, we both chuckled over that). Coleen Clancy, TEC’s Social Media Goddess, performed her social media voodoo during the event, took some photos, and supported us in promoting Explorers Talk in the days and weeks leading up to the event. Coleen messaged me last night, “I have more that I will post tomorrow. Thanks again! It was a great night. My friend Erzsi now wants to become a member.” And last, but certainly not least, our friend and fellow Royal Canadian Geographical Society Fellow, Ruby Banwait, answered our call to check off names on the guest list as people arrived. Craig, Coleen and Ruby, you are the best! Thank you for your friendship and support in helping to make Explorers Talk a success.

Explorers Talk evening with Phil Nuytten. Photo by Craig Minielly.

Inhale love, Exhale Gratitude

Well, that as they say, is a wrap. There were several people in the audience who enthusiastically wanted to know when the next Explorers Talk will be? Good question? As I said to Kathryn over a late dinner last night, that question is somewhat akin to asking a mother just moments after she has given birth… “When are you going to have your next baby?” In that moment, you just want to absorb what just happened. Ask me again… in a few months. At this moment… I’m inhaling love… and exhaling gratitude.

Life As It Happens

My Tattoo

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onOctober 17, 2019October 17, 2019 Comments are off

A photo of my tattoo

A photo of my tattoo was once published in Canada’s Diver Magazine. It was part of larger feature story about scuba divers who have tattoos. This photo request was by far one of the strangest requests I have ever received from a dive magazine editor.

“You have Orcas there, right?”

Getting a tattoo was the furthest thing from my mind when I stepped off the plane on the Cook Islands in April 2003. The original tribal body art design that adorns my right bicep depicts stylized whale tails breaking the ocean’s surface. While the tattoo was being applied, the tattoo artist and I discussed where I was from. Upon learning I lived in British Columbia he asked, “You have Orcas there, right?” He added an Orca’s fin to the final design. My tattoo artist was “T” (Tetini Pekopo) of T’s Tattoos on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. He is native and does mainly traditional Cook Island tattoo designs but also creates some interesting contemporary patterns using traditional Polynesian motifs. His studio is extremely busy so one must book an appointment. “T” is known throughout Polynesia as a traditional artist and tattooist who is extremely talented, possessing incredible knowledge and skill.

Overall, a rather spontaneous decision on my part that I have never regretted.

Life As It Happens

Explorers Talk At The Vancouver Aquarium, November 5th!

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onAugust 6, 2019 Comments are off

Explorers Talk!

It is my distinct pleasure that I can now formally announce who the speakers will be for “Explorers Talk” on November 5th, at the Vancouver Aquarium Theatre. In no particular order, they are:

Jude Isabella, FI’19

Jude is Founder and Editor in Chief of Hakai Magazine, a magazine focused on science and society in coastal ecosystems. As a freelancer, she writes about science and the environment for readers young and old. Her book, “Salmon: A Scientific Memoir” (2014), explores the human relationship with Pacific salmon and chronicles her discoveries and thoughts collected over a four-year period in the field with scientists who study British Columbia’s coastal ecosystem.

Isabelle Groc, FI’13

Award-winning environmental writer and conservation photographer, Isabelle Groc shares her passion for everything wild, big and small, on land, in water, on the move. Her work focuses on environmental science, wildlife natural history and conservation, endangered species, marine mammals and ecosystems, and the changing relationships between people and the natural world. She aims to create engaging stories that increase our understanding and awareness of conservation issues and inspire change.

Phil Nuytten, FI’85

A recipient of the Order of Canada and Order of British Columbia, internationally recognized pioneer in the diving industry, Phil Nuytten has spent 40 years creating deep-water dive products that have opened the ocean’s depths to exploration and industry. Among his many pursuits Phil is an inventor; scientist; Sub-sea engineer; commercial diver; deep-sea explorer; author; carver and native advocate; entrepreneur; designer of the Newtsuit and the Exosuit; publisher of DIVER Magazine, the longest-established scuba magazine in North America; President of Nuytco Research; opened his first dive store in 1957; founded Can-Dive Service in 1966; co-founder of Oceaneering International in 1969; took part in the first saturation dive under polar ice; took part in the first mixed-gas dives under polar ice; given the name Tlaxwsam (Red Snapper) by the Kwakwaka’wakw tribe. Yes, we’re willing to take a chance on this multi-talented local kid who announced back in September 2018 that he was designing, and planned to build, an underwater human settlement off of the coast of Vancouver, Canada in the Pacific Ocean.

It is with immense gratitude that I extend our deepest thanks to all three of these Explorers Club Fellows for generously agreeing to participate in the Explorers Club, Canadian Chapter, BC / Yukon Region’s first Explorers Talk event. Many thanks also to all who put their name forward.

Jett Britnell FI’16, FRCGS, FRGS

Regional Director BC/Yukon
Canadian Chapter
The Explorers Club

Life As It Happens

Explorers Talk in Vancouver, November 5th

Jett & Kathryn Britnell Posted onJuly 25, 2019November 7, 2019 Comments are off

As the Explorer Club’s Regional Director, BC/Yukon, Canadian Chapter, it is with great pleasure I can now confirm “Explorers Talk” in Vancouver is all systems go!

Tickets available here: Explorers Talk Tickets

The Vancouver Aquarium Theatre is booked for the evening of November 5th!

A call for three presenters from the Explorer Club’s BC / Yukon Chapter is in progress. Soon after August 1st, we will announce the speakers.

$20.00 general admission tickets will be offered exclusively to BC/Yukon Explorers Club membership for two weeks. After that, all remaining tickets will be made available for sale to the public. We will post when this happens.

So… take your protein pills and put your helmet on as the countdown has commenced for “Explorers Talk” in Vancouver.

Until then, dare to Explore… Dream… Discover.

Jett Britnell FI’16, FRCGS, FRGS
Regional Director BC/Yukon
Canadian Chapter
The Explorers Club

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