Liz Bonnin
Science, wildlife and environmental broadcaster.
“Buck introduced us to the deep waters of Galapagos and all its wonders with the perfect mix of professionalism, joyful curiosity and wonder. At 1,000 meters beneath the surface, at the mercy of the unpredictable, powerful forces of nature there is no one I’d feel safer with. Thanks for the incredible memories Buck!”
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Orla Doherty
Producer with BBC Studios Natural History Unit. Known for producing The Deep and co-producing Our Blue Planet episodes for BBC's Blue Planet II
“Filming in the deep sea is about as challenging as it gets but working with Buck for the last seven years has helped turn impossible dreams into iconic natural history sequences. His passion, dedication, attention to detail and understanding of safe limits have brought me to places beyond my imagination. There we’ve worked with the finest camera talent on the planet to craft unimaginable stories at the bottom of the ocean.”
Edith Widder
Oceanographer, marine biologist, author and the Co-founder, CEO and Senior Scientist at the Ocean Research & Conservation Association
“I first met Mark Taylor as part of the hunt for the Giant Squid off Japan in 2012. He had a great deal to do with the unprecedented success of that mission. His background with submersibles is impressive, starting with training as a diver and submarine operator for the Royal Navy; working on the rescue team for the Russian submarine Kursk, which sank in the year 2000; running submersible pilot training programs for the military and the private sector; and, judging by his sea stories, possibly racking up more experience with submersibles in hairy situations than anyone I’ve ever met. He definitely has the required eyes-in-the-back-of-the-head awareness, and his sense of humor goes a long way toward alleviating tensions among the various factions that often arise during a complex mission”.
Sir David Attenborough
English broadcaster, natural historian and author. “The voice of the 20th & 21st Century Natural History”
Attenborough had no qualms about attempting a record-breaking 300m dive in the Nadir with pilot Mark “Buck” Taylor, even though the prospect of it leaking was raised.
“Not for me, because I just sat in the armchair having a bar of chocolate,” he enthused.
“That’s the beauty of it, of course it means you are totally in somebody else’s hands but the hands concerned, Buck Taylor who is the pilot, is the most experienced pilot in the world in that kind of gear. It’s like taking a morning stroll, it is just unbelievable.”
Gavin Thurson
Multi award winning Wildlife cameraman & writer
“If you are planning an adventure to explore the ocean depths there’s no safer, more experienced pair of hands than Mark. I’ve spent over 300 hours in submersibles with him filming for Blue Planet 2 and other shows and am looking forward to more filming and exploration soon.”
Eric Stackpole
Presenter, co-founder of OpenROV, Inc. and creator of the OpenROV submarine
"During our expeditions in three different environments across the Atlantic Ocean while aboard OceaneXplorer, Buck Taylor led operations of the ship's two submersibles so well that we could essentially take all of our dives for granted. I can not speak highly enough of his ability to manage the technical, environmental, and human factors that inevitably face every deployment, while still maintaining a character that made working with him a delight. During our dives, he was able to make me feel safe and comfortable, while also helping to explain, interpret and inspire me about the incredible things we were seeing. Some of the most memorable experiences of my life have happened while on dives with the Manned Sub International team, and I can not think of anyone I would trust more with safety, operations, and quality of experience than Buck Taylor."
Melissa Cristina Márquez
Presenter, marine biologist and science communicator
“As a marine biologist, I always wanted to go deep under the waves. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine I would board a submarine and do just that… and I am so glad it was with Buck. Not only did he make me feel safe - answering every single question I had (and there was a lot) - but made this already incredible experience be a truly memorable one by being an absolute delight to work with. He is a team player with a positive, can-do attitude all the way. My first time seeing bioluminescence underwater was made even more magical by Buck’s knowledge. I hope I can get back into a sub with Buck at the helm… there’s no other dive like it!”