Farewell to Ron Taylor

Taylor had suffered from the effects of leukaemia for about two years.

The Australian husband-and-wife team were originally successful spearfishers. Ron was a world champion and Valerie, who survives him, a national winner.

However, they turned their backs on the sport to embrace the cause of marine conservation.

Their lives became dedicated to underwater film-making to publicise the lives – and plights – of shark populations around the world.

They made many television documentaries down the years and worked on several iconic movie projects.

In filming for Blue Wilderness (1992), liaising with a South African team, they became the first people to film great white sharks in open water, without any cage protection.

They also worked on sequences for Jaws, Orca and Sky Pirates.

Ron Taylor was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003 for contributions to marine conservation.