1933-

Belgian diver and deep-sea explorer whose experiments in a submersible decompression chamber in 1964 provided invaluable scientific data for underwater divers and scientists. Stenuit also spent years collecting data on shipwrecks and sifting accounts of famous ships, notably the Spanish Armada and Dutch East India Company vessels, in Europe's libraries and archives. His most significant discoveries included the Armada warship Girona (1967), Dutch East India Company silver bars found on the Slotter Hooge (1974), and a treasure trove of rare Ming porcelain, insulated and preserved by tons of pepper from the spice cargo of the Witte Leeuw (1977).