Book Catalogue

The Third Dive

Robert Osborne

In his 37 years, Rob Stewart had seemingly spent more time underwater than above. The Toronto-born marine biologist fueled a literal sea-change with his 2006 documentary Sharkwater, about the endangerment of the seas’ top predator, and led an activist movement that saw more than 100 countries ban shark products.

And it was on January 31, 2017, while seeking revolutionary footage of sawfish sharks mating near the wreck of the Queen of Nassau off the Florida Keys, that Stewart drowned in a bizarre series of events.

As detailed in Robert Osborne’s The Third Dive, both Stewart and his diving instructor Peter Sotis made a risky third deep-dive of the day using “rebreather” apparatus, in murky waters that frustrated filming efforts. Both divers seemed okay when reaching the surface.  But Sotis lost consciousness after climbing onto the boat.  Stewart, apparently lost consciousness also, as the boat was swinging around to meet him. He disappeared, and his body was discovered by a remote submersible search vessel three days later.

The Third Dive traces those events within the context of Florida Keys politics and accusations of whitewashing from within its community. Despite its reputation as a haven for ocean fun-seekers and pristine waters, at least 36 people drowned off the Florida Keys from 2013-2017. Many of them were mere statistics, attracting little notice in the media, but Stewart was not. Within 24 hours of his disappearance, it became clear that his plight would bring the attention of the world on the Keys’ community.