“To boldly go where no man has gone before.” The immortal words echoed in the opening to Gene Roddenberry’s infamous Star Trek. Forty years later, Gene’s only son is using his father’s philosophy to help encourage others to explore the mysteries and preserve the beauty of our oceans.
Rod Roddenberry has merged the adventurous ideas and philanthropic messages of Star Trek to create a program that allows divers and non-divers alike to explore and enjoy one of the world’s most unique domains. The Roddenberry Dive Team, which officially launches in May at the Long Beach Scuba Show, will be an opportunity for ocean enthusiasts to view the oceans through the Roddenberry lens.
“We are going to focus on more than just diving,” commented Rod Roddenberry. “We are going to give members a chance to not only explore new worlds with other divers, but opportunities to learn and share their love for the oceans with others, especially future generations.”
“Our main goal with the RDT is to use the oceans to showcase how we can achieve a better world, a world like the one in Star Trek,” said Greg Martin the team’s executive director. “We want to do more then just dive; we want to create a lasting legacy of preservation and awareness.”
In the same way Star Trek sought to promote an inclusive world, the Roddenberry Dive Team will seek to create an inclusive team for divers and non-divers. Membership is open to anyone who harbors a love for the oceans and a passion to preserve. The first event is scheduled to take place later this year off the coast of California.
“Few people will ever get to explore worlds outside our solar system but most everyone can explore the strange new worlds of our oceans,” said Martin. The Roddenberry Dive Team was founded by Rod Roddenberry and good friend Greg Martin. Rod and the team will be keeping track of their events at www.roddenberrydiveteam.com.
