To generations of Grand Bahamians, Ben Rose was simply “Gentle Ben” — diver, underwater explorer, artist, teacher and passionate protector of the extraordinary marine world surrounding Grand Bahama.

His was a remarkable life, filled with curiosity, discovery and a deep love for the natural world — both above and below the surface.

THE UNDERWATER PIONEER

Ben Rose underwater, 1969. Photo: Kurt Amsler.

Ben was one of Grand Bahama’s early pioneers of underwater exploration. Long before recreational scuba diving became commonplace, he was studying the island’s marine life, exploring its reefs and underwater caves, and sharing what he learned with others. As a prominent diver at UNEXSO ( Underwater Explorers Society), he guided legions of young divers in understanding the underwater world.

His curiosity extended particularly to sharks. Ben became known for his work observing shark behaviour and feeding, and for demonstrating the remarkable state now known as tonic immobility — sometimes described as shark “hypnosis.” His work helped change the way many people thought about these much-feared animals. He eventually earned the nickname the Shark Whisperer!

BEN’S CAVE

One of Ben Rose’s most enduring legacies lies beneath the pine forests of Grand Bahama. The story of Ben’s Cave begins, rather unexpectedly, with an overheated car radiator and an Anglican priest!

In 1960, Father Underhill, then head of the Anglican Church on Grand Bahama, was driving along Grand Bahama Highway near Freetown when his car broke down. Seeking refuge in a nearby cave, he ventured farther inside and was intrigued by what he found. He contacted his friend Ben Rose, knowing of Ben’s fascination with the island’s marine world.

It wasn’t until 1969 that the full significance of the discovery began to emerge. Ben and his brother carried their diving equipment through the pine forest and entered the first cave, then known as Burial Mound. Beneath the water they discovered an opening leading eastward into a vast cavern, some 80 feet wide, with beautiful crystal formations and fossilized coral and shells.

Further exploration revealed more chambers and submerged passages within an extraordinary cave system beneath Grand Bahama. The great cavern Ben helped explore became known, appropriately, as Ben’s Cave.

A documentary aptly named “Ocean’s Rose” celebrating Ben’s life and achievements, was recently produced by Madeline Kennedy. Here you can watch the official trailer.

BEN THE ARTIST

Ben’s fascination with the underwater world didn’t end when he surfaced. He was also a prolific artist, filling his work with the fish, corals and other marine life he had spent a lifetime observing firsthand.

His pictures reveal another side of the same extraordinary curiosity that shaped his life as a diver and naturalist. Ben didn’t simply know the creatures of the reef — he noticed them.

To us, Ben wasn’t simply the pioneering diver and naturalist whose name became attached to one of Grand Bahama’s extraordinary natural wonders. He and his wife Judy were our friends. Ben was a quiet, calm and remarkably knowledgeable man, with a deep understanding of the natural world around him. To those of us fortunate enough to know them both, however, they were simply Ben and Judy — dear friends who are still very much missed.

“The water of this world is my passion…” Ben Rose