Dating to 1944, this film “Underwater Spearfishing” was produced with assistance by Captain Hal Messinger, a diver of some renown. It shows free divers training, and the successful hunt for a manta ray. The film was released by the Sea-Net Company of Los Angeles, an early manufacturer of free diving and spearfishing equipment, including spear guns, rubber masks, and fins.. This equipment was in demand as the growing community of post WWII divers went in search of food from the sea, such as abalone, lobster and fish. The film was shot in Yucatan, Mexico using something called “the Photodive device for underwater photography”, and narrated by Don McNamara. The cinematographer and director was Charles T. Trego. The film features Apolonio Castillo (1:38), a famed Mexican swimmer and diver who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics and 1952 Summer Olympics in butterfly stroke. Castillo was a close friend of famed filmmaker Ramón Bravo, and taught the photographer and underwater filmmaker to dive. (Castillo tragically died while attempting to located retrieve the bodies of two murdered Americans from the Bay of Acapulco. Castillo suffered rapid decompression during the dive and never recovered.)

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com