them back to the surface is through photography, so being able to combine the thrill of diving with the presentation of the sub aqua world has been a wonderful combination for me. I am lucky to have a great team who dive with me, and really we are bringing these stories back as a group, but we always feel that what we are doing is extremely valuable.”
Publishers agree – indeed, Starnawski was nominated for National Geographic Traveller of the Year in 2017, and although he prefers to stay away from the media, admits the adulation of even mainstream press is useful in shedding light on a pursuit that often is underreported.
“What is fascinating for me is that even though human beings have been around for tens of thousands of years, we are still able to uncover places where people have never been before – and to be the first man to do that in these mysterious worlds below the surface of the Earth feels very special.”
Yet never one to hold onto his records for fear of others stealing a march on his diving achievements, Starnawski has always implored others to extend their understanding and knowledge wherever possible.
“I believe diving offers many achievable things, because there is still so much to discover in the water. Of course, there many untouched species out there in the rainforests, but when you go diving you do not have to travel for days to reach your destination. The other thing with water is that so much is preserved, and although it is a completely unnatural environment for a human being, with the technology and equipment we have in place today, we can map out this world and try to make sense of the geography and geology better than we ever did before, and that feels very exciting for me.”
As for the challenges faced when underwater, these aren’t just restricted to ensuring an adequate supply of oxygen. In many dives, squeezing through small gaps can be a very real hazard, as well as incredibly sharp limestone that can cut through equipment and protective layers. And in diving to such a low level as he did in the Czech Republic, Starnawski had to spend five hours in a decompression chamber to combat the bends on his ascent back up.
“There is no point taking risks or cutting corners,” he says. “My love for cave diving is one that I want to return to time and again, and I will only be able to do that if I respect the elements and let common sense and safe sense guide me, not a desire to do crazy things or take risks.”
“There are enough stories of people who have gone down and never come back, and that’s not for me. What I will say though is the passion is always there to go further, and for as long as we have uncharted depths and caves such as Hranicka Propast, the temptation remains.”
54 | SUMMER 2018 | ONBOARD
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