[ALUMINAUT SUBMERSIBLE & SCUBA DIVERS 1970s FOOTAGE]

Year Published: 1970

Creator: Reynolds Metals Company

Sound: silent

Description: This reel of silent underwater and SCUBA footage likely dates to 1970, when the submersible Aluminaut was used for various scientific experiments off the coast of Vieques, Puerto Rico. This included a series of tests measuring the reflectivity of the seabed to acoustic waves. It's not clear what this footage documents but begins with shots of an underwater structure, possibly pilings for an oil rig, covered with plankton or algae. At (2:41) a diver interacts with sharks. At (3:14) are shots of coral beds. At (7:26) are shots of the Aluminaut underwater, with divers working on the front of the submersible -- apparently attaching a dye marker bottle to the front of the submersible. At (14:42) are shots of the submersible's support vessel, followed by shots of divers sitting on the deck of the Aluminaut. The Aluminaut was the world's first aluminum submarine, an experimental deep-ocean research vessel built by Reynolds Metals Company in 1964. It was designed to operate at depths of up to 15,000 feet and was known for its unique specifications, including a 51-foot hull and a high strength-to-weight ratio. Aluminaut is best known for helping recover a lost unarmed U.S. hydrogen bomb in 1966 and recovering its smaller fellow deep-submergence vehicle, DSV Alvin in 1969, after Alvin had been lost and sank in the Atlantic Ocean the previous year. After retirement, Aluminaut was donated to the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, where it is on permanent display.

Complete Record: This reel of silent underwater and SCUBA footage likely dates to 1970, when the submersible Aluminaut was used for various scientific experiments off the coast of Vieques, Puerto Rico. This included a series of tests measuring the reflectivity of the seabed to acoustic waves. It's not clear what this footage documents but begins with shots of an underwater structure, possibly pilings for an oil rig, covered with plankton or algae. At (2:41) a diver interacts with sharks. At (3:14) are shots of coral beds. At (7:26) are shots of the Aluminaut underwater, with divers working on the front of the submersible -- apparently attaching a dye marker bottle to the front of the submersible. At (14:42) are shots of the submersible's support vessel, followed by shots of divers sitting on the deck of the Aluminaut. The Aluminaut was the world's first aluminum submarine, an experimental deep-ocean research vessel built by Reynolds Metals Company in 1964. It was designed to operate at depths of up to 15,000 feet and was known for its unique specifications, including a 51-foot hull and a high strength-to-weight ratio. Aluminaut is best known for helping recover a lost unarmed U.S. hydrogen bomb in 1966 and recovering its smaller fellow deep-submergence vehicle, DSV Alvin in 1969, after Alvin had been lost and sank in the Atlantic Ocean the previous year. After retirement, Aluminaut was donated to the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, where it is on permanent display.