Carl Roessler

As a professional travel agent and photographer, I spent twenty-five years traveling the world helping dive operators reach the market with their destinations. I specialized in promoting live-aboard dive cruiseers all over the world for a very selective clientele. As part of my job, I took the first land-based or live-aboards groups to many now-famous adventures such as the Red sea, the Coral Sea, the Great White Shark, the Galapagos, Fiji, Palau and many others. Along the way, I took a very large number of photos for magazine and book putlication.

In scouting for new destinations to bring to market, I always looked for operators who cared about my clients' vacations as much as I did. My example for the dozens of operators I interviewed was simple. I told them there was a dotted line in the ocean. I could do everything to serve the client while he or she was on my side: advertise, maintain a competent office, write airline tickets and get the divers to the flights. Once the divers crossed the dotted line, I was helpless--the operator had to welcome, transport and dive the clients intensely on great dive sites so that they came back and praised the trip.