Neptune Islands Group (Ron and Valerie Taylor) Marine Park

The Neptune Islands Group Marine Park on South Australia’s West Coast will be renamed in honour of pioneering Australian conservationists and film makers Ron and Valerie Taylor.

SA Premier Jay Weatherill announced this week that the park will now be named the Neptune Islands Group (Ron and Valerie Taylor) Marine Park to signify their close association with region for almost 50 years and enormous contribution to marine conservation.

Ron and Valerie Taylor were once champion spear fishers, who went on to become pioneering underwater filmmakers and photographers and have worked to support conservation of the marine environment for nearly 50 years.

The Taylors became known worldwide for their spectacular action sequences with sharks and divers, and their beautiful still shots. Their work included significant vision shot in South Australia, filming here for television and films, especially focusing on great white sharks, Australian sea lions and other marine wildlife.

They have produced 20 documentaries and shot underwater scenes for seven television series and 19 feature films, including Jaws and Jaws 2. After more than 40 years, Valerie continues to be known as one of the world’s leading underwater stills photographers.

Thanks to their long-standing fascination and experience with sharks, the Taylors captured some of the first underwater film of great whites and also became the first people in the world to film the huge fish without the protection of a cage. This love of great whites has meant that the sea around South Australia’s wild Neptune Islands have long been a precious place for the Taylors.

Their films have been shown around the world to educate people about the beauty and importance of our remarkable marine environment.

Ron Taylor died on 10 September 2012 and will long be remembered for his incredible contribution to underwater filming and for his love of the marine environment.

Valerie continues their work and advocacy.

The renaming of the Neptune Islands Group (Ron and Valerie Taylor) Marine Park is fitting recognition of their globally significant achievements.