Throughout centuries, man has conquered the seas and oceans trying to explore every corner of the world. Ulysses, the heroes of journeys and odysseys, the Phoenician navigators, the ancient Viking explorers, the discoverers of the Americas and the West Indies during the domination of the seas by Spanish and Portuguese sailors... Technological, economic and military supremacy It has always passed through the domain of the seas.
Since the first navigators, humanity has sought answers that would explain the principles that govern the nature of the seas and what happens beneath their surface. Prior to the need to dive, a deep knowledge of navigation arises, sail or driven by the force that man was capable of generating through oars.
It is possible that one of the purposes of his interest was the exploitation of the infinite resources that the sea offered him. Collecting and fishing numerous species for trade, both for food and for ornamental use in the creation of jewelry and beautiful objects, has been the objective of many coastal towns.
We find evidence of the oldest attempts in shells found in prehistoric sites, in sponges caught by divers in Crete, pearls and corals sold in Egypt since 3500 BC. C., or pearls and mother-of-pearl from India that were sold in the Mediterranean around 1200 BC. of C.
From this role as a navigator, arises the need to recover the remains of ships that, for very different reasons, ended up sinking or part of their cargo fell into the sea. When this happened in shallow waters, many rushed to try to recover their cargo. Which was extremely complicated when a few meters of water separated them, which prevented access to the submerged remains.
Nor should we forget the military purpose as the objective of the first dives. Attacking enemy ships without being detected by soldiers required a very cautious approach under the water.
Other scientists point out, in response to man's fascination with the sea, the possibility of satisfying the need to return to his origins. The origin and evolution of species on earth come from a transformation over millions of years of life forms, from the seas, that populated the earth. This ancient legacy can explain the attraction that man has always felt to discover. What's under the water?
Our nature as mammals makes it necessary to continually renew the air we breathe in order to live. The waters that make up the seas are not our environment, and, therefore, the first incursions were limited to short periods in which they held their breath in apnea. Another very important drawback was the poor visibility due to the refraction of light underwater, which greatly complicated the collection of objects and the capture of fish with arrows and spears.
The long path that has marked the evolution of immersion techniques and materials begins more than 7,000 years ago and continues every day with new advances...
At present, we are still far from colonizing the underwater depths and, in the future, numerous and incredible discoveries will be made in underwater conquest, which will extend the limited time we still have. p>
