Without Rob, none of this would exist.

Before the ship. Before the science. Before the stories and circumnavigations and calls to protect what’s left of the wild blue—there was Rob. A kid from North Toronto with a sparkle in his eye, a fire in his heart, and the sea stitched into his soul.

Rob Stewart wasn’t just a friend. He was the spark. The first one to take me below the surface. The first one to show me how the world changes when you breathe differently—slower, deeper, underwater. It was Rob who introduced me to diving, but more than that, it was Rob who introduced me to purpose.

He believed that if people could see what he saw, they would care. And if they cared, they would fight for it.

Sharkwater was more than a film. It was a warning flare. A love letter. A battle cry wrapped in beauty. Rob gave the world a vision of the ocean worth saving—and in doing so, gave many of us the reason to try.

Expedition Audacity owes its existence to Rob Stewart. Not in a vague or sentimental way, but in the most direct, tangible sense. He lit the flame. He handed me the torch. And when we lost him, too soon, too suddenly, it only made the mission burn brighter.

His legacy is in every sample we collect, every reef we restore, every young diver we mentor. It’s in every story we tell that dares people to care more, go deeper, and stand up for the sea.

Rob, your absence is enormous. But your impact is immeasurable.

We miss you.

We honour you.

And we carry you with us—wave after wave, dive after dive, breath after breath.

This Foundation is yours as much as mine.

You were the first.
You showed me the way.
And I’m still following.

– Captain Red