Ocean Careers

Capt. Barbara Scholley
Diver, U.S. Navy (Ret.)

Navy diver Capt. Barbara "Bobbie" Scholley is one of those people. Her journey to the deep began before she joined the Navy and was inspired, in part, by an adventure writer.

Being part of history, especially naval history, is really something you can't put into words.

"Though most divers would never admit to this for themselves, reading Clive Cussler's novels helped point me to the sea," Bobbie said. "The adventures described in some of his books really got me interested. Not that his tall tales were the only motivation but they played a part. The tight knit camaraderie and challenges within the Navy's diving community did the rest."

Armed with her Cussler books, and a degree in biology from Illinois State University, she was commissioned in 1981 through officer candidate school in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1983, she graduated from the Basic Diving Officer School in Panama City Beach, Fla.

It wasn't long after her graduation from dive school that she began to distinguish herself. In 1990, she became the fourth woman to have command of a U.S. Navy ship. A few years later, she became the first Navy female to command a mobile diving and salvage unit. In 1997, she became the Navy's first female supervisor of diving, a position she held for two years.

One of her greatest accomplishments, she says, was leading the salvage team on two expeditions to the wreck of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor, protected as a national marine sanctuary. "In 2001 we recovered her 20-ton steam engine, and in 2002 we brought up the vessel's 180-ton revolving gun turret," she said. During the two summers and after 19 dives of her own, while working at a depth of 245 feet for no more than 35 minutes per dive, Bobbie and her team did the necessary salvage work, which included manually fastening the cables that hoisted the engines and gun turret.

"Being part of history, especially naval history, is really something you can't put into words," she said. "It was great to be part of that team and to have had the opportunity to add to the National Marine Sanctuary Program's long list of accomplishments. The Monitor expeditions, and working with the wonderful people that were involved, was the highlight of my 24-year naval career."

Now retired, Bobbie is a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame. "This is a terrific organization that gets the word out to female divers about the exciting opportunities available to them. The hall of fame also provides educational assistance, mentorship, and multiple scholarships that offer financial aid to individuals of all ages, particularly those who are preparing for professional careers that involve scuba diving."