Jett Kathryn Britnell
Jett & Kathryn Britnell

116 Articles

Jett and Kathryn Britnell are acclaimed Underwater, Wildlife, and Expedition Photographers, as well as Explorers, internationally recognized for their published work as scuba and adventure travel writers and dynamic speakers. Both are distinguished as Fellows of the exclusive Explorers Club in New York and the prestigious Royal Canadian Geographical Society in Ottawa. Both have been named Antarctic Ambassadors by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators - IAATO. Jett also holds membership in the esteemed Ocean Artists Society—a global collective of leading marine life artists, including painters, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers, and writers. He is among an elite group of approximately 75 of the world’s foremost underwater photographers who have contributed imagery in support of The Ocean Agency’s marine conservation initiatives. Additionally, he serves as a consultant to Elephanatics, a Vancouver-based organization dedicated to elephant advocacy.
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Life As It Happens

It still works!: Orca Edge Dive Computer

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Edge Booklet

The Orca Edge

The Orca “EDGE” dive computer changed everything. Released in January 1983, Orca Industries Inc.’s EDGE was the first commercial dive computer that proved to be reliable. Weighing in at 1.6 pounds, this brick-sized milled-aluminum, EDGE displayed a diver’s theoretical tissue loading in real-time, and enabled users to do full decompression dives to 200 ft./60 m. EDGE is actually an acronym standing for “Electronic Dive Guide.”
Orca Edge Dive Computer – photo by Jett Britnell

Built Like A Brick

I purchased this EDGE in 1988. It did change our diving profiles and Lord knows, I did take it over the edge a few times. Somehow, we always managed to re-surface in agreement, OK, there was that one time on a remote reef in New Caledonia where, if it could speak, my EDGE would have told me… “You’re, done for.” Hey, there were some feeding manta rays somersaulting between 70 to 110 feet deep that I was hell-bent on photographing. I paid for it by pulling some serious deco time wherein I had to sit alone on the edge of a steep drop-off in 15 feet of water at dusk while the zodiac ferried all the other divers back to the mother ship. The dive guides came back for me and I made it back onboard in time for dinner. My trusty EDGE, however, did not emerge from a never seen before “deep freeze mode” until the next morning. Hey, it was the early 90’s, we were young and revolution was in the air. All this to say, in its day, the Orca EDGE Dive Computer was a technical marvel.
In The Press

MARTINI: The Elixir of Quietude Published in Luxe Beat Magazine

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Olives make a great Martini garnish Jett Britnell

“OMG… I love it! Such a lovely piece.”

~ Sherrie Wilkolaski, Editor in Chief & CEO, Luxe Beat Magazine

We have earned another “Editors Pick” and feature story!
“For the uninitiated, a Martini is a classic cocktail made by blending only two basic ingredients, A London Dry Gin and vermouth. Shake or stir these two spirits together, and garnish with either an olive or a lemon twist, then strain into a chilled Martini cocktail glass. The gin Martini is one of the most elegant and popular mixed alcoholic cocktails on the planet. While the dry gin Martini was popular from around 1910 to 1950, the vodka Martini rose in popularity from the 1950s onward and quickly gained ardent fans. Gin unquestionably remains the more classic traditional spirit as it presents a crisper botanical note. “Vegas Water,” a slang term for shots of vodka, is deemed to be smooth and silkier on the tongue. The debate rages on within the cocktail firmament as to which base spirit is superior in a Martini, but it truly all boils down to being a matter of personal taste.”
MARTINI: The Elixir of Quietude, is our magnum opus… chef-d’œuvre… passionate homage praising the Martini cocktail. A departure from our normal subject matter, but something that was already largely written in our soul from experience. This story is heavy on the word count as we included some martini recipes along with historical content. Drinks all around!
Hammer of the Gods Martini – Photo by Jett Britnell

Link to story here: MARTINI

Published Work

Published!: Beneath British Columbia’s Nakwakto Rapids

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Standing wave rushing past Tremble Islands perimeter Jett Britnell

Our latest Third Age Expeditions column called… “Liquid Rush!: Beneath British Columbia’s Nakwakto Rapids” has just been published in Luxe Beat Magazine. This article has also earned us another “Editors Picks.”

39 KILOMETERS PER HOUR!

“In recent times, the Guinness Book of World Records once listed Nakwakto Rapids as having “the fastest navigable tidal currents in the world!” – up to 39 kilometers per hour during its largest tidal exchanges! A notorious title Nakwakto Rapids can no longer lay claim to as in recent years the turbulent currents at British Columbia’s Sechelt Rapids were measured as being a tad faster.”

Story Link: Here

Published Work

Polar Cruising Norway’s Arctic Archipelago

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Screen Shot 2021 01 01 at 10.20.05 AM e1609532155112

Our story “Polar Cruising Norway’s Arctic Archipelago” is published in the January 2021 edition of INSPIRED 55+ Lifestyle Magazine. The article is about polar expedition cruising in Svalbard, Norway, one of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas known for glacial fjords, frozen tundra Svalbard reindeer, Arctic foxes, walrus and polar bears.

Article here: Polar Cruising Norway’s Arctic Archipelago.PDF

Life As It Happens

A Big Thank You!

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Jett Britnell diving in Pavilion Lake BC Photo by Michel Joseph e1625801221657

Changing of the Guard

On December 31, 2020, my 2-year term as Explorers Club Regional Director, BC / Yukon, Canadian Chapter, came to an end. I would like to seize this opportunity to formally welcome Sunniva Sorby MI’19, as the new Regional Director, BC / Yukon. Since I assumed the role in January 2019, among several other things, we endeavoured to create greater awareness in the community about the Explorers Club. We were able to achieve this prior to the global pandemic literally shut public gatherings down by presenting two public Explorers Talk events; one large event at the Vancouver Aquarium in November 2019 and another smaller one at the Fjallraven store in Vancouver during February 2020.  I extend my deepest gratitude to the entire Executive Team of The Explorers Club Canadian Chapter. I can’t thank you all enough and I feel that I have made some lifelong friends in the process. In particular, to George Kourounis for his stalwart leadership and support. One of the benefits of this role was getting to know George on a deeper personal level.

Jett Britnell & George Kourounis

It Takes a Village   

I would also like to give a huge shout out to the following BC / Yukon Explorer Club members for their steadfast support, assistance, and encouragement over the past two years: Coleen Clancy, Rosemarie & Pat Keough MED’02, Maeva Gauthier TM’17, Lee Treloar MI’09, Craig Minielly MI’18, Phil Nuytten FI’85, Isabelle Groc FI’19, Jude Isabella FI’19, John Pollack FI’06, Ray Hyland MI’12, Cathie Hickson FI’05, David Byng FI’07, and Kathryn Britnell FI’19. Thank you, one and all!

Explorers Talk evening hosted by Jett Britnell – Nov 5th 2019, Aqua quest Theatre at Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver Canada

Happy 2021!  

I wish everyone and their families a safe 2021 and a swift end to this global pandemic so we can all more freely continue to exercise our instincts to explore.

With kind regards,

Jett Britnell, FI’16

Published Work

A Day at the Museum: Finding Beauty, Truth and Meaning in Norway

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The original Kon Tiki raft Jett Britnell

Our latest Third Age Expeditions column for Luxe Beat Magazine called “A Day at the Museum: Finding Beauty, Truth and Meaning in Norway” was published today. This story has also garnered us another “Editor’s Picks” shout out!

 

“During our last trip to Norway, we had one free day in Oslo to devote to museum visits and managed to squeeze in four of them. The next day soon after we landed in Svalbard, a remote Norwegian archipelago situated between continental Norway and the North Pole, we were able to make a quick visit to the Svalbard Museum in Longyearbyen hours before boarding and embarking on a 10-day polar cruising expedition. Yes, even here in “Northernmost inhabited place in the world”, there was a museum. What follows provides a summary of five spectacular museums we chose to visit while in Norway.”

 
Published Work

Published in DIVE LOG Australasia

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DIVE LOG twitter Jett Britnell e1596228086263

“DIVE LOG Australasia is striving to constantly produce great reading. August 2020 is a bumper issue. Our plan here is to give something back to the diving industry.” 

~ Mike Scotland, Publisher & Editor

In the August 2020 issue of DIVE LOG Australasia, Kathryn and I are both doing our best to give back to the dive industry, and are also helping to make British Columbia’s spectacular ocean realm better known to our brothers and sisters living in the land down under.

Dive Log Australasia - Jett & Kathryn Britnell

Published Work

“Into The Sea Lions Den” Published in Luxe Beat Magazine

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Steller sea lions Norris Rocks Jett Britnell

“Into the Sea Lions Den” is our latest Third Age Expeditions story for our column in Luxe Beat Magazine and we have been awarded another Editor’s Pick!

DANCES WITH SEA LIONS

After splashing into the ocean, we quickly descend 10 meters and kneel down upon the rock-strewn seafloor. At the edge of underwater visibility, we could make out some torpedo-shaped silhouettes. Suddenly, from out of the emerald haze more than 20 female sea lions appeared. Glancing over at my dive buddy, I could see a young female sea lion inquisitively peering into his underwater camera system’s dome port. Two coquettish sea lions stop to pose right in front of me as third one mischievously yanked on one of my fins. Then as quickly as they had arrived, the sea lions exploded towards the surface while unleashing a whimsical series of un-choreographed pirouettes, dramatic turns and topsy-turvy spins. Soon enough, they returned to swarm us again and again.

Link to story: here.

Life As It Happens

Titanic Adventure: One Woman’s True Life Voyage Down to the Legendary Ocean Liner

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Titanic sm Jett Britnell

“It’s strange to have a friend that you have never hugged, never shook their hand, or looked into their eyes. But you have been touched by their soul, seen the good in their hearts and felt the warmth of their being.”

– Unknown

I’m giving a loud shout out today to someone we have never met in person, but who both Kathryn and I consider to be a friend. Last month during a Facebook conversation wherein I said I was going to source an out of print book and ask the author to autograph it, the author said to me, “I will send you one.”


The person I’m speaking about is Jennifer Carter,
(Fellow in the Explorers Club, Author, Producer, and so much more), who along with her late husband, Academy Award-winning composer, Joel Hirschhorn, co-authored the book “Titanic Adventure: One Woman’s True Life Voyage Down to the Legendary Ocean Liner.” Yes, Jennifer was the first woman to dive to the wreck of the Titanic when she signed on as expedition leader for the all-male French/American Titanic expedition in 1987. And this is but one of her long lists of noble accomplishments.


We feel blessed to be able to call Jennifer our friend.

In The Press

Why did you learn to dive and where did your adventure take you?

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Shearwater 2 e1594242513251

“Why did you learn to dive and where did your adventure take you?”

This is the question Shearwater Research, a Canadian company who designs and manufactures technical dive computers and electronic control systems for rebreather manufacturers, asked several well-known figures from the international scuba diving community and the Shearwater team.

Video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erBakhvAADo

Given that we had been experiencing weeks on end with rain here in Vancouver around the time I made this video, I could not film my segment in the great outdoors. So, I chose to wax poetic while seated in the Terra Incognita Explorers Bar at stately Britnell Manor. Enjoy!

Shearwater Research

Mucho thanks to Shearwater Research for their efforts to keep us all connected during this world pandemic. We are all connected!

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(Play Nice In The Sandbox, Kids. Ask, Don't Steal)