From time to time, Kirk Scuba Gear will be sharing nostalgia scuba diving films, shows, and documentaries for our readers to enjoy. Spread the word and “dive into” the experience with us!
The Deep is a 1977 adventure movie directed by Peter Yates. It features performances by Robert Shaw, Jacqueline Bisset, and Nick Nolte, and is adapted from the 1976 novel of the same title written by Peter Benchley.
While scuba diving near shipwrecks off the coast of Bermuda, vacationers David Sanders and Gail Berke discover a few intriguing items, including a glass vial filled with amber liquid and a gold medallion featuring a woman’s image along with the inscription “S.C.O.P.N.”—an abbreviation for the Latin phrase “Santa Clara, ora pro nobis” (“Saint Clara, pray for us”)—and the date 1714. During the dive, a mysterious sea creature grabs Gail’s wooden probe, causing her to panic and release it, leaving the end of the stick frayed.
Curious about the medallion, David and Gail consult Romer Treece, a historian and seasoned treasure hunter. He identifies the artifact as Spanish in origin and discreetly pockets the vial, clearly intrigued by its contents.
Back at a local dive shop, a clerk spots the ampoule, which quickly draws the interest of Henri “Cloche” Bondurant, a local drug trafficker for whom the clerk secretly works. After a failed attempt to purchase the vial, Cloche begins harassing the couple. The ampoule contains medical-grade morphine from the Goliath, a World War II-era ship that sank while carrying weapons and medical supplies. Due to the ship’s dangerous cargo of unexploded munitions, diving near the Goliath is strictly prohibited. Treece theorizes that a recent storm has disturbed the seabed, revealing the morphine shipment and exposing a much older wreck—one believed to be filled with Spanish treasure—beneath the Goliath.
Several cast members from the 1977 film The Deep have since passed away. Louis Gossett Jr., who played a major role, died in 2024, while Robert Shaw, another key figure in the film, passed away in 1983. Peter Benchley, the author of the novel the movie is based on, died in 2006. However, the film’s leading actor, Nick Nolte, is still living, as is Jacqueline Bisset, who also starred in the film.
The Deep is available for viewing @ Amazon Prime Video, You Tube and Apple TV.
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