THE seas of the earth are vast and still their depths are little explored - this is the new Inner Space, which was the title of the presentation given by Mr Jim Hopkinson.

Early humans found the shallows of the beaches and their fish a source of food, and mans interest in the seas developed from here.

After sailing the seas people wanted to find a way to move under sea. First attempts met problems, and it was not until the late 1700s that a tube structure with armholes and a window allowed man to work in shallow waters. In the 1800s the rubber diving suit with the helmet and pumped air supply allowed man to move on the ocean floor. The beginning of the Second World War and a need to move freely with an air supply under water led to the development of the modern scuba diving suits of today.

Mr Hopkinson has dived in all the oceans of the world and with his underwater camera has been able to take some outstanding pictures. Our first look was at cold water corals and sea life around the Farne Islands and St. Kilda. We moved on to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean to see the brilliant colours of the corals and sea life there.

We saw more undersea pictures taken along the Great Barrier Reef and then to the Caribbean Sea with this time close-up pictures of sharks and the abundant sea life.

Members enjoyed their visit to Inner Space, which made an excellent start to 2005. The president Mr Eric Garmeson thanked Mr Hopkinson on behalf of members.