Daniel Mercier, the founder of the long-running and influential World Festival of Underwater Images (FMISM) – known to many scuba divers as the Antibes Underwater Festival, or simply Antibes, long after it had moved on to Marseille – died on 27 November in that south of France resort at the age of 94.
Mercier was born in 1931 in Clamart in the Paris suburbs, and it was a Mediterranean holiday in Antibes when he was 16 that first sparked a passion for snorkelling and the underwater world.
He studied philosophy, politics and religion at Lausanne in Switzerland and aspired to a seafaring life, but after failing to secure the naval position he wanted he changed tack and trained and worked as a pastry-chef.
Mercier was around 30 when he carried out his first scuba dive in the 1960s. In 1966 in Antibes he founded the Spondyle Club, a dive-group involved in underwater archaeology and marine science activities.
The following year he became a state-certified diving instructor and went on to play a part in organising diving instruction nationally through his involvement in founding the National Association of Diving Instructors (known as Les Guides de la Mer) and later the European Committee of Professional Diving Instructors (CEDIP).
In Antibes in 1974 Mercier launched the FMISM, though it started life as Underwater World Days. His goal was to use underwater imagery and marine life to draw together divers, film-makers, photographers and scientists and bring their work to the public’s attention.
Over the decades, the festival grew into a major international event showcasing underwater films, photography, art, books, music and scientific conference sessions.
34 years in Antibes
From 1974 until 2008 the show remained in Antibes, notably at venues such as Marineland and the Palais des Congrès. In 2009 it moved to Marseille, eventually evolving into the Aquatic Festival after having gone into receivership in 2016.
Throughout his career, Mercier emphasised diving as not only a sport or hobby but as a form of physical, moral and cultural education, especially for young people. He believed in the potential of underwater imagery to raise awareness about marine ecosystems and foster respect for the sea.
He was awarded the gold medal of the French Society for Underwater Studies & Sports (FFESSM) in recognition of his lifetime contributions to diving and underwater imagery. He was named honorary president of FMISM and accorded the rank of chevalier in the Order of Maritime Merit.
“Daniel was a remarkable man with whom I too could share the passion for the sea, diving and underwater photography,” commented noted underwater photographer Kurt Amsler.
“The festivals were unforgettable experiences, a meeting point of the international photography, film and diving scene. Daniel, you will always live on in the hearts of your old friends.”
