Motivational

Many things, not the least of which is the Natural World, inspire Mike. He believes that animals in the wild survive and thrive because they employ a unique angle or tactic. Many parallels can be drawn between success in the animal kingdom and success within our own human society. He likes these analogies and illustrates this point in his talks using his own experience working in difficult and dangerous situations (i.e. working in a submarine at 15,000 feet below the surface, filming cascading underwater lava, working in remote locations in physically challenging situations and maintaining efficiency amongst a film crew…..endless options) and backing it all up with wonderful wildlife footage.

He addresses working with others in difficult and dangerous situations, gaining confidence in yourself and garnering confidence from co-workers and succeeding in seemingly impossible situations.

Mike was attacked severely by a shark while filming underwater. Eleven operations later, he got back into the water and developed a successful underwater career filming sharks, among many other animals. He is one of the Discovery Channels most popular and highly rated filmmaker/presenters on their renown “Shark Week”. Mike shares his harrowing and entertaining story of the attack itself and then the philosophy he employed to continue on his successful path.

Entertainment

This category has infinite flexibility. It can be inspirational, poignant, exhilarating, violent, breathtaking or downright funny. He discusses boats sinking, submarine diving, filming underwater volcanoes, diving with sharks and whales, diving under ice, ludicrous travel adventures and fascinating animal behavior. Mike has hundreds of stories of tales from the wild dealing with personal issues, encounters with dangerous animals, boats sinking underneath him, diving thousands of feet below the surface in submersibles and humorous “outtakes” from film productions, all illustrated by magnificent underwater and topside photography.

Environmental

Many times, deGruy has returned to locations to make films. Rarely does he see the same place he left. The world has changed before his eyes and he has the films to illustrate it. deGruy has a passion for the ocean and its inhabitants and discusses the state of the sea, especially the deep sea from a unique vantage – he’s been there and he has the scientific knowledge to speak with authority. Pure exploration is also part of Mike’s repertoire and he likes to discuss his exploits, particularly in the sea, including its deepest reaches, and he speaks enthusiastically of the pioneering efforts he has embarked on underwater.

* Custom video is produced for all topics