Royal Canadian Navy’s Clearance Divers are a highly specialized team of underwater specialists. They are responsible for delivering Mine-Countermeasures Diving, Maritime Explosive Ordnance Disposal, and Underwater Engineering support worldwide on behalf of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

These divers undergo rigorous training at units like Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic) in Halifax and Fleet Diving Unit (Pacific) in Esquimalt.

Clearance Divers play a vital role in neutralizing explosives both underwater and on land. Their core capabilities include Mine Countermeasures operations, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Battle Damage Repair, and Force Protection support. They also train other CAF divers and maintain diving equipment.

The training process for Clearance Divers is demanding. It involves a selection phase that assesses candidates’ physical endurance and mental resilience. Once selected, they undergo extensive training to master various diving systems.

To commemorate their graduation after completing their year-long training program, the newest class of Clearance Divers took part in an extraordinary underwater photo shoot. This unique event showcased their skills as divers while celebrating teamwork.

Photographer Sailor 1st Class Valerie LeClair captured the memorable image at a pool with antique diving equipment as props. Participants used weights to stay submerged while instructors had oxygen tanks for breathing support during posing.

Despite challenges like buoyancy issues and post-production editing to remove bubbles from the photo, the result was an iconic class photo reflecting both tradition and innovation.

However, specific details about when this event occurred are not available in current sources.