(Charles) William Beebe

Oceanographer and ornithologist, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was curator of ornithology for the New York Zoological Park (Bronx Zoo) (1899) and director of the New York Zoological Society's Department of Tropical Research (1899–1962). Of his many books on tropical birds, he is renowned for his monographs on pheasants in Borneo. He made his record-breaking 3028 ft descent off Bermuda with bathysphere designer Otis Barton (1934), but later abandoned deep dives as having ‘little scientific value’ and concentrated on studying marine wildlife in shallower waters.

Charles William ("Will") Beebe (July 29, 1877 – June 4, 1962) was an American naturalist, explorer, and author.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, he went on to become curator of ornithology for the New York Zoological Society from 1899 to 1952. In 1919 he was also made Director of the Department of Tropical Research.

He wrote many popular books of his expeditions some of which became best sellers ("my potboilers") in the 1920s and 1930s.

His interest in deep-sea exploration led to the development of the bathysphere, a spherical metal diving vessel, with Otis Barton.

He was still very active well into his late 70s and early 80's observing nesting birds through his giant specially-made binoculars on a tripod from the verandah of his home in Simla, and even climbing high into trees to observe the eggs of a rare Bellbird.

He set up a camp for jungle studies in 1942 at Caripito, Venezuela. In 1950, when he was 73 years old, he bought with his own money 228 acres (92 hectares) of land in the Arima Valley (Trinidad and Tobago) which he named "Simla". This land became the New York Zoological Society's Tropical Research Station in Trinidad. The New York Zoological Society Simla Research Station was directed by Dr. Jocelyn Crane after Dr. Beebe's death and later donated to the Trust.

The Simla Research Station adjoined an old cocoa plantation owned by the remarkable Icelandic woman, Asa Wright, who for years was the entertaining and always patient host to the numerous scientists, artists, photographers and nature lovers who came to visit the Research Station.

The world renowned American Audubon Society purchased Asa Wright's home, and the two properties were united. They are now run through collaboration with the Trinidad Field Naturalist Society as the Asa Wright Nature Centre, one of the finest bird watching sites in the Caribbean.

Among Dr. Beebe's many popular books are: Two Bird-Lovers in Mexico (1905);