Gulf Highlands in Panama City Beach in Bay County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

U.S. Navy Sealab Program

Design and Construction of the Habitat

— Man in the Sea Museum —

U.S. Navy Sealab Program Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. U.S. Navy Sealab Program Marker

Inscription.
Engineers and Scientists from the
“Navy Mine Defense Laboratory”
researched the problems of living at the bottom of
the sea with safety as paramount
The staff designed for:
• Primary and breathing gases
• Communication with topside support
• Provide safe and adequate electricity
• Refrigeration to keep food fresh
• Equipment to prepare food
• Lighting within and outside habitat
• Sleeping quarters and eating area
• Safe area from deep sea predators
• A method to safely return men, whose bodies were saturated with nitrogen, to the surface
(captions)
The habitat was fabricated from two large steel floats

Tom Odum Project Manager

Front (L to R): Ollie Kirkpatrick, Bill McCrory, Raymond Casler, Ray Bentz

Erected by Man in the Sea Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is July 20, 1964.

Location. 30° 13.96′ N, 85° 53.594′ W. Marker is in Panama City Beach, Florida, in Bay County. It is in Gulf Highlands. It is on Panama City Beach Parkway (U.S. 98) 0.1 miles east

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of Coral Drive, on the right when traveling west. The marker is located in the parking lot of the Man in the Sea Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 17314 Panama City Beach Pkwy, Panama City Beach FL 32413, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Panhandle.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: US Navy Sealab Program (a few steps from this marker); Decompression Chamber (a few steps from this marker); Mark I Deep Dive System (DDS) (a few steps from this marker); Man in the Sea Museum History (within shouting distance of this marker); Techdiver Submarine (within shouting distance of this

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. U.S. Navy Sealab Program Marker

marker); Swimmer Delivery Vehicle (SDV) MK 6 (within shouting distance of this marker); Swimmer Delivery Vehicle (SDV) MK 7 (within shouting distance of this marker); Swimmer Delivery Vehicle (SDV) MK VIII (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Panama City Beach.

Also see . . .
1. SEALAB I, II, and III, experimental underwater habitats. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on March 16, 2026.)

2. Man in the Sea. Museum. (Submitted on April 16, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Man in the Sea Museum sign image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

3. Man in the Sea Museum sign

Veteran Hero Wilber Eaton image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

4. Veteran Hero Wilber Eaton

U.S. Navy
Sealab I,II,III

Veteran Hero Robert Sheats image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

5. Veteran Hero Robert Sheats

U.S. Navy
Sealab I, II

Veteran Hero Bernie Campoli image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

6. Veteran Hero Bernie Campoli

U.S. Navy
Sealab I

Scott Carpenter image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

7. Scott Carpenter

U.S. Navy
Sealab I, II and III

George “Pappy” Bond image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

8. George “Pappy” Bond

U.S. Navy
Sealab I, II, III

Robert Barth image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

9. Robert Barth

U.S. Navy
Sealab I, II, III

Walter Mazone image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

10. Walter Mazone

U.S. Navy
Sealable I, II, III

Robert Thompson image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

11. Robert Thompson

U.S. Navy
Sealab I

Lester Anderson image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

12. Lester Anderson

Sealab I

Credits. This page was last revised on March 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 16, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 302 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 16, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 7, 8, 9. submitted on April 30, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 10, 11, 12. submitted on August 12, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.