Born in 1951, in Dunfermline, Fife, Allan took an interest in snorkelling and diving after watching Jacques Cousteau’s movie, The Silent World, a 1956 documentary which was one of many first to make use of underwater filming.
After graduating with a level in marine biology from the University of Stirling, he took on numerous diving jobs.
His large break got here when he was taken on as a analysis diver with the British Antarctic Survey, stationed at Signy Island in the South Orkney Islands.
He was later awarded the Polar Medal, an honour he would win twice, for his work.
In 1981, an opportunity assembly with Attenborough led to Allan engaged on the documentary collection Living Planet, a part of which was filmed in the Antarctic.
He started specialising in filming in a few of the planet’s most excessive environments.
