Helmut Debelius was born in Frankenberg in 1947. After graduating from high school he first worked as a police inspector; later he worked as a financial investigator, bodyguard, and as an undercover agent in the weapon smuggling and drug scene, before he discovered his "true calling" and achieved world fame as a diver, underwater photographer, and author of numerous articles and non-fiction books about the marine habitat. Debelius discovered previously unknown species, some of which are named after him today, such as the blue Mauritius emperor fish Centropyge debelius, the cardinal shrimp Lysmata debelius or the coral dwarf seahorse Hippocampus debelius from the Red Sea.

Through his findings as a marine researcher, he developed a decidedly naturalistic worldview and is today a staunch advocate of evolutionary humanistic ethics. In addition to being an advisory board member of the Giordano Bruno Stiftung, he has been a committed member of the Humanistische Pressedienst (hpd - Humanistic Press Service) since 2009 as well. He is also the owner of a vineyard where in his own way he turns "water into wine".

Book publications (selection):

• Atlas der wirbellosen Meerestiere (720 pages, over 4000 underwater photos)
• Nacktschnecken der Weltmeere (with Rudie H. Kuiter)
• Atlas der Meeresfische (720 pages, 6.250 colour photos!) (with Rudie H. Kuiter)
• Festschmaus für Teufelsrochen. Meine abenteuerlichsten Taucherlebnisse
• Riff-Führer Rotes Meer
• Riff-Führer Indischer Ozean
• Riff-Führer Südostasien
• Fisch-Führer Mittelmeer und Atlantik
• Schneckenführer Indopazifik
• Krebs-Führer
• Niedere Tiere in Mittlemeer und Atlantik
• Doktorfische und ihre Verwandten