Seaman Dan and his friends have lived and worked in the maritime industry in Torres Strait, particularly on pearling luggers. Seaman Dan was a hard-hat diver in the 40s and 50s and his songs document the work and lifestyles of that time. Although he has played music most of his life, Seaman Dan only released his first album Follow The Sun at the age of 71. It won ScreenSound Australia’s Inaugural National Folk Recording Award in 2001. He has won the Best World Music Album at the ARIA Awards twice since then, as well as the Red Ochre award (the Australia Council’s premier Indigenous artist award).