Inside Scuba Issue #57

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Andy Deitsch & Byron Conroy
April 05, 2026

Welcome to Issue #57 of Inside Scuba

Welcome to Issue #57 of Inside Scuba. This week, we’re looking at what it truly means to be an explorer in the modern age. While the world's eyes are often fixed on the stars and the latest rocket launches, we know that the greatest frontier of discovery isn't light-years away—it’s right beneath our fins. In this edition, we challenge the idea that "exploration" is reserved for billionaires or deep-sea robots. We dive into how you can shift your mindset from a tourist to a storyteller, whether you're documenting the hidden biological battles under a Florida bridge or mastering the art of capturing the human element in an alien world. There is still so much of this planet left to see for the first time, and we’re thrilled to have you along for the ride. 

What’s happening in this edition?

Forget Mars: Why the Next Great Age of Discovery is Under the Ocean

It made me stop and think about what "exploration" actually means. NASA is spending billions of dollars and decades of engineering to send a small number of humans back to a place we have already been. It is extraordinary work, and I do not diminish it for a second. But while that is happening, the largest and least explored environment on Earth sits right here. It covers more than seventy percent of the planet's surface, yet we have mapped less than a quarter of it in any real detail. A significant portion of what remains unknown is accessible to any recreational diver with the skills and the mindset to approach it seriously.

This article is not about technical diving, saturation diving, or remotely operated vehicles. It is about what exploration actually means for the rest of us—and how you can approach your diving with the mindset of a genuine explorer rather than a tourist moving through someone else's landscape.

A recent ice dive. Nobody else would have seen it under the same conditions.

In each issue of our newsletter, we will curate some top dive news from around the world. Links to each of the original articles are available.

Divernet: “Divers uncover ancient shipwreck strip in Libya. Archaeological divers from Poland’s University of Warsaw have uncovered a strip of ancient shipwreck remains that accumulated over centuries near what was once the thriving port of Ptolemais in Libya.”

Wink News: “Law enforcement investigating after scuba diver says she was dragged by boat. VENICE, Fla. (WINK) — At least once a week, Stephanie Holtey dives into the crystal blue waters of the Gulf. It's a ritual that unlocks a world of animals and ancient artifacts. "It is so peaceful and calm," Holtey said. "So many things to see." Holtey and her partner Sean Riley boast a collection of shark teeth they found off the Florida coast, including massive Megalodons. On Saturday, Holtey was diving off Venice Beach, when suddenly, she felt a tug on her arm. "It was really scary," Holtey said. "I had no idea what possibly could have snagged the flag."“

Dive Magazine: “New shark protections agreed at CMS CoP15 in Brazil. Governments meeting at the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) CoP15 in Brazil have agreed new protections for several threatened shark species, including thresher and hammerhead sharks. The decisions, adopted on 29 March in Campo Grande, include new listings on CMS Appendix I covering all thresher sharks – pelagic, bigeye and common – along with scalloped hammerhead and great hammerhead sharks.”

Divernet: “Nelson’s victim: Divers find 1801 Danish flagship, sailor’s bones. Maritime archaeologists from Denmark’s Viking Ship Museum say they have discovered the wreck of a famous 18th century naval flagship, the Dannebroge, complete with many artefacts and human remains. They timed the announcement for yesterday (2 April), 225 years to the day since the ship was sunk at the Battle of Copenhagen.”

Deeper Blue: “Potential Parthenon Fragment Discovered Underwater. Researchers have discovered fragments underwater that possibly come from the Parthenon in Greece. Archaeologists made the findings during the 2025 underwater excavation of the brig Mentor off the coast of the Greek island of Kythera. The ship has long been linked to the early 19th-century removal of antiquities from the Acropolis of Athens.”

Beat of Hawaii: “Hawaii Snorkeling Deaths May Start On Your Flight. We have covered Hawaii snorkeling deaths for nearly two decades. In that time one pattern keeps showing up that most visitors have never heard of. It is called ROPE, Rapid Onset Pulmonary Edema, and it may explain why people keep dying in calm water without a struggle.”

Divernet: “WA Government Commits to New Exmouth Gulf Marine Park: A Landmark Victory for Ningaloo Conservation. The Australian Marine Conservation Society, Protect Ningaloo campaign has welcomed the Western Australian Government’s announcement that it will create a marine park across the whole of Exmouth Gulf – one of Australia’s natural wonders – to protect it for future generations.”

Deeper Blue: “Ocean Advocates Slam Endangered Species Committee Stripping Protections In The Gulf of Mexico. The Endangered Species Committee this week unilaterally eliminated key Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for marine life in the Gulf of Mexico – including the critically endangered Rice’s whale – to clear the way for offshore oil and gas drilling, a move that drew condemnation from environmental advocates. The committee, also known within the environmental advocacy community as the “God Squad,” refers to a board of political appointees who can override protections granted by the ESA in favor of economic interests, environmental advocates contend. The committee took this action after a finding from US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth that the exemption for oil and gas exploration was needed for reasons of “national security.””

Dive Magazine: “French diver dies off Costa Brava’s Port de la Selva. A French diver in his seventies has died during a recreational dive off Port de la Selva, part of the Cap de Creus Natural Park on Spain’s Costa Brava. The incident took place near the s’Arenella lighthouse in Alt Empordà, where the diver was part of a group of four who had entered the water as buddy teams at around 12pm.”

Divernet: “9 Japanese divers rescued after coldwater drift. Nine Japanese recreational scuba-divers including a guide were reported missing after failing to return from a coldwater dive off Bentenjima, a small, rocky island near Japan’s northernmost city Wakkanai, yesterday (4 April).”

X-Ray Magazine: “Dive Boat Safety Under Scrutiny After Series of Incidents. A series of dive vessel accidents in recent years has prompted renewed calls for stronger safety awareness and certification standards within the liveaboard sector.”

Underwater Photography Storytelling: Moving Beyond the Technical Shot

There is a profound difference between a photograph of the sea and a photograph that makes you feel the sea. One is a record; the other is a starting point for a conversation. Learning to tell stories through your underwater imagery is the single most transformative step any diver-photographer can take.

I have been diving with a camera long enough to know the particular sting of a "wasted" dive—not because conditions were poor or wildlife was absent, but because I returned with a hard drive full of technically decent images that said absolutely nothing. They were sharp, well-exposed, and correctly white-balanced photographs of a reef that felt as hollow as a casual holiday snap. Looking back at my portfolio, I realize that with many of my images, I merely captured what I saw rather than telling the story of it. It is a skill I am working on, but I am by no means a master. That is why in this article, I won't just share my own thoughts; instead, I’ll reference the true masters of underwater storytelling—the people who shot the images that resonate with us all.

David Doubilet, arguably the most influential underwater photographer of the twentieth century, once described the ocean as "a place of perfect mystery where light falls like rain." What strikes me about that observation is not its poetry, but its practicality: Doubilet is telling us that light behaves unlike anything on the surface. It falls. It breaks. It changes everything. He spent decades shooting for National Geographic, not just documenting reefs but constructing visual narratives. He used light, color, geometry, and—above all—a deep understanding of marine behavior to place the viewer inside a world they might never physically enter.

His famous split-level images, half above water and half below, are not mere technical tricks; they are metaphors. They remind us that these two worlds exist simultaneously. Doubilet has said in interviews that he thinks of himself less as a photographer and more as a translator—someone whose job is to render an alien world legible to those on land.

Story is not something you add to a photograph in post-processing. It is something you build before you ever enter the water, something you hunt for during a dive, and something you learn to recognize the moment the ocean places it in front of you.

Mastering Underwater Diver Photography: From Silhouettes to Close-Ups

By Alex Mustard and Matthew Sullivan

Photographing people underwater is a fundamental skill that transforms a simple image into a story. While many of us start underwater photography to capture exotic marine life, including divers adds human interest, a sense of scale, and depth to your compositions. In this article from The Underwater Photography Show, we also discuss how creating powerful images of scuba divers requires unique skills, such as meticulous attention to detail and a collaborative approach.

The Two Golden Rules of Modeling

Before diving into technicalities, we strongly recommend that every photographer must adopt these two guiding principles:

  • Be Grateful: Your model is giving up their own dive time to help you achieve your vision. Remember that you might be doing exactly what you want to be doing but your model is probably not, they are dedicating their dive for you.

  • Be Patient and Prepared: Get your lighting and framing 100% ready before asking the model to swim into the shot. A model who has to hold a pose for ten minutes while you fiddle with settings will quickly become cold, bored, and awkward.

The "No-Man's Land" of Positioning

When planning your shot, it is vital to decide exactly where your diver sits in the frame. Successful diver photography generally falls into two distinct categories: the distant silhouette or the fully lit, close-up subject.

One of the most common mistakes is placing a diver in the "middle distance". If a diver is too far away for your strobes to reach effectively but not far enough to form a clean, dark shape against the background, and while the image will be fine, it won’t stand out. These "half-lit" shots tend to be frustrating because the diver loses the elegant lines and impact of a silhouette, yet the viewer lacks the flash-lit detail needed to connect with them as a subject. To create impact, you must commit to one extreme or the other.

This week, we are revisiting a fantastic documentary that highlights why the Blue Heron Bridge is a crown jewel of American diving. Beyond its reputation as a world-class macro site, the bridge serves as a vital natural laboratory. The video explores how researchers from Florida Atlantic University are studying the unique co-existence of local octopus species and shines a light on the underwater photography community's role in documenting the site’s incredible nudibranch diversity. Whether you’ve dived "The Bridge" a hundred times or are planning your first trip, this film offers a wonderful look at the science and soul of this Florida treasure.

Summary

As we wrap up this issue, we hope these stories inspire you to look at your next dive through a slightly different lens. Whether you are following the latest archaeological breakthroughs in Libya or simply slowing down to find the "story" in a local reef, remember that every entry is an opportunity to contribute to our collective understanding of the ocean. Diving is a gift of perspective, and through citizen science and thoughtful photography, we all have a role to play in protecting and documenting this blue planet. Thank you for being part of the Inside Scuba community—now, get out there and find a story worth telling.

Safe bubbles,

Andy & Byron

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