The Best Scuba Diving Sites for Underwater Photography

Are you keen on capturing close-up shots of unusual critters lurking in the muck of the Coral Triangle? Perhaps you’d prefer shooting open-ocean sharks in ambient light, or learning to use specialized equipment to capture the hidden fluorescence of corals and other marine life?

From wide-angle to macro photography, there are styles galore to match every underwater photographer’s unique interests. We spoke with some of the world’s top underwater photographers to find out which spots offer the best opportunities for these types of photography and more.

Ambient // BAHAMAS

1. The key to great underwater photography is getting the right amount of light despite the light-absorbing properties of water. That’s why large strobes are standard equipment for underwater photographers, but they aren’t always necessary. With the right conditions, ambient light from the sun can help create the perfect image. The Bahamas is an ideal destination for ambient-light photography thanks to its crystal-clear waters and opportunities to photograph sharks close to the surface.

One such spot is Tiger Beach, a shallow sandbar where underwater photographers can get up close with massive tiger sharks in just 8 to 10 feet of water.

“Tiger Beach has the advantage of being very shallow with a blazing-white sand bottom that helps bounce and reflect ambient light,” says underwater photographer Tanya G. Burnett.

Another great area for ambient-light photography is blue-water diving in the deep trench off Cat Island, where oceanic whitetips rule the waves. “When you photograph the oceanic whitetip sharks, there is a deep-blue background with no bottom, so you should shoot near the surface, keeping in mind where the angle of light is at all times in relation to your position and your subject’s position,” Burnett says. “For some shots, I still use a strobe as fill light unless I am shooting silhouettes.” stuartcove.com

Hidden Gems

Sea of Cortez

For up-close, ambient-light shots of everything from mobula rays to sea lions, consider the Sea of Cortez. At the tip of Mexico’s Baja peninsula, divers can slip into the water among playful pinnipeds at the Los Islotes sea lion colony, or look for schooling hammerheads at seamounts like El Bajo.

Azores

The Azores is another spot known for its blue-water diving, where photographers can get up close with big animals near the sunny surface of the water. The Princess Alice Seamount and surrounding openocean waters are known for congregations of manta rays, as well as blue and mako sharks, and even sperm whales.

Wide Angle // FIJI

2. Fiji’s scenery is as lush below the waves as it is along the rainforest-covered flanks of its volcanic slopes. The collection of more than 300 islands is known as the Soft Coral Capital of the World for a reason: Signature reefs boast veritable explosions of color where soft corals wave and dance a delicate ballet along endless walls, bommies and gardens, making this perfect for shooting underwater scenery with a wide-angle lens.

“Fiji’s remarkable underwater vistas, bursting with vividly colored soft corals and fish life, are perfectly suited to wide-angle photography,” says Allison Vitsky Sallmon, who teams up with her husband Andy Sallmon on photo trips around the world. “We always choose the widest lens possible when shooting these brilliant reefs, sometimes even opting for a circular fisheye format, as it seems to be the only lens wide enough to effectively capture such incredible scenery.”

To get a taste of the archipelago’s vibrant marine life, head just south from Viti Levu to Beqa Island and dive Fantasea, a site teeming with life and brimming with color. Snap away at Sea Fan Alley, a sprawling collection of the site’s namesake, situated between two rocks and home to sharks and schooling jacks. Or head to Soft Coral Plateau, home to multicolored hard and soft corals and visiting eagle rays and blue ribbon eels. beqalagoonresort.com

Want to learn more? Check out these tips for wide-angle reefscapes.

Hidden Gems

Papua New Guinea

Situated in the heart of the Coral Triangle, Papua New Guinea is famed for the vibrant reefs that top the seamounts in regions like Kimbe Bay. Kick off the double seamount at Susan’s Reef for spectacular wide angles of pink sea whips alongside massive anemones and sea fans.

Solomon Islands

Arguably one of the most pristine and least-visited dive regions in the world, the Solomon Islands are home to Marovo Lagoon, the world’s largest saltwater lagoon, where photographers can shoot reef scenes on shallow coral gardens inside and vertical walls dropping thousands of feet outside.

Macro // LEMBEH STRAIT, INDONESIA

3. For some underwater photographers, bigger is always better — sharks, whales, towering reef walls — but there’s a whole other world waiting to be explored through a macro lens. One of the best spots to find odd, often camouflaged creatures best-suited for a magnifying lens is Lembeh Strait in Indonesia.

“Mimic octopuses, hairy frogfish and pygmy seahorses are three such delights,” says underwater photographer Alex Mustard.

Divers scour seemingly barren areas like Hairball and Air Bajo looking for rare creatures that hide along the seafloor. “The reality is that dives can be so productive that the only response is sometimes for the whole group to exit the water laughing,” Mustard says. “It is the only reaction that seems appropriate for sites so phenomenally packed with the weird and wonderful.” sirenfleet.com

Want to learn more? Check out these tips for macro photography.

Hidden Gems

South Australia

Explore the kelp beds around Adelaide to spot the strange leafy seadragon, or try the Edithburgh Jetty on the Yorke Peninsula to look for tasseled anglerfish, striped pajama squid and blueringed octopuses.

Anilao, Philippines

Photographers with a penchant for nudibranchs will find plenty to fill the frame around here. Mainit Muck (aka Secret Bay) also boasts wonderpus octopuses, ghost pipefish and ambon scorpionfish.

Over/Under // RAJA AMPAT

4. One of the most visually striking styles of underwater photography is the over/ under shot, a split image that shows both topside and underwater scenes simultaneously. These photos are so captivating because they capture these two worlds in contrast, showing how each unfolds on either side of the water’s surface. The key to photographing a great over/under is finding a location where there’s a buzz of life happening just below the water’s surface. Among Indonesia’s Raja Ampat Islands, piers, mangroves and shallow reefs all offer the perfect backdrop for this photographic style.

“Nowhere else on this blue planet contains such a well-mixed gumbo of tropical marine life,” says photographer Ethan Daniels. “Due in part to its geography and geology, corals and innumerable other invertebrates flourish just beneath the waterline of Raja Ampat, creating remarkable shallow- water photography prospects.”

Raja Ampat is also home to myriad environments ideal for creating unique and unexpected split images, like shots of juvenile fish hiding among the roots of mangrove forests or soft corals populating the pilings of old piers.

“The implausible range of species and habitats, such as mangroves, sea-grass meadows, piers and fringing reefs, is sure to inspire those seeking to experience the most beautiful places on Earth,” Daniels says. aggressor.com

Check out these tips on shooting over/unders.

Hidden Gems

British Columbia

With the right timing, photographers can slip into the chilly waters of British Columbia’s Campbell and Adams rivers to capture incredible over/under shots of salmon as they battle upstream en masse on a one-way spawning run. These images capture two icons of the Pacific Northwest: lush evergreen forests above, with shimmering masses of salmon below.

Chinchorro Bank

Some photographers look for unexpected creatures to fill the frame of their over/ under shots, and at Chinchorro Bank, off the southeastern end of Mexico’s Yucatan, it’s possible to go face to face with crocodiles in the lagoon of an atoll.

Fluorescence // BONAIRE

5. Every diver knows that coral reefs boast beautiful colors under the light of the sun or camera strobe, but some put on a different display under the cover of night — if you photograph them the right way. Some corals and marine animals give off a glow when fluorescent photoproteins in their tissue are exposed to certain wavelengths of light. These photoproteins absorb light with shorter wavelengths (ultraviolet and blue, for example) and re-emit them as light with longer wavelengths (green, yellow, orange or red). The rich and healthy reefs of Bonaire are especially great for this unique photographic style.

“If you’re looking for the best place to practice your blue-light-photography skills, then Bonaire is waiting for you,” says Barry Brown, a Bonaire-based photographer. “Fluorescence can be found in great numbers on any one of the easy-to-get-to dive sites, and one needs not go deep to find these glowing treasures.”

Corals aren’t the only things that put off an otherworldly glow beneath the blue lights. “Pay close attention to fireworms, lizardfish, anemones, flounder and, of course, corals,” Brown says. “You won’t believe the show that awaits every diver on any given night after dusk.” buddydive.com

Check out these pro tips on underwater fluorescent photography.

Hidden Gems

Sabah, Malaysia

Macro subjects are particularly good for fluoro photography, and the soft corals and unique creatures found around Sabah, Malaysia, offer great opportunities to practice this skill. Try the coral gardens of Sipidan to photograph feather stars, nudibranchs and seahorses under blue light.

Blue Heron Bridge, Florida

Blue Heron Bridge is arguably the best macro dive site in the United States, and easy shore access and water less than 10 feet deep makes it even better for shooting fluoro photography. Scour the seabed for strange creatures like stargazers, seahorses and frogfish.

Black Water // KONA, HAWAII

6. Some of the strangest creatures in the ocean won’t be found on the reef. In fact, they don’t live anywhere near the seafloor. These creatures float on the currents, living their lives in the endless void of open ocean. For the unique opportunity to photograph this pelagic planktonic world, head to Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, where dive operators offer black-water diving — night-diving trips to hang in thousands of feet of inky-black open ocean looking for whatever passes by.

“Imagine drifting with thousands of feet of water below your fins and waiting for all sort of fascinating creatures to pass by your dive light,” says underwater photographer Michel Labrecque. “It is a real challenge to get good images, but the rewards are spectacular and mind-blowing.”

Among those seen are familiar creatures, everything from octopuses to marlin, still in their tiny, translucent larval stages. It’s also possible to see Hawaii’s endemic pelagic seahorse, which lives only in the open ocean. jacksdivinglocker.com; konahonudivers.com

Hidden Gems

Greece

The region of Chalkidiki is not famous for black-water photography, but it has all the right ingredients to become a prime destination. Aegean Sea dive sites off Greece’s Sithonia peninsula reach great depths close to shore, allowing photographers to float and snap photos of jellyfish, shrimps, mollusks and more.

Palau

The deep waters off the South Pacific islands of Palau serve as nurseries for the many marine-life species found on Palau’s reef, like boxfish, octopuses and crustaceans. On special black-water diving trips, photographers can also find jellyfish, salps and squid roaming the inky depths.

Are you a budding underwater photographer? We've got imaging tips and more underwater photo galleries on the Underwater Photography section of our website.