Beautiful “Underwater Kaleidoscope” | National Geographic

I was inspired to be an ocean explorer from a very young age. We had a swimming pool in my backyard, and I would put on a little mask and fins and pretend I was Jacques Cousteau or I was swimming with sharks or dolphins or something. I had somewhat of an epiphany where I would explore the ocean, but I would do it with a camera.

Cortez Banks is about 100 miles west of San Diego, California. It's become somewhat of an oasis for marine wildlife. Diving in Cortez Banks is like diving into an underwater kaleidoscope. It's always changing with light and color and gesture and motion, and it's never the same twice. I think if more people come to see it and appreciate it, then it's a no-brainer to say that we need to protect it.

We were out there on the boat one day, and a very rare species of dolphin, the northern right whale, emerged on the scene. It was a species I had never seen in my life. I mean, they could have easily swam the other way, but they chose to come around and spend some time with me. They were curious, inquisitive, and I was able to make a handful of pictures that, to me, are very special but also speak to this broader issue of this place being an oasis.

I also had some magical experiences with Pacific white-sided dolphins. They had sort of corralled a little baitball of half moonfish—this beautiful blue-colored fish, a bit of a mirror reflection on the calm ocean that day. Absolutely stunning.

You know, every time I go off on assignment, it's the greatest day of my life, and it's also the most stressful day because the great expectations exist. You have to come back with a National Geographic story, and you're going into the water with like a hardware store on your back, carrying this big rig around. You're fighting currents and surge, and working with wildlife is always particularly hard because you can't control those things. There's nothing you can do about it.

But with every dive, you're meeting this fascinating cast of characters. If you're patient, if you give it time, you'll get those moments. You'll be able to make those pictures and allow viewers a glimpse into this very magical place that I believe everybody should know about and I believe deserves to be protected.