Underwater photography is a powerful conservation tool, reminding people on the surface that there is incredible life worthy of protection below. Before any diver brings a camera underwater, however, they should learn a few critical skills to ensure their actions have a minimal impact on marine life. Keeping these guidelines in mind will not only keep you from doing harm but allow you to become a more adept photographer.

Stay Neutral

Daniel Geary, a marine biologist and frogfish expert who is also a dive instructor, says the best thing any underwater photographer can do is master their buoyancy. “I have seen many divers empty their BCDs, including professionals, so they can lie on the ground and stabilize, but this isn’t how we should be photographing underwater,” Geary says.

He recommends learning to back-fin, as this will give you the freedom to maneuver into any position you please. Being correctly weighted and able to hover in multiple positions will allow you to get the shot without damaging the surrounding environment.

Australia-based professional photographer Matty Smith suggests investing in an external electronic camera monitor and magnified 45-degree viewfinders to keep your body away from the seabed rather than having to lie flat to peer through the viewfinder. “It leads to a more comfortable shooting position and easier framing while avoiding seafloor collisions.”

Flash Faux Pas?

In the U.K., using flash photography around seahorses is banned, and many dive shops globally have implemented their own rules restricting use of strobes, claiming the bright flashes of light can daze, distress or otherwise harm the fragile critters.

But there is also evidence to the contrary. A 2019 study led by Dr. Maarten De Brauwer, a research fellow at the University of Leeds, found that while these guidelines are well-intended, none is based on scientific research, and “proof of any damage is lacking.” De Brauwer and his team ran a series of experiments to determine the impact of flash on a group of West Australian seahorses. They found that after more than 4,600 flashes from high-powered strobes, the seahorses “suffered no negative consequences to their visual system.” The seahorses didn’t go blind, and they continued to behave and feed as usual.

After conducting his own extensive research on the impact of diver interactions with pygmy seahorses, however, marine biologist Dr. Richard Smith found that the presence of underwater photographers often does impact these delicate creatures. “It’s not surprising that strobes don’t physiologically damage the eyes of fishes, but I do believe that their behavior is altered and/or stress is caused by excessive use,” he says. Smith developed a photographer’s code of conduct to help protect these tiny seahorses and recommends a five-photo limit per diver using flash photography.

When it comes to larger animals, De Brauwer explains that there is little proof to show that species like turtles or whale sharks would be affected differently by flash. Because these species live close to the surface, often in bright sunlight, their eyes have evolved to deal with substantial variations in light intensity.

The impact of flash on marine life continues to be a hotly debated topic among divers. However, De Brauwer’s research shows that touching likely has a far more significant effect.

Keep Hands to Yourself

This point may sound like common sense, and most divers would agree that touching marine life is one of the more obvious no-nos in underwater photography. But it’s when we engage in “goal-oriented activities” that the rule book can get tossed out the window.

“It’s well known that once people have a goal in mind (and even more so when competition is involved), the focus on this goal tends to push aside certain ethical standards people might have,” De Brauwer says. When we are engrossed in underwater photography, our attention shifts to the task at hand, and we can forget we’re dealing with a living being.

To survive, slow-moving creatures like seahorses, ghost pipefish and frogfish have evolved to rely on camouflage rather than speed. Everything these tiny critters do is to avoid expending too much energy. When stressed, they burn through that energy swimming away. “What might look like a short 5-meter swim for us could be the equivalent of a hectic 100-meter sprint for a seahorse or frogfish,” De Brauwer explains. This increased energy cost can make seahorses more susceptible to diseases, or reduce competitiveness to breed and hunt.

Smith found that even when divers were being helped by very careful guides, and were limited in the number of images they took, 40 percent of photographers came into contact with the extremely fragile gorgonian corals that provide habitat for the species of pygmies he was studying. Pygmy seahorses reside on a single gorgonian for most of their life. Gorgonians are susceptible to touch, so very quickly the repeated and cumulative damage of multiple divers starts to take its toll. To help seahorses and other critters stress less, never touch or reposition an animal underwater. Give wildlife ample space to move, and when they swim away, don’t chase them.

Speak Up

Dive tourism is an essential source of income in many developing countries. In places like the Philippines or Indonesia, working as a dive guide can pay up to three times as much as nondiving jobs. Most guides work incredibly hard to keep their guests happy, and the idea of a dive guide telling a high-paying guest off for their behavior is often wishful thinking.

That means the responsibility lies with the divers and the management of the dive center. “Managers need to support their staff in promoting sustainable behavior and be consistent in telling poorly behaved divers that this is not accepted,” De Brauwer says. “Most importantly, the divers themselves have the responsibility and power to change this behavior.”

Smith agrees that the onus is on divers, rather than guides, to act on this issue. “This is born out of behaviors encouraged by previous, less responsible guests. If the guide is too handsy, just have a polite word with them to stop, as you don’t like it, and remember to tip them.” Before visiting, let your dive shop or resort know that you don’t want anyone touching animals. Let your guides know that you appreciate their non-touching behavior.

Most photographers never intentionally wish to harm the critters they’re trying to capture. Part of being an ethical photographer comes down to merely being self-aware. “I can’t tell you how many divers profusely apologized to me after I simply pointed out underwater that their fins were touching the bottom,” De Brauwer says.