Pioneering and celebrated underwater photographer and conservationist David Doubilet has spent his illustrious career illuminating the depths of our ocean and the wildlife it contains. For five decades as a National Geographic photographer, David has explored and documented the far corners of the world— interior Africa, remote tropical coral reefs, rich temperate seas, and recent projects beneath the polar ice, producing nearly 80 feature stories for the magazine. In his relentless quest to create a visual voice for the ocean and connect people to both the incredible beauty and heart-wrenching decimation taking place in the underwater world, David expertly uses photography to advance conservation efforts.

A skilled diver, David has spent over 27,000 hours in the sea capturing a hidden world beneath the surface, since he first put his Brownie Hawkeye camera in a rubber anesthesiologist’s bag at the age of twelve. Doubilet believes that photography has the power to educate, honor,

humiliate, illuminate and influence our behavior.

This incredible effort has resulted in a tremendous body of work, earning him numerous photographic awards and accolades, including Picture of the Year and World Press Photo. The prolific photojournalist has also released 13 titles, including the award-winning Water Light Time, which features spectacular underwater photographs from around the world. His latest book, Two Worlds: Above and below the Sea, published in 2021, invites people to learn and understand how their lives on land are intimately connected to an all-important, life-sustaining world out of our view—that of the ocean.

David's numerous photographic awards include Picture of the Year, BBC Wildlife, Communication Arts and World Press. He is a member of the Academy of Achievement, Royal Photographic Society, International League of Conservation Photographers, and International Diving Hall of Fame. He was named a National Geographic contributing photographer-in-residence in 2001 and has been the recipient of the Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award and Lennart Nilsson Award for Scientific Photography. David has been a Rolex Testimonee since 1994.

David’s current projects include Oceans Through the Lens of Time and documenting ocean conservation efforts inside the Coral Triangle. He is focused on collaborating with and supporting Next Generation storytellers to get them positioned and prepared to document the greatest story on Earth...Earth, Itself.  

“As the oceans go, so do we.” 

- David Doubilet