The Underwater Designer

Can you have too many shark experiences? Absolutely not.
I love every encounter on our trips with Big Fish Expeditions

Thunder Bay International Film Festival is more than the sharing of inspirational films. It is an exchange of thoughts, education, and insight between filmmakers, students, and the community. The in-depth and open conversations illuminate how we can do better for our world, for communities, and as creators. I hope to see you next year at this festival in beautiful Alpena as we celebrate our waters from all perspectives above and below.

It is a must for filmmakers who get the opportunity for candid and supportive reviews.

It is enriching for those who attend to also get to meet people such as dignitaries Paula Jones and Jay Haigler, who showed Black Godfather of Scuba, a documentary not just about Dr. Albert José Jones, but of the extraordinary community and history he created. Dr. Jones founded dive club Underwater Adventure Seekers and co-founded the National Association of Black Scuba Divers - NABS. His wife Paula is an articulate children’s author and dive expert who is championing this community with her entrepreneurial daughter Kendall Jones. Most poignantly, Jay Haigler of Diving With A Purpose spoke to the important work of protection, documentation and interpretation of African slave trade shipwrecks and the maritime history and culture of African Americans.

Other content creators were also broadcasting the events such as The Great Dive Podcast. I had the joy of chatting with them about the intricacies of the scuba industry and how we can show adventurers how diving is the plunge they need to take to sea the world.

I’m moved by this experience and amazed again by this gem of a National Marine Sanctuary.

Visit NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and learn something.

Many thanks also to the Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Stephanie Gandullafor their passion and commitment to this event and the mission of the sanctuary. For twelve years, nearly 800 films have been shown in this remarkable destination. I’m honored that the film Alex Rose and I showed was well received and encouraged to take it farther.

I'm honored and amazed to be a finalist for the Underwater Photo Competitions World Shootout Best Picture of 2023 and Wide Angle category.

It is an absolute joy to share my image of a beautiful encounter I had with a humpback whale in French Polynesia on our Big Fish Expeditions. This was truly a special moment. I very much look forward to our trip this fall and observe more of this magnificent species.