Galapagos Underwater Photography: Camera Settings and Tips

The Galapagos is one of the most rewarding places in the world for underwater photography. Animals are relaxed around divers, large species come close, and the volcanic scenery makes dramatic backdrops. The conditions are also demanding: cool water, current and plankton can all affect your pictures. This guide covers Galapagos underwater photography techniques that help you come home with sharp, colorful images.

Choosing Your Lens

Most Galapagos subjects are big: sharks, sea lions, turtles, rays and schools of fish. A wide-angle lens or wet lens lets you get close and still fit the whole animal in the frame. Getting close is important because it reduces the water between your camera and the subject, which keeps images sharp and colorful. A macro setup is worth having for small subjects like nudibranchs and blennies on calmer dives, but on current-swept sites wide-angle is usually the better choice.

Light: Strobes and Natural Light

Water absorbs red and orange light quickly, so pictures taken without artificial light turn blue as you go deeper. Strobes or video lights bring color back to subjects close to the camera. In the Galapagos, the water is often rich in plankton, especially in the cooler months. Strobes pointed straight ahead light up those particles and cause backscatter. Angle your strobes outward and slightly back so their light edges the subject rather than the water in front of the lens.

For large animals in the blue, such as hammerheads or whale sharks, natural light often works better. Shoot with the sun behind you and set a custom white balance at depth if your camera allows it.

Camera Settings to Start With

• Fast shutter speed for sea lions and other quick subjects.
• Moderate aperture for wide-angle scenes, so both the animal and the background stay sharp.
• Higher ISO when shooting natural light at depth, balanced against image noise.
• Continuous autofocus and burst mode for moving animals.

These are starting points, not rules; check your camera's manual and practice on easy dives first.

Shooting in Current

Many Galapagos sites have current. Handling a camera while staying with the group is a skill. Keep your setup compact, use a lanyard so you cannot drop it, and never hold onto living reef to steady yourself. Follow your guide's lead on where to wait for the action. On some sites, guides ask divers to shelter behind rocks while watching the blue; that is often the best spot to shoot from. See Gordon Rocks diving for an example of a current-swept site.

Cold Water and Equipment Care

Cool water drains batteries faster, so start each dive with full charges and carry spares. Rinse your housing in fresh water after every dive and dry it before opening. Keep silica gel packs in the housing to reduce fogging when moving between cool water and warm air. Our Galapagos scuba gear guide covers cameras, lights and maintenance kit, and our packing essentials article explains how to pack fragile gear.

Photography Etiquette

• Never touch, chase or block an animal's path to get a shot.
• Let animals approach you; sea lions in particular often come close on their own.
• Share the subject with other divers in your group.

The national park's rules apply to photographers too; see Galapagos diving rules and park regulations.

Best Subjects to Look For

Sea lions in shallow water, turtles resting on ledges, schools of fish around pinnacles and, with luck, hammerheads in the blue. Our diving with sea lions and Galapagos whale sharks articles explain where to find two of the most photogenic subjects, and our list of Galapagos dive shops includes operators that run photography-friendly trips.

Video Tips

Many divers now film as much as they photograph. Hold shots for at least ten seconds, move slowly and keep the camera level. Video lights help on close subjects, but in open water, natural light with a correct white balance often gives better color on large animals. Keep the camera running when a shark or sea lion approaches rather than starting and stopping; you can trim the clip later.

Related guide: Galapagos scuba diving gear guide.