Articles

A school of tens of thousands of baitfish huddle near the surface, pushed into a ball by chasing mackerel, Plymouth, UK
 

DPG’s newest Photographer of the Week is a marine biologist and conservationist based in Plymouth, United Kingdom. Living in Britain’s “ocean city,” Sam Matthews began his underwater photography journey in 2021 with a Sony compact camera and has been documenting the underwater world ever since. Sam’s goal is to highlight the inherent value our marine environment provides and to inspire more people to engage in marine conservation. A lot of his imagery, some of which is featured here, is focused on showcasing the beauty of his local waters, whether that be city-front baitballs or summertime blue sharks far offshore.

The UK’s blue sharks are particularly important to Sam as a shark obsessive! He did his first shark trip at the age of 16 in the UK when shark cages were the only available option. In recent years, blue shark tourism has rapidly increased in popularity, which has dramatically increased awareness about the uniqueness and beauty of British seas as wild places worthy of protecting—and shark cages are no longer required! In recent years, Sam has organized multiple group trips locally to photograph and introduce people to these enigmatic animals on his doorstep. Reminiscing on these trips Sam says, “Seeing the joy on people’s faces after their first ever wild shark encounter, in the UK of all places, was so rewarding. I try to incorporate this joy of experiencing the marine environment as much as possible in my images.”

Through this, Sam has joined the Board of Trustees for MARECO, a UK-based elasmobranch charity that has done incredible work in terms of scientific research for the blue sharks locally through collaboration with the growing swim-with tourist industry and for sharks and rays worldwide.

As an career marine conservationist, Sam spent a lot of time with NGOs across Indonesia and the Philippines, focusing on manta rays and whale sharks. Now he aims to spend as much time as possible visiting the region, showcasing its endless diversity on camera. In the coming years, Sam aims to hone his photography skills and ultimately start organizing group trips to lesser-known dive destinations in Indonesia.
 

A large female blue shark comes up to inspect the camera, far offshore the UK
 

A common octopus rests at the entrance to its den while eyeing the photographer, Gibraltar
 

Snappers and jacks corral a giant baitball on a deep reef, Raja Amapt, Indonesia
 

Glassfish swarm over a resting wobbegong shark, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
 

A whip coral shrimp nearly perfectly camouflaged on its host whip coral, Dumaguete, Philippines
 

Batfish visit a cleaning station on a healthy coral outcrop, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
 

A slow shutter spin of a healthy stand of staghorn coral, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
 

A pair of fangblennies take a momentary break from fighting over the choice patch of algae-topped rock, Dumaguete, Philippines
 

One of Raja Ampat’s most well-known dive sites, Melissa’s Garden is bustling with healthy coral fields and countless fish, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
 

That isn’t a new marine hairdo! This unfortunate goby has had its head taken over by a parasite, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
 

A huge and healthy sea fan (home of the pygmy seahorse), Raja Ampat, Indonesia
 

A beautiful green sea turtle takes a nap on the gorgeous coral reef near Sauwanderek Jetty, Raja Ampat, Indonesia
 

Snorkelers watch a blue shark approach the surface from a respectful distance, UK
 

To see more of Sam’s work, please give him a follow on Instagram.