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Andy’s images from his own backyard are some of his most memorable—like this sea lion photographed at Santa Barbara Island, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, California

An artist is only as good as his tools, or so they say. Try telling that to seasoned underwater photo pro Andrew Sallmon, who got started with a $60 Nikonos II from a U.S. Navy camera repairman more than 30 years ago. His gear may have changed dramatically since—but Andy’s passion for sharing the marine environment through imagery has remained steadfast.

Andy is one of the fortunate few who work full-time as an underwater photographer and writer. His images and articles have appeared in countless magazines, books, and have even adorned the walls of the Smithsonian Museum. 

Currently, he is a regular contributor to DAN’s Alert Diver magazine along with his wife Allison-Vitsky Sallmon. And while the images in this portfolio come from across the globe, it is perhaps Andy’s photography from his backyard waters of San Diego that are most iconic.
 

Freediving with dolphins lugging a huge camera system is as much about the excitement of being there as it is having kept up your cardio workouts! (White Sand Bank, Bahamas)
 

The deep cuts and caverns that line the shoreline of some islands make for spectacular cathedral-like spaces (Solomon Islands)
 

The great white shark is one of the most incredibly powerful animals that Andy has ever dived with (Guadalupe Island, Mexico)
 

The black sea nettle periodically appears in great numbers, likely preceding El Niño events (Point Loma Kelp Forest, San Diego, California)
 

California’s waters teem with a myriad strange and colorful characters, like this cartoon-like yellowfin fringehead

Alligator over-unders are a real challenge. It’s hot, humid and muddy and you will be bitten by every conceivable insect known to man! (Everglades, Florida)
 

Fearless and curious, oceanic whitetip sharks are an underwater photographers dream (Cat Island, Bahamas)
 

Reef mantas will swim far up the coral reef channels of many Pacific islands with the tides. They are headed for secret cleaning stations to have parasites removed by cleaner fish (Yap, Federated States of Micronesia)
 

The best way to capture an image of this often-shy scalloped hammerhead is with a closed circuit rebreather (CCR), as they are “spooked” by diver’s exhaled bubbles (Cocos Island, Costa Rica)
 

The circular fisheye zoom lens has become Andy’s go-to for big reef scenics, especially when the subject flows so well in the round format. This stunning coral bommie was alive with a seemingly endless cascade of fish (Raja Ampat, Indonsia)
 

Andy and his gear—slightly upgraded from the secondhand Nikonos II he started with…
 

See more of Andy’s stunning imagery on the website he shares with his wife, Allison, www.seait.com.