Ethan Daniels

Ethan's interest in marine ecology and photography began during the summers of his youth in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Upon completing his graduate degree in biology at the University of Guam Marine Lab he made the permanent move to Palau working as a guide and naturalist for kayakers, divers, photographers, and film crews. In 2001 he took a position as a biologist with Palau's Office of Environmental Response and Coordination, coauthoring and contributing photos to several books, including Palau: Dive Sites, History, and Culture. After almost a decade living in Micronesia, Ethan made the move back to the San Francisco Bay area where he continues to act as an underwater naturalist and guide for several adventure travel companies. His award winning photography can be seen in several periodicals including Nature's Best Magazine, Rodale's Scuba Diving, Dive Training, and Underwater Photography Magazine.

Each destination on this planet has unique photographic possibilities. I appreciate operators who not only have a good background knowledge of the habits and behaviors of the special marine fauna that live in the area, but who are also willing to show those rare events or species, i.e. coral or fish spawning. Understandably, wildlife doesn't always cooperate but I absolutely appreciate the effort that goes into viewing shy or rare species. It also means a lot to me when an operator gets excited about the habitats and marine life they regularly visit. It generally shows that they care about the reefs and their inhabitants, operating their business in an ecologically sound manner. Certainly one of the main reasons I dive and shoot is to bring a sense of the beauty of our seas, as well as awareness, to the general public. I feel operators should be of like mind.