A new series looks at the community of creatives capturing the aquatic creatures of La Jolla from turtles to nudibranchs and sharks to ribbonfish.

Welcome to “This is La Jolla,” a new lajolla.ca series highlighting the various micro communities within La Jolla and celebrating the diverse industries and lifestyles within this coastal jewel.

It’s true that there is more of La Jolla underwater than there is above water, and those who dive and snorkel experience much of the biodiversity and incredible wildlife La Jolla proudly houses.

Those who venture below the surface will frequently take imagery as mementos of their journey to look upon later and share widely with others, creating a network of underwater photographers whose work delights and awes those unable to visit the marine depths as often.

Below, we caught up to three such local photographers post-dive and asked them the same questions about their craft and their adoration for the ocean.

Tyler Hobbs (@tylerhobbs655) has been an underwater photographer for more than three years, but has been diving and toting a camera into the ocean nearly his whole life.

Flow Li (@flowing_zen_nature) learned the skill from her photographer father and undertook underwater photography three years ago. 

Siobhan O’Neill (@nudib1tch) aligns his photography with his naturalist tendencies, in the water weekly to capture what’s in the intertidal zones and beyond.

Read on for their thoughts about La Jolla’s marine life and find your own watery inspiration.

What’s your favorite image you’ve taken in La Jolla and why do you love it?

Tyler Hobbs

Hobbs loves a late summer 2023 shot he took of a sea turtle, known locally as “Scar,” silhouetted against the La Jolla sunlight. The photo stands out as Hobbs, who won a GoPro award for the photo, always looks for Scar when diving, he said.

“When I took that picture, I was trying to go for a silhouette shot. I wasn’t sure how it turned out, but it turned out really great.”

Li’s favorite image is also of Scar, taken just two weeks ago, with the turtle sporting what Li called a “kelp scarf” growing off his shell.

Flow Li

The moment Li captured reminded her of fellow underwater photographer Trystan (@drone_dude_trystan), who died recently and whose absence is poignantly felt across the community. 

“That day was extra special,” Li said, “because I almost felt like he was hovering above when I found the turtle.”

The local photographers “love our oceans,” she added, “and we’re really helping each other, looking for our wildlife, protecting our wildlife together.”

O’Neill’s favorite photos are from two connected memories from January and February, during which he crossed paths with a living juvenile ribbonfish, a species closely related to the rarely-spotted oarfish and also hardly seen.

Siobhan O’Neill

Encountering the ribbonfish “was a bucket list experience I only dreamed of happening,” O’Neill said. “Lo and behold, there was one right smack dab in front of The Marine Room restaurant in 10 feet of water.

How did you get into underwater photography?

Hobbs has always loved freediving and eventually got into photography, he said.

“What I’ve always loved to do is just swim out from shore and see what I can find,” he said, adding he sometimes seeks a particular animal and other times will document whatever he sees.

While paddleboarding, Li saw a sea turtle sticking its neck out from the water, watching her. “I was so in love,” she said, which led her to take up snorkeling again with a camera.

O’Neill would look for sea hares while surfing at low tides, which evolved into his learning about the other intertidal creatures. He later realized he could meld photography and ocean exploration. 

“We have a beautiful ecosystem to do that in,” O’Neill said.

Why do you love what you do?

“I feel like if I don’t go out there, I’m going to miss some really crazy animal,” Hobbs said. “There’s days where I go out there and I’ll see something I couldn’t even imagine.”

Hobbs also loves seeing the same sea turtles repeatedly. “It never gets old.”

Being in the ocean with wildlife is “extremely healing,” Li said. “I love taking photos because a lot of times, we forget the little moments in life.”

So many beachgoers sit on the sand watching the sunset but “have no idea what’s happening underneath it, underneath our oceans,” she said.

There is a “whole entire universe down there,” O’Neill said. “I love the possibility of what could be out and about today in the waters.”

There’s a well-connected community of ocean photographers in La Jolla. What makes it so special?

“They’re very friendly,” Hobbs said, offering advice about which camera to use on which animal and creating connections that lead to travel photography in other places. 

The community has “really helped me in the long run,” he said.

The helpfulness of the wildlife photographer community, Li agreed, is what makes it an “inviting and welcoming” group, with information shared about water visibility, where various species have been spotted and more.

“Everyone is just super stoked all the time about being in the water and respecting the wildlife,” O’Neill said. “We all have a common goal. And it’s great to see other people succeed.”

What are your tips for others who want to become underwater photographers?

“Start small at first,” Hobbs said. “If you just start small and explore slowly, keep going further and further out in the ocean, you’ll find cooler things, and over time, you’ll meet new people, whether it’s on the beach or on Facebook, on Instagram.”

“You definitely don’t need a fancy camera,” Li said.

Flow Li

“Don’t chase after things,” she added, noting some photographers can end up harassing wildlife for the perfect shot. “Even if you got the shot, the feeling behind the … footage, just doesn’t sit right.”

Being able to photograph marine life is “a gift that was given to you,” Li said.

Those starting out should remember there are ways to take imagery without being fully submerged, O’Neill said.

“You could go to the tide pools and be taking a picture that’s underwater in a puddle,” he said. “There’s a huge scale from that to snorkeling, to freediving, to scuba diving.”

Pushing your comfort level with the ocean isn’t something O’Neill recommends.

“The ocean is no joke,” he said. “It’s the wilderness out there.”

From swimming with a buddy to connecting with others for advice, “finding community is a great first step,” O’Neill said.

Great underwater photography also starts with a “drive to also help protect these animals,” Hobbs said.

“Everything you’re seeing is worth protecting.” 

© lajolla.ca