Dan Beecham - Underwater Cinematographer

Since 2023, I have been fortunate to be involved in a number of expeditions with with National Geographic’s ‘Pristine Seas’. These expeditions have been focused in the Pacific, as a part of the 30x30 initiative - the regional effort by Pacific Island nations and international conservation groups to protect and conserve at least 30% of coastal and marine environments by 2030.

The expeditions I’ve been on have been a part of the global expedition Pristine Seas is running (at the time of writing!), on board the spectacular vessel M/V Argo. Since its inception in 2008 Pristine Seas has completed over 50 expeditions, and I was lucky enough to join them on expeditions in  the Federated States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Each of these expeditions had its own challenges - but also each was incredibly rewarding in different ways.

My filming work on these expeditions focuses on making exploratory dives in different areas daily, to find subjects and habitats to film. I also shoot the various scientific activities being carried out onboard by the Pristine Seas scientists - reef surveys, deep sea surveys with drop-cams and the submersible and BRUVs in the open ocean and reef habitats. 

The opportunity to explore, dive and shoot in such remote locations is a very rare and valued privilege.

In the Federated States of Micronesia I got to dive a number of incredibly remote atolls, many of which still have very healthy shark and fish populations - something that is harder and harder to find these days. In Papua New Guinea I not only got to dive on some of the most impressive coral reefs I have seen in over 25 years of diving, but also to film a stunning aggregation of feeding manta rays, a world class marine spectacle and a completely unexpected find. I also got to dive with wonderfully hospitable locals who were incredibly excited to share their home reefs with me. We even got to film orcas underwater - a rare treat in the topics!

In Fiji, I faced tough conditions, but patience was rewarded and we filmed some great underwater scenes on reefs filled with a huge diversity of species. We again got to wok with great locals who were incredibly helpful in getting us onto the best reefs the area had to offer;

These expeditions, which being a lot of fun have a very serious . To date, Pristine Seas has helped to create 31 marine reserves and protected areas totalling over 6.9 million square kilometers - which is an incredible achievement.

The Pristine Seas expeditions are ongoing, and they’e continuing in their efforts to assist in the global initiative to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030.