Todd Thimios is an acclaimed underwater photographer, deep sea submersible pilot and expedition leader, currently based in Australia. His work has been feature in The Times, Boat International and get lost magazine, and was highly commended in the 2020 Ocean Photography Awards. In this interview, we find out a little more about his connection with the wild.

Oceanographic Magazine (OM): When and how did you first connect with the ocean?

Todd Thimios (TT): I’m from North Queensland home of the Great Barrier Reef. Growing up in such a beautiful location it’s hard not a deep connection and passion for what’s below the surface. My earliest memories are that of vibrant colours and being submerged underwater on the reef.

OM: What came first, a love of the ocean or a love of photography/film?

TT: I studied dark room processing for a number of years out of high school, which was fantastic because it mixed the fundamentals of photography and understanding light. This along with being a dive instructor in my early twenties meant it was always a natural progression bring the two together.

OM: What led you to become a submersible pilot and how does this provide you with a different perspective of the ocean?

TT: Piloting submersibles around the world was absolutely incredible for so many reasons. But paramount for me was to be able to witness the incredible change in biodiversity and habit as you travel to depths as deep as 1,000 metres. The invaluable influence between light and life was never more profound. The remoteness is what I loved the most. Witnessing things that no one else will ever see and places no one will ever see, whilst positioned on the seafloor at unimaginable depths, was extremely special.

OM: Do you think that we have an overly simplistic view of the ocean based on your experiences in different areas of the water column?

TT: Yes totally, sounds cliché but we really are only scratching the surface. I think the bigger part is there’s not enough curiosity, of course we know so little about our oceans. But the thing that spins me out the most is that people don’t question or wonder about all the possibilities of what could be below, when there is so much open and deep expanse to be discovered.