More than just
scuba diving.

The first uncertain breaths

My journey into scuba diving began in the Maldives in 2020, during one of the most difficult periods of my life. After losing my dad, Christopher, following a tragic accident, diving became one of the things that helped give me somewhere positive to focus my energy.

I completed my Open Water Diver qualification in the Maldives. I wasn’t a completely confident diver from day one — mask clearing in particular was something I initially struggled with — but supportive instructors helped me keep going. Gradually, the things that once felt uncomfortable became normal. Every dive added a little more confidence.

From fascination to responsibility

There is something incredibly calming about being underwater. On land, life can move quickly. Underwater, the world becomes simpler: you concentrate on your breathing, pay attention to your surroundings and communicate without speaking.

Over time, my relationship with the ocean changed. First I was fascinated by what I was seeing. Then I wanted to understand it — why sharks behave in particular ways, why manta rays visit certain areas, how reefs support life and what happens when coral bleaches.

Those questions became a huge part of what Scuba Sam has become.

Respect and fear are not the same thing.

If there is one group of animals that has shaped my diving journey more than any other, it is sharks — and particularly tiger sharks.

For many people, the word “shark” immediately creates an image of danger. My experiences underwater have shown me a very different side to these animals.

Diving with sharks isn’t about pretending they aren’t powerful predators. They absolutely are, and they deserve enormous respect. But the more time I’ve spent around sharks — and the more I’ve learned from experienced shark divers, guides and scientists — the more fascinated I’ve become by their behaviour.

They aren’t monsters swimming around looking for humans. They are highly adapted animals performing an essential role in marine ecosystems.

Sharks deserve understanding, not sensationalism

In January 2025, I travelled to the Bahamas aboard Dolphin Dream. This was where I experienced diving with tiger sharks for the first time.

Nothing quite prepares you for seeing your first tiger shark underwater. They’re huge and incredibly powerful, but what surprised me was how controlled and deliberate their movements could be. During the trip I also encountered great hammerheads, bull sharks and lemon sharks.

It strengthened something that has become central to everything I create: sharks deserve understanding, not sensationalism.

100 dives — the beginning of the next chapter.

In January 2026, my diving journey reached one of its biggest milestones.

I returned to the Maldives, a place that has become incredibly important to my story, and completed my 100th scuba dive.

Reaching 100 dives meant far more to me than simply adding another number to my logbook.

When I thought back to where everything began — completing my Open Water course in the Maldives in 2020, the nerves I had as a new diver, the skills I initially struggled with, and everything that had happened in my life since — dive number 100 gave me a chance to realise just how far I’d come.

What made it even more special was reaching that milestone in the Maldives, the same country where my scuba diving journey had started.

From those first uncertain breaths underwater to eventually travelling around the world to dive with sharks, explore coral reefs, experience night dives and encounter some of the ocean’s most extraordinary wildlife, it had been an incredible journey.

But reaching 100 dives didn’t feel like reaching the end of something. It felt like the beginning of the next chapter.

There was — and still is — an enormous amount for me to learn, new places to explore, new marine life to encounter and new experiences waiting beneath the surface.

And that’s one of the things I love most about scuba diving. No matter how many dives you complete, the ocean will always have something new to teach you.

The ocean never follows the plan.

Tiger sharks will probably always have a special place at the top of my list, but some of my favourite underwater moments have happened when I wasn’t expecting them.

I’ve been fortunate enough to encounter:

• Tiger sharks
• Great hammerheads
• Bull sharks
• Lemon sharks
• Thresher sharks
• Whale sharks
• Manta rays
• Eagle rays
• Sea turtles

One of the things scuba diving teaches you is that you can’t control the ocean. You can travel somewhere hoping to see a particular animal and never see it. Then, on another dive, something completely unexpected can appear.

Every time I descend beneath the surface, I’m entering their world. I’m simply a visitor.

Bring people underwater — then give them something to think about.

Eventually I realised that simply experiencing these moments wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to share them.

Photography and video became a way of bringing people underwater with me. Through Scuba Sam, I now document my dives, encounters and travels while trying to explain what is actually happening beneath the surface.

I don’t want a tiger shark video to simply say, “Look how close this shark came.” I want someone watching it to wonder: Why did the shark behave like that? What was the diver doing? Why are tiger sharks important? What threats do they face?

If somebody watches one of my videos because the shark looks incredible but leaves knowing something they didn’t know before, then the content has achieved something worthwhile.

Understanding creates better encounters.

Sharks are one of the clearest examples of why ocean education matters. For decades, popular culture has often portrayed them primarily as dangerous animals. Fear gets attention, but fear doesn’t always create understanding.

Through my photography, videos and writing, I want to show what it’s actually like to share the water with these animals. That means being responsible too. I never want to suggest that sharks are harmless or that wildlife interactions should be treated casually.

These are wild animals. Divers need to understand the environment, listen to experienced guides, follow appropriate procedures and respect the animals around them.

Responsible shark diving isn’t about proving how brave you are. It’s about understanding where you are and respecting the animal whose environment you’ve entered.

Sharing the wonder means protecting it.

As I’ve spent more time underwater, I’ve become increasingly interested in what protects the places I love diving. Healthy oceans aren’t just about sharks; coral reefs support complex ecosystems, and small changes in water temperature can have enormous consequences.

During my time in the Maldives, I’ve had opportunities to learn directly from marine biologists and take part in coral restoration activities. Those experiences made me realise that conservation doesn’t always have to begin with something enormous. Sometimes it begins with simply helping somebody understand why something is worth protecting.

That is what I want the films, photographs and stories on Scuba Sam to do: create curiosity first, then understanding, then care.

Almost every great dive has somebody behind it.

One of the things I never expected when I started diving was how many people it would introduce me to.

Diving is incredibly social. I’ve met instructors, dive guides, marine biologists, underwater photographers, boat crews and fellow divers from around the world.

Some have helped me become a better diver. Others have taught me about sharks, coral reefs and marine conservation. Some have simply made a particular dive unforgettable.

That’s why you’ll see more than just destinations and animals across this website. You’ll also find the Ocean People I’ve met along the way.

Some stories need more room than a Reel.

I created this website as a home for everything that couldn’t always fit into a short Instagram Reel or YouTube video. It’s somewhere I can go deeper.

You can explore the destinations I’ve visited, the liveaboards I’ve travelled on, the dive centres I’ve experienced, the people I’ve met, my photography, my videos and the places still sitting on my diving bucket list.

But above everything else, I want this website to encourage curiosity. You don’t have to be a marine biologist. You don’t even have to be a scuba diver.

If something here makes you stop and think differently about sharks, coral reefs or the ocean, then that’s a good place to start.