Amos Nachoum

About the photographer

In the weightless, silent underwater world, I feel free and liberated. I do not remember exactly when I became interested in aquatic creatures, but I’ve been passionate about fishing and diving ever since I was a child, regardless if it is in a river or the ocean. y fascination is about the water and those creatures that live in it. I have a tremendous respect and admiration toward underwater creatures and their environment simply because they can live there, and their world is so much bigger than my crowded, land-based world! Aquatic animals come in a marvelous variety of color, shape, design, and size.

A species like the blue whale, the largest animal that lives on Earth, can grow over 110 feet long and weigh more than 400,000 pounds. A fish like the sailfish can swim as fast as 70 miles per hour. The speed is comparative to that of the fastest land animal, the cheetah, but the sailfish accomplishes its speed in water, which is 1,000 times denser than air. Underwater, I always try to capture the personality of the animals. Whether it is a cute fish, or a monstrous shark, each individual has its own personality along with its physical identity.

My work is to capture a split second of a moment, when the animals express such emotions, and to interpret them in a form of photographic art. The art of the ocean for me is the expressions of oceanic animals. I understand that it is a privilege to see what I see down there because not many people are given the opportunity to face a frightening, 14-foot shark, or look into the enormous eyeball of a great whale. It is my pleasure to share the excitement with you through my photographs. If they inspire you to edge a little closer to the underwater world, and move you to appreciate the ocean and its creatures a little more than before, I would feel rewarded and happy.