Among manta rays and sea turtles, a journey of wonder and perseverance unfolds

National Geographic photographer Josh Cogan has spent years documenting cultures, landscapes, and people in motion. But it’s not just action that captures his attention. It’s the stillness between movements: the quiet pause before someone decides to take a step, try something new, or step into the unknown. That’s what brought him to Hawaii’s Big Island. And that’s what he saw in his travel companion, Joey.

Joey, a former law enforcement officer and firefighter, has a large tattoo of a sea turtle on his left calf. Even when he wears shorts, though, the turtle is often hidden by the brace he wears to help him walk. 

Since the onset of his symptoms related to CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy), a rare autoimmune condition, Joey experienced increasing difficulty lifting his left foot. The brace—an AFO (ankle-foot orthosis)—helps his foot rebound off the ground when he takes a step, and it's become a daily necessity.

"When I don't have my brace, of course, there's more of a chance of stumbling," Joey says.

Even with the AFO, CIDP made it difficult to walk, especially over uneven terrain. On this recent trip to Hawaii, however, Joey experienced a series of memorable firsts since his diagnosis. At one point, going anywhere that involved sand seemed impossible. The unevenness, the instability—it was simply risky. But on this trip, Joey decided to try.

Joey made his way down the beach and into the water at a restoration site for honu: Hawaiian green sea turtles. Peering beneath the surface, he exclaimed with awe at being able to see the real-life inspiration for his tattoo for the first time.

"The turtle is a mascot for CIDP," Joey explains. "Steady-paced, always moving. Just a reminder to keep moving forward."

Joey had not been on a beach in years. But due to his care plan that includes physical and occupational therapy, as well as treatment, he decided to give it a try. And that opened up something inside him.

For Josh, the photographer, travel isn’t just about the distance covered—it’s about what shifts inside us when we step outside the familiar. Because of that, he founded The Journeymen, a community that helps men reconnect with purpose, identity, and wonder through shared experience.

During their visit to the Big Island, Josh and Joey also went snorkeling among manta rays at night. Michele, Joey's wife, joined the duo as well on a daytime boat trip. This expedition brought new challenges for Joey. To lower himself into the water, he would need to cross a rocking boat with sometimes slick surfaces, all without his AFO. With support from others on the boat though, he went from sitting on deck to snorkeling through the sea.

“He was nervous,” Josh says. “But the moment he got in, something shifted. The awe took over.” 

The rays moved with a grace that feels otherworldly—barrel-rolling upward, gliding down again. Joey floated among them, his body carried by the water, his spirit carried by the moment. These and many other moments from the Hawaii trip would be milestones for anyone—but for Joey, they are also an important part of his journey with CIDP.

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