Pioneering underwater photographer David Doubilet—whose first photo was published in National Geographic in 1972—has dedicated his life to capturing the action, drama, and poetry of our oceans and bringing those images back to the surface for those of us who might never see those sights with our own eyes.

I asked Doubilet what got him started and what keeps him swimming, looking, and sharing stories from our quickly changing seas. An edited version of our exchange is published below, along with some of his most memorable images from his career.

When I was about ten I obsessed over a picture in National Geographic magazine showing Luis Marden standing with Capt. Jacques Cousteau on the deck of the Calypso. Cousteau