Featured Customers | Luis María Naya Garmendia The Beauty of the Basque Coast

Luis Maria Naya is a member of the Real Club Náutico de San Sebastián and the Sociedad Oceanográfica de Gipuzkoa and has been a diving instructor and underwater photographer for more than 40 years. 

He began to do underwater photography shortly after learning to dive, has been responsible for image and safety in several underwater archaeological excavations and in recent years has specialized in macro photography in general and especially in nudibranchs.

Luis has been the author of two exhibitions at the Aquarium of San Sebastian, the first in 2016 entitled “Nudibranchs: the Small Multicolored Cantabrian” and the second in 2021 entitled “Joao Pessoa: a German Freighter Sunk in San Sebastian Waters.” A book was published on the occasion of the first exhibition, called Nudibranquios de la Costa Vasca: el Pequeño Cantábrico Multicolor. You can read or download a Spanish language copy of Luis' book here.

Luis been using Ikelite equipment for more than 20 years, the first was a Olympus C8080, after that a Nikon D80, and in the last years a Nikon D7000 in Ikelite housing with one or two DS161 Strobes. He usually uses two Nikon AF MICRO NIKKOR 60mm and 105mm lenses with 10 and 15 dpt lenses, a Tokina 10-17mm, and a Sigma 17-70mm.

Two Crimora Papillata of different coloration taking different paths. Faro de la Plata, Pasaia, Basque Country, Spain. Nikon D7000 + Nikon 105mm inside an Ikelite Underwater Housing with 1x Ikelite DS161 Strobe • 1/60 • f/22 • ISO 500 © Luis María Naya Garmendia

Remains of the Joao Pessoa iron ore cargo. Joao Pessoa Shipwreck of WWII, San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain. Nikon D80 + Tokina 10-17mm lens inside an Ikelite Underwater Housing with 2x Ikelite DS125 Strobes • 1/30 • f/5 • ISO 200 © Luis María Naya Garmendia

Luis María Naya Garmendia is a diving instructor, underwater photographer, and author of the book Nudibranquios de la Costa Vasca as well as the author of multiple exhibits at the Aquarium of San Sebastian. Luis specializes in documenting and providing safety protocols for underwater archaeological excavations. In Luis' 40 years underwater he has shot with Olympus and Nikon but has always remained an Ikelite loyalist. You can read Luis' book about the nudibranchs of the Basque region here. 

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