Rhys Logan has a bachelor's degree in Visual Journalism and now works as a Videographer & Photographer covering projects worldwide. Rhys has eight years experience shooting and editing marketing materials for higher education, he's also contributed to National Geographic Online, PDN magazine, EpicTv, Freehub Magazine, the Seattle Times and Bellingham Herald. A field shooter at heart, Rhys' earlier career collecting data for the U.S. Forest Service got him outside and kept him there.
My wife Barbi during our stay on Mantaray Island of the Yasawa Islands, Fiji, diving and snorkeling the reef mere feet from the beach of our small lodging. The warm crystal clear waters and healthy reef were some of the most pristine we have ever experienced and we saw sharks almost every day. Ikelite 200DL Canon 5D Mark IV • Canon 16-35mm 2.8 © Rhys Logan
Advanced Diver, Gili Shark volunteer, newly certified Scientific Diver and my wife.. Barbi Kirchheimer, cleans tunicates from baby coral fragments growing on structures placed by Gili Shark Conservation on Gili Air, Lombok Indonesia. A hungry wrasse takes advantage of an easy meal.. Ikelite 200DL Canon 5D Mark IV • Canon 16-35mm 2.8 © Rhys Logan
The Humpbacks of Tonga. Post pandemic was a crazy special time in Tonga. As even Tongan nationals were being repatriated, we were able to get special permission for entry to the country during part of a filming project in the South Pacific on climate change and spend several days searching in late August for what our guides described as the "right" whales that would allow us to carefully swim near until their curiosity was piqued and they would come to us. Nothing could have prepared any of us for how moving, but also at times terrifying it would be to be so near an animal so big and powerful. Their strength was matched by an incredible level of presence, agility and gentle grace, making them that much more awe-inspiring. Ikelite 200DL Canon 5D Mark IV • Canon 24-70mm 2.8 © Rhys Logan
I had earnestly gotten my Advanced diver cert just so we could experience Mexico's incredible Cenotes, but I could never have prepared myself for what actually diving there would be like. I think I burned through a 128 gig card each or our six dives being so enamored with the light, structure and just situation of it all. My wife Barbi, swam nicely through one of the beams a few times for me to get this shot just right. Ikelite 200DL Canon 5D Mark IV • Canon 50mm 1.4 © Rhys Logan
Despite their status as critically endangered, the amount of Hawksbill Sea Turtles around the island of Gili Air near Lombok, Indonesia was mind-boggling. Some of the biggest I've ever seen in my life and the never ending sunsets made for ridiculously nice lighting while finding half a dozen of them in the late afternoons snorkeling. Ikelite 200DL Canon 5D Mark IV • Canon 16-35mm 2.8 © Rhys Logan
A banded guitar fish poses perfectly on one of our dives in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Ikelite 200DL Canon 5D Mark IV • Sigma 35mm 1.4 © Rhys Logan
Gili Shark Conservation Operational Manager, Divemaster and Marine Biologist Maisy Fuller inverts expertly to scrub a coral restoration structure off the island of Gili Air, Indonesia. As part of several thousands of coral fragments placed by Gili Shark Conservation, the organization seeks to offer holiday volunteer tourism experiences. We became scientific divers there! Ikelite 200DL Canon 5D Mark IV • Canon 16-35mm 2.8 © Rhys Logan
A curious white-tip reef shark locally known as 'Bob' roamed the reef right in front of the Mantaray Island resort. Our dive guide let us know he made appearances usually on the tidal current changes. Ikelite 200DL Canon 5D Mark IV • Sigma 35mm 1.4 © Rhys Logan
The Humpbacks of Tonga. Post pandemic was a crazy special time in Tonga. As even Tongan nationals were being repatriated, we were able to get special permission for entry to the country during part of a filming project in the South Pacific on climate change and spend several days searching in late August for what our guides described as the "right" whales that would allow us to carefully swim near until their curiosity was piqued and they would come to us. August is also when, as seen here, mothers are giving birth and rearing babies until they are strong enough to make their journeys across the globe. The protection and bond was life changing to see and the experience of swimming with them indescribable. Ikelite 200DL Canon 5D Mark IV • Canon 24-70mm 2.8 © Rhys Logan
Exploring the reef just a few meters from where we stayed on Mantaray Island, Yasawa Islands, Fiji seemed endless... we must have spent at least 3-4 hours a day just drifting and diving, drifting and diving searching for octopus, filefish, colorful corals and sharks. Ikelite 200DL Canon 5D Mark IV • Canon 16-35mm 2.8 © Rhys Logan
Indonesia may generally be marked off our bucket list, but it only added about 10 more sites.. Seeing the Mantas is always incredible, but just the sheer amount of colors and species seemingly every direction was mesmerizing. Nusa Penida, Sanctum Dive, Ikelite 200DL Canon 5D Mark IV • Canon 16-35 2.8 • DS51 II Strobe © Rhys Logan
Rhys Logan began a career with the U.S. Forest Service that got him outside and kept him outside for many years to come. Now he's a videographer and photographer who has contributed to National Geographic online, JPG Magazine, EpicTV, the Seattle Times, and has gained recognition in the Audubon Photography Awards in 2018 and 2021. Originally hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Rhys Logan can be found anywhere in the world where there's a good picture to take. Follow Rhys on Instagram @rrhys_l or check out his website.
Additional Reading
Kingdom of Tonga Underwater with the Humpback Whales [VIDEO]
Diving Fiji by Liveaboard | Brilliant Bligh Water
An Insiders Guide to Diving Wakatobi Resort Indonesia
Coral Reef Restoration Program in Bonaire
