Angela worked closely with the Tribal Chair of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council to help protect the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary—marking the first time Indigenous stewards have been formally recognized in the designation of a U.S. marine sanctuary. Through her lens and advocacy, Angela aims to inspire action and deepen our connection to the natural world.

Explore Angela’s work:

• Angela’s Website
• Angela’s Instagram

Pier Nirandara

Pier Nirandara is an award-winning author, travel writer, film producer and underwater photographer. She began her career as Thailand’s youngest English-writing author of three #1 national bestselling novels, graphic novels and short stories with over 200,000 copies sold. She has represented literary clients at ICM Partners, served as Director of Development at Sony Pictures, and as VP of Film & TV at A-Major Media, Hollywood’s first Asian American-driven production company.

Pier’s writing and photography have appeared in outlets such as the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, AFAR, Lonely Planet, Off Assignment, Catapult and more—often exploring the intersection of travel, adventure, culture and conservation. Her assignments have taken her freediving with sharks and whales in the South Pacific, foraging on the shores of Cape Town, tracking pink dolphins in the Amazon, climbing in Bhutan and camping in Antarctica. Most recently, she joined Dr. Sylvia Earle at The Explorer’s Club as a speaker and member of the Rolex media crew for World Ocean’s Week, photographed aquanaut Fabien Cousteau in Curaçao for his groundbreaking underwater research station, and documented the ancient practice of shark calling in remote Papua New Guinea.

Her work has been recognized at the Lowell Thomas Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers, the Solas Awards for Best Travel Writing of the Year, Ocean Photographer of the Year, UN World Oceans Day, Photographers Without Borders, Ocean Conservancy, and the Save Our Seas Ocean Storytelling Photography Grant. She is a PADI AmbassaDiver™, former Los Angeles chair of the UN-affiliated Oceanic Global, Brand Ambassador for Coral Gardeners, inaugural Storyteller in Residence for Hidden Compass, and was named the 2024 Regenerative Travel Storyteller of the Year. A multi-TEDx speaker and former literary ambassador for the Bangkok Metropolitan/UNESCO, she teaches at the annual Book Passage Travel Writing & Photography Conference.

Pier is also the founder of Immersiv Expeditions, where she leads trips to swim with marine wildlife. An advocate for solo female travel, she has journeyed to over 100 countries across 7 continents, and can be found mostly in Los Angeles, Cape Town, Thailand, and at @piersgreatperhaps.

Explore Pier’s work:

• Pier’s Website
• Pier’s Instagram

Joaquín Fregoni

Joaquín is an award-winning underwater photographer and filmmaker based in French Polynesia. Originally from Argentina, he has spent years capturing the beauty and mysteries of marine life, specializing in whales, dolphins and sharks. His work has been recognized internationally, earning multiple awards and being exhibited on various platforms dedicated to ocean conservation and photography.

As a freediver and diver, Joaquín has a deep connection with the ocean, experiencing firsthand the wonders and challenges of marine ecosystems. His images not only showcase the majesty of marine life but also highlight the importance of protecting our oceans.

Joaquín has recently completed two photography books:
📖 Whales of French Polynesia – A visual story of the humpback whale season in French Polynesia, narrating their behaviors, interactions and migration.
📖 Fragile Deep Blue – A collection of breathtaking imagery featuring humpback whales and other pelagic species such as pygmy killer whales, sperm whales, striped marlins, oceanic white tip sharks, sei whales and more.

Explore Joaquín’s work:

• Joaquín’s Website
• Joaquín’s Instagram

Mariano Rodríguez

Mariano Rodríguez is a scientific diver, dive guide and underwater videographer. He has been diving since he was 16, and his passion, from the very beginning, has been to document and share underwater biodiversity (fish, invertebrates, mammals, kelp forests) and its threats (caused by humans).

Mariano believes that the power of a photo or video, along with a strong educational component, can help preserve these environments and create laws around them.

He enjoys organizing coastal and underwater cleanup activities and has noticed significant changes in the mindset of the people who participate. Mariano has worked as a scientific diver at a scientific base in Antarctica, and it has undoubtedly been one of his best experiences.

As a cameraman, Mariano has participated in various television and documentary productions for national and international production companies, most notably the filming of Sei Whales in Argentine Patagonia for National Geographic.

Explore Mariano’s work:

• Mariano’s LinkedIn
• Mariano’s Instagram
• Mariano’s Facebook
• Mariano’s YouTube