Wild Waters Photo Journal

Wild Waters is a pictorial and written journal illustrating a handful of vibrant and diverse aquatic ecosystems Indonesia s Komodo National Park, Lembeh Strait and Bali; Brazil s Bonito region; Mexico s Guadalupe Island; and my home for the last twenty years, South Florida. On a global scale, these locations cover insignificant, minute territory, but they are unique and contribute exponentially to our planet s richness. These hotspots of biological wealth deserve our immediate attention and care. At the very least, people should be aware of them to understand what s at stake when our actions threaten sensitive areas. When I began this project two years ago, I purposely chose these places because they are where I like to photograph the more remote and unknown, the better. Well, how about Bali and Florida? Believe me, they can still be rediscovered and photographed from an entirely new perspective. Fortunately, there s a lot of wild left in both, especially below the waterline. I consider this is my best work so far. Wild Waters showcases celebratory images as well as those depicting our heavy and messy footprints on the natural world. These photos are more relevant than ever because they can inspire us to make things better. As you follow my bubbles in Wild Waters, I hope you enjoy my images as much as I enjoyed making them. Michael Patrick O'Neill