Written by Gary Bell
Photography by Gary Bell
28 January 2025
It’s the diversity of life and the extraordinary beauty in the sea that I’m drawn to. I love the challenge of capturing a moment underwater – a portrait that tells a story – and these images help people reconnect with nature. The sea is full of surprises.
Gary Bell is a professional nature and wildlife photographer living in Australia on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. His assignments have included commissions by National Geographic magazine and television, as well as Australian Geographic and the CSIRO Fisheries division.
“My journey in underwater photography began in 1974 after taking my first picture under the Portsea Pier on the Mornington Peninsula,” remembers Bell. “This led to a career I never could have anticipated, and a string of adventures all over Australia as well as many locations around the world.”
Bell has won Australasia Underwater Photographer of the Year three times. He’s a regular supporter of several conservation organisations and manages the photo agency oceanwideimages.com, which represents an elite group of photographers.