Shane Gross: life underwater
Canadian photographer Shane Gross captures marine and freshwater life: sharks, mangroves, tadpoles in a lake.
What it is
Shane Gross is a Canadian underwater photographer and conservation photojournalist who documents marine and freshwater life and the efforts to protect it. He was born in landlocked Regina, on the prairies, and went on to live in the Bahamas for around ten years. His Instagram mixes underwater images with captions about what's happening to the ocean.
Why we picked it
In 2024 his image "The Swarm of Life" won the overall title at Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the competition run by the Natural History Museum in London. It shows a cloud of western toad tadpoles among lily pads in a lake on Vancouver Island. To get it he spent hours in the shallows, moving along channels that beavers had cleared through the lily pads so he wouldn't stir up silt from the bottom. That story sums up his approach: patience and respect for the place he's shooting.
The winning frame is only part of the feed. Gross has worked extensively in the Bahamas, photographing sharks, mangroves, seagrass meadows and protected fish. There he has been involved in conservation work on queen conch, Nassau grouper, seagrass and mangrove habitats. So the captions aren't just about beauty: they explain what threatens these places and how people are protecting them.
Where to start
- "The Swarm of Life" and other tadpole shots from the same lake.
- Shark photography from Bahamian waters.
- Posts on mangroves and seagrass, the nurseries of young fish.
- Captions about the conservation projects he's involved in.
Who it's for
Divers and underwater photographers, nature lovers, and anyone curious about what goes on below the surface. It's also worthwhile for people who want to understand coastal ecosystems and why they matter.
Quick answers
What did Shane Gross win Wildlife Photographer of the Year for? "The Swarm of Life", a 2024 image of western toad tadpoles in a lake on Vancouver Island.
Where does he work? Largely in the Bahamas, where he lived for around ten years, as well as in Canada and elsewhere.
What are his captions about? Marine life and its protection: the threats facing reefs, mangroves and fish species.
