Tobias Friedrich, was born in 1981 and lives in Germany. He works as a full time underwater photographer as well as makes nature documentaries.

Interview with Deep Elite Ambassador and Photographer Tobias Friedrich:

What got you started in diving?  Definitely the adventures of Jacques-Yves Cousteau that I watched in my childhood. I was totally fascinated about the underwater world but only became a diver in my early twenties. Since then the ocean and diving are a big part in my life.

How has diving changed your life? I started travelling a lot more since I started diving. Pretty much every day of leave in my old job was reserved for diving. Luckily, I can do this for a living now and can travel as much as it’s needed.

What kind of diving do you like to do? I prefer the slower paced dives, preferably alone where I have no stress or pressure so I can fully concentrate on photography.

Tell me what, if you had to pick one of the most amazing experiences underwater, what would it be? For sure it was my first encounter with a Humpback Whale in Oman in 2012. It circled curiously around us for 45 minutes. Another amazing memory is Orcas hunting in Northern Norway where they swam into the school of herring again and again to feed.   

Of your list of accomplishments in your diving career, what are you most proud of? My portfolio of images from the last decade, especially because these images encourage people to love and conserve our oceans.

Where are some of your favorite places underwater? One of my most favorite places is Egypt as I know the Red Sea well and the conditions there are usually very reliable. Far away destinations like Greenland, French Polynesia and Galapagos are also some of my favourites.

What is your advice to someone considering diving? Do it! It can change your life – take the opportunity to discover another world and to observe it closely.

Why do you think we should encourage more people to dive? I fear that a lot of the beautiful underwater world will be gone in a couple of decades due to climate change and humans killing too many fish like sharks. So better go diving to see all these wonders before they are gone forever.

What would you tell people about the oceans? We still know so little about the oceans, but they need our complete protection and now.

What is the favorite thing in your dive bag? For sure my camera gear, and of course my Galileo HUD.

Why is SCUBAPRO your choice for dive equipment? SCUBAPRO demands highest professionality on the equipment which is why I can 100% rely on it whether in tropical waters or in -2°Celsius in Greenland.

What does diving mean to you? To be free and to get away from the hectic world above the surface.

Follow Tobias on Instagram: @tobias_friedrich_photography