emily may
“My ambition is to reveal behaviours that most will never get to see, and the beauty and diversity of the Great Southern Reef.”
Melbourne-based Emily May has been photographing wildlife for the past 8 years, but only began taking underwater images and video after completing her Open Water certification in 2019.
“I was blown away when I first dived under the surface - there is this whole other world below, of which most is unexplored.”
Driven by an endless desire to capture and share the moment, Emily equipped herself with an underwater camera immediately following her inaugural dive. She has explored underwater photography and videography ever since, passionate to capture all the weird and wonderful creatures that can be found in the depths.
Emily recently captured the first ever live footage of a frilled pygmy octopus during a dive near Portsea Pier in Victoria.
An unexpected surprise
Originally from the UK, Emily admits she was a bit upset they weren’t moving to the tropics where she’d always been told had the best diving, but soon realised that she had the Great Southern Reef on her doorstep and some of the most incredible marine life that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
“The abundance and diversity of incredible temperate marine animals and the variety of dive site topography is mind blowing! I still struggle to comprehend that just off my local piers I have seen 6 species of octopus - Maori octopus, southern blue-ringed octopus, southern keeled, southern sand octopus, pale octopus and, of course, my latest incredibly rare find, the frilled pygmy octopus; and this isn't even all the octopus species that call this place home. Port Phillip Bay is the location of the spider crab migration; a breeding ground for Port Jackson Sharks; home to an abundance of the elusive weedy seadragons; and is one of the top spots for nudibranchs!”
Aspiring to inspire
Passionate about the safety of the habitat and marine species, Emily endeavors to show people what the ocean has to offer, its brilliance, and its importance to us and the planet, inspiring people to want to explore and take care of the planet's largest and most precious ecosystem.
“By showing people how unique and beautiful it is under the surface, it will hopefully inspire them to take the leap and explore for themselves and build a passion in them to want to preserve this special place. For me, diving and exploring underwater is a way of life and I want to share that life with as many people as possible. “
Learn about more passionate photographers and artists inspired by the Great Southern Reef.
