The photographer Todd Thimios spent ten meters under water searching for the bull orca that he had seen in previous dives. He was on an annual trip to
Arctic Norway and the temperatures in water plummeted to six degrees. When he saw the orca’s crooked fin, he recognized it instantly. Thimios held back his breath when they finally met.
Thimios is a guide for underwater expeditions. He has been doing this since the beginning of the decade. He has taught billionaire travelers the importance of protecting marine environments through his work. He describes his job as a combination of “dive instructor/underwater photographer/submersible pilot.”
He tells me, “To travel the world to experience different underwater habitats has been a great privilege and honor.” “To this day, I think that my favorite dive locations around the world are the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica and Australia.”
Arctic Norway is still his favorite destination, and it has inspired a lifelong passion for orca photos. He didn’t see orcas on his first trip, years ago. But the experience itself is still etched in his mind. “I fell in love with this wild environment,” he says. The rawness and beauty of the Arctic were unmatched.
In the years that followed, he discovered more about orcas, including their behavior and favorite places. These animals are threatened by a variety of factors in the wild. Noise pollution caused by boats, drilling for oil, and other human activity can also affect their communication. Whale populations have also been affected by live captures, many of which were carried out during the 1960s.
Thimios is passionate for conservation and orca photography. He follows a code. The photographer says that it’s important to respect cetaceans when diving with them. The photographer continues, “It’s important to let them control the encounter—keeping a non-threatening and safe distance. Orcas will feel safer and can act in a more natural way.
He’s been in awe at the intelligence of whales time and again. Orcas are a constant presence in Thimios’s life, as he explained in an essay he wrote for Dive Magazine. Melissa met him via Instagram when she saw a photograph of his from Norway. Together, they travel the globe. He dreams of taking their young daughter Piper Pearl to see orcas as she grows older.
Thimios knows that he must surrender himself to the wild whims and fancies of the ocean in order to be able to take orca photos. The artist says that diving in the Arctic can be incredibly harsh, with water temperatures of around 5 degrees Celsius and windchills below zero. It is not for the fainthearted. Finding orcas is not guaranteed but it’s a magical experience when you find them.
Consider, for instance, the massive bull orca, with its crooked tail fin. Thimios had already reached a depth of ten meters by the time they encountered each other. He tells me that we were both taken by surprise as they slid through the darkness. “He approached me slowly until he was just centimeters from me, with curiosity and an odd manner of delight. This encounter is still so vivid in my mind: His enormous size, his power and grace.