Behind the Fish-Eye Lens with Mike Ricciardi

It all began while snorkeling in the brilliant blue waters of Cayman Brac, a tiny Caribbean island, located off the southern coast of Cuba, that is world renowned for its spectacular reef formations and jaw-dropping marine life.

“My wife and I saw the divers below us and thought, ‘That beats the heck out of snorkeling!’ recounts Mike Ricciardi of that day in 1980, which began a 45-year passion for photographing extraordinary marine life that has taken him and his wife, Ann, on over 1,600 dives in more than 20 regions around the world. A selection of his images was featured in a special exhibit hosted by Vero Beach’s Gallery 14 in May.

“Back home in Atlanta, Georgia, we signed up at a local dive shop to begin the process of getting certified,” says Ricciardi, who worked as a regional sales director for Avon.

The certification process involved classroom and swimming pool sessions to learn the physics and physiology of diving and practicing basic skills in a controlled environment before transitioning to a natural water environment like a lake or ocean. For that step, the couple opted to return to the warm, clear waters of the Cayman Islands to be certified by an instructor who would change their lives forever.

“While in Cayman, we met this guy and his then-girlfriend, Anne, and really hit it off,” Ricciardi reflects, smiling.

That “guy” was industry innovator Wayne Hasson, who was helping build one of the world’s first liveaboard scuba diving operations as an alternative to land-based day-charter diving. Hasson teamed up with diver Paul Haines, who converted his 110-foot oil-industry crew boat into a veritable floating hotel with dive decks, compressed air systems, and comfortable accommodations for extended dive trips to remote and exotic destinations. The liveaboard concept also allows divers to enjoy more dives per day and connect with fellow divers in an interesting social setting. It’s a scuba diver’s nirvana.

“Wayne was also an incredible photographer and the person who guided and inspired my passion, especially as I became more proficient as a diver,” says Ricciardi. “Those were the days when we met so many amazing people on our trips, many of which lasted for weeks at a time. We have pictures of us with Jean-Michel Cousteau and so many famous people in the dive industry. It was an amazing time and an incredible way to meet so many extraordinary people who became lifelong friends.”

With Hasson at the helm and wife Anne by his side, the Cayman Aggressor was launched as the first in the fleet of what became the world’s biggest liveaboard diving operation, which Hasson would spend the rest of his life presiding over, until his passing in 2020.

“The initial boats were pretty basic and didn’t even have private heads and showers,” recalls Anne Hasson, who was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame for her role as an innovator in dive travel. She recently retired as vice president of marketing and reservations at Aggressor Adventures, which now represents an impressive fleet of 21 boats operating 51 itineraries in 16 countries. “Over the years, the ships evolved into luxury yachts with every amenity a diver could want. We revolutionized liveaboard diving and the industry, for sure,” she adds.

In the decades that followed, Ricciardi honed his craft while diving and photographing marine life in some of the world’s hottest destinations throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America as well as the distant waters of Indonesia, the Maldives, Thailand, Micronesia, and the Solomon Islands, to name a few.

In 1993 the couple moved to Vero Beach, where Ricciardi continued working with Avon until his retirement eight years later. By then, their expertise and connections made the couple a sought-after international travel resource, which prompted Ann to work as a travel agent for select groups. Twice a year, she would organize elaborate liveaboard dive trips for themselves and friends.

“The more remote, the better the diving,” Ricciardi advises, citing a practice that has provided the perfect canvas for his photography. His work has received numerous awards at area shows, including first place and best in show at both the Vero Beach Museum of Art and the A. E. Backus Museum & Gallery in Fort Pierce; his photos have also appeared in Continental Airlines’ in-flight magazine, a World Wildlife Fund calendar, and a children’s book published by Cambium Learning.

“The most beautiful things to see and photograph are typically in 20 to 100 feet of water,” Ricciardi notes, “since the light begins to dissipate when you get to greater depths.”

Underwater photography presents several unique challenges due to light refraction, absorption, and the presence of sediment, all of which impact image quality. “Specially designed lenses and strobe lights provide the light that’s needed to capture those brilliant colors that exist but that we can’t see,” he explains.

Developing the skill and equipment required to photograph underwater marine life is as much an art form as it is a labor of love—from mastering lighting and buoyancy control to understanding the species being photographed.

“Running after fish never works,” Ricciardi laughs. “You must control your bubbles, buoyancy, understand the species you are shooting, and be very patient. Part of being an underwater photographer is being proficient in the water, which enables you to position yourself in the perfect way at the perfect time.”

The transition from film to digital marked the biggest change in Ricciardi’s craft. “The quality of my photography jumped 200 percent because I could immediately see what I shot, versus waiting to see it developed,” he explains. “If an image is under- or overexposed, I can make an immediate adjustment and take the picture again. It’s been a huge game changer.”

Among Ricciardi’s most memorable experiences is swimming alongside the famous giant manta rays in the Socorro Islands of the eastern Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. “These gentle giants are the largest of the ray species; they swim by moving their winglike pectoral fins, which can grow up to 23 feet wide.”

One of his favorite photographs is of a 27-foot whale shark, the largest fish in the world, which is not aggressive toward humans and primarily consumes plankton and small fish, as opposed to hunting or chasing large prey.

One of Ricciardi’s most exciting experiences was being in a school of hundreds of sharks on the atolls of French Polynesia. “I honestly wasn’t afraid; it was such an awesome experience.”

Ricciardi is also pleased to have photographed an extremely rare Rhinopias, a genus of the scorpion fish family found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. “I have a shot of a yellow one and a purple one. Not many divers see this species anymore.”

Another favorite is a scene, shot in the Maldives, that he calls Rush Hour: a colorful picture of anemones (a marine invertebrate with tentacles resembling flower petals) swaying in the current while bright-orange clown fish and a host of other species dart around them. The clown fish are dependent on anemones for protection and nutrients—a remarkable demonstration of two species working together as part of the coral reef ecosystems’ biodiversity, Ricciardi points out.

“I get addicted to shooting clown fish because they’re so much fun to watch,” he smiles. “Some of my best anemone shots and awards are with clown fish.”

“Knowing when to stop because I’m low on air is probably my biggest danger,” he confesses. “Thank God for my dive buddy, Ann, who knows how to give me that look when I’m pushing the limits of safety. It’s hard sometimes to not get caught up in all that beauty.”

Ricciardi, now 80, doesn’t appear to be slowing down. “We’ve already booked for a trip next year to Hawaii to dive Kailua-Kona,” he laughs. “That’s the great thing about diving.”