COVID-19 Impact on Underwater Photography (2020–2022)

Type: Industry disruption / community response
Period: January 2020 – mid-2022

Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating and near-total impact on underwater photography as a practical activity. Diving requires international travel, physical proximity, shared equipment, and group boat operations — all incompatible with pandemic restrictions. The industry’s response revealed both its fragility and its resilience. Wetpixel’s coverage of the crisis documented its progression from an early travel advisory in late January 2020 through a complete industry shutdown, an extended period of community adaptation, and an eventual recovery that reshaped how the underwater imaging community communicated and consumed content.

Early warnings (January–February 2020)

Wetpixel began tracking the virus on January 31, 2020, when Adam Hanlon published a travel advisory as the coronavirus outbreak in China started disrupting dive travel. Papua New Guinea suspended all online visas and on-arrival visas from Asia (later narrowed to Wuhan Province visitors only), Micronesia banned travel from any country with confirmed cases, and airlines began canceling flights to and from China and Hong Kong. A dedicated forum thread was launched the same day for community members to share real-time travel experiences. ([1], [2])

By mid-February 2020, the first major dive event was affected: ADEX 2020 in Singapore, originally scheduled for April 17–19, was postponed to May 29–31. ([3], [4]) Days later, the European Dive Show (EUDI) in Bologna, due February 28–March 1, was postponed until November. ([5])

Community members reported cascading disruptions: Cathay Pacific canceled flights through Hong Kong, stranding divers planning Raja Ampat trips; Indonesia and Singapore closed borders to travelers from mainland China; and liveaboard operators faced mounting cancellations with no rescheduling options. ([6])

Industry shutdown (March–May 2020)

Event cancellations

By late March, with COVID-19 declared a global pandemic, ADEX was deferred indefinitely — Singapore banned all gatherings of 250+ people and closed borders to all short-term visitors. ([7]) Virtually all dive industry events worldwide were canceled or moved online. The DEMA Show 2020, the dive industry’s largest trade show, was canceled entirely. ([8])

The planned Lembeh vs. Anilao Shootout — announced in January 2020 as the “most momentous event in the underwater imaging calendar for 2020,” with teams assembled across four resorts — was canceled. The event would not return until December 2021, and then only for local Philippine photographers due to travel restrictions. ([9], [10])

Retail crisis

With travel banned and dive operations shuttered, underwater photography retailers faced existential pressure. Wetpixel published a direct appeal on March 28 urging readers to support retailers during the crisis. Backscatter ran a “Stay at Home Sale” with up to 50% off gear, Reef Photo & Video offered 40% off Light & Motion Sola lights, Nauticam gear was discounted 15%, Optical Ocean offered 20% off Big Blue lights, and Easydive extended its EUDI Virtual discount. Retailers were operating with limited shipping staff under social distancing protocols. ([11])

Dive insurance disruption

Divers Alert Network (DAN) responded to the crisis on two fronts. In May 2020, DAN extended the policy term by 90 days for all professional and general liability insurance policies in effect as of May 1, fully subsidized by DAN. DAN President Bill Ziefle called it “substantive relief from the financial strain imposed upon dive businesses by the COVID-19 pandemic.” ([12]) Later that month, DAN published comprehensive guidance for returning to diving, covering safety practices for retail areas, staff interactions, dive boat operations, and gear disinfection protocols. ([13])

Sony also extended PRO Support memberships for an additional six months free of charge, recognizing that professionals had been unable to use their existing memberships. ([14])

COVID-19 research and diver health

The nonprofit Dive into the Pink, founded by Allison Vitsky Sallmon, organized the “Sharing Our Air” photo competition in May 2020 specifically to raise funds for collaborative research between Duke Dive Medicine and DAN on the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection on diver fitness. Judges included Mike Bartick, Renee Capozzola, and Tobias Friedrich. ([15])

Forum discussions highlighted serious health concerns for divers: members reported that doctors were observing severe lung scarring in younger COVID-19 patients, raising fears that infection could prevent diving for months or even years. ([16])

Community adaptation (2020)

Staying creative during lockdown

The community quickly pivoted to creative responses. On March 23, Brent Durand released a video tutorial on “How to Practice UW Photo at Home.” ([17]) The following day, Adam Hanlon published an appeal calling on underwater image makers to share images from their archives on Wetpixel’s Facebook group and forums, and to caption images with dive operation names to help support them economically during the crisis. ([18])

Mike Bartick, stranded in Anilao, Philippines, contributed a feature article about the area’s reefs while “riding out the big Q that the rest of the planet is now enduring.” ([19])

Fourth Element organized the “Underbathwater Photographer of the Year” — a lighthearted competition inviting photographers to create underwater images in their bathtubs, sinks, or buckets during lockdown. The competition offered £400 in prizes and was widely embraced as comic relief. ([20], [21])

Pangeaseed produced marine-themed coloring companions for children during lockdown, and educator Annie Crawley made her video tutorials and children’s eBook freely available. ([22])

Educational content explosion

Post-processing expert Erin Quigley launched the “Go Ask Erin” webinar series in April 2020, hosting free Zoom sessions every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday covering Lightroom and Photoshop techniques. Recorded sessions were available for a $19 “COVID-19 special” price. ([23])

Wetpixel launched a trip planning article series in May 2020, enlisting contributors including Stephen Frink and Allison Vitsky Sallmon to help readers plan future travel. Frink, fortunate to be based in Key Largo with access to a friend’s private boat, offered advice organized by timeframe: immediate (local diving), near-term (Caribbean), and plan-ahead (exotic destinations for 2021–2022). He urged the community to reschedule rather than cancel prebooked trips, supporting the dive travel industry. ([24], [25])

Events go virtual

The UN World Oceans Day 2020 (June 8) switched entirely to an online format, featuring speakers including Sylvia Earle, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Fabien Cousteau, and Celine Cousteau. Adam Hanlon served as a judge for the UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition alongside Jill Heinerth and Amos Nachoum. ([26])

The San Diego Undersea Film Exhibition (SDUFEX) went virtual from October 2–10, 2020, streaming its 15 shortlisted films free of charge worldwide — the first time the 20-year-old festival left Qualcomm Hall in San Diego. ([27])

ADEX launched a digital platform called the “ADEX Pixel Expo” — described as “the first exclusive digital platform” for the dive industry — featuring a 12-meter LED outdoor installation showcasing underwater content. ([28], [29])

Wetpixel Live

Main article: Wetpixel Live

The most significant and enduring community response to the pandemic was the launch of Wetpixel Live — a YouTube video series hosted by Adam Hanlon with regular co-host Alex Mustard. The first episode debuted on June 28, 2020 (the article announcement came July 10). ([30], [31])

The series was conceived during a conversation between Mustard and Hanlon about the effects of travel restrictions on the underwater photography community. Alex Mustard later noted it was “originally conceived as a way of staying engaged about underwater image-making when we were prevented from doing so due to COVID-19.” ([32])

Wetpixel Live reached 100 episodes by November 23, 2020 — roughly one episode per day for over four months. By December 2020, the YouTube channel had over 900 subscribers and 45,500 individual views across 120 episodes. ([33]) The top five most-watched episodes covered beginner tips, Alex Mustard’s gear choices, TTL vs. manual flash, macro close-up lenses, and flash diffusers.

The series grew well beyond its pandemic origins, eventually producing 302 episodes (numbered to 264, plus extras) totaling ~89 hours with ~329,000 total views. It became the most substantial audio-visual archive of underwater photography knowledge ever assembled. In late 2020, paid downloads were introduced alongside the free YouTube versions, though Hanlon stressed that “all current and future episodes will always be available, free of YouTube advertising, and free of charge.” ([34])

Early pandemic-specific episodes included “5 Ways to Improve your Underwater Photography when you Can’t Dive” and “Refresher Advice for UW Image-Makers” — practical guidance for photographers unable to get in the water. ([35], [36])

Competition adjustments

The Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2021 competition made two significant structural concessions to the pandemic:

  1. No prizes were offered. Chair of judges Alex Mustard explained: “The diving industry has been severely impacted by the events of 2020, and in support of them we feel it is not an appropriate time for photographers to be asking them for prizes.” ([37])
  2. A new “My Backyard” award was introduced to celebrate images taken close to home, reflecting the impossibility of international travel. Mustard noted: “We are well aware that international travel has been restricted, but many photographers have been shooting more locally or had time to dive into their archives and find some hidden gems.” ([38])

UPY 2021 results were announced in February 2021, with Renee Capozzola winning the overall title and Mark Kirkland earning both the British Underwater Photographer of the Year and the inaugural My Backyard award. ([39])

The DPG/Wetpixel Masters competition also adjusted its format and prize structures in response to travel uncertainty.

Environmental consequences

An August 2020 article by Wetpixel examined the pandemic’s environmental impacts. While the reduction in human activity offered some marine environments a brief respite, the absence of oversight allowed unscrupulous actors to capitalize: a fleet of 325 fishing vessels converged on the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Galapagos Islands, with boats switching off satellite AIS tracking to conceal their movements. The article also covered the MV Wakashio oil spill in Mauritius (grounding July 25, 2020, discharging nearly 1,000 tons of oil) and a Nature study documenting the virtual absence of sharks on 69 surveyed reefs across six countries due to overfishing. ([40])

Industry dynamics

Despite the disruption to travel and in-water photography, the pandemic had a paradoxical effect on gear sales in some segments: photographers locked down at home invested in new equipment in anticipation of a return to diving. The Canon EOS R5 (announced July 2020) and Sony Alpha 1 (announced January 2021) both launched into this environment and still drove significant housing races among manufacturers like Nauticam, Ikelite, and Sea & Sea.

Article output on Wetpixel actually remained robust during the pandemic: 373 articles were published in 2020 (up from 299 in 2019), largely driven by Wetpixel Live episodes and COVID-related content. Output declined to 298 in 2021 and 173 in 2022 as the pandemic’s indirect effects on the industry persisted.

Wetpixel Virtual Trade Show

With DEMA 2020 canceled and travel restrictions making attendance at DEMA 2021 difficult, Wetpixel organized a Virtual Trade Show in November 2021. Hanlon reached out to manufacturers — including SAGA, Easydive, and Inon — to provide video submissions highlighting new products for the forthcoming year. New episodes were added daily, providing a digital alternative to the in-person trade show format that had been the primary gear announcement venue since the 1990s. ([41])

Community travel experiences

Forum discussions throughout 2020–2022 documented the community’s efforts to find diveable destinations and navigate constantly changing travel rules:

Recovery (2021–2022)

Return of in-person events

The first post-pandemic dive show in the UK was the Go Diving Show (March 4–6, 2022), held at Stoneleigh Showgrounds. Wetpixel reported that while trade support was “perhaps less well supported,” visitor numbers appeared strong, “suggesting that there is still a public appetite for these events.” ([46])

Wetpixel cenote workshops

The Wetpixel/Under The Jungle cenote photography workshops with Natalie Gibb and photographer Tom St. George were among the first post-pandemic in-person Wetpixel events. The 2021 workshop in Mexico’s cenotes was “significantly modified” due to COVID-19 but was declared “a huge success,” with plans announced for 2022. ([47])

Competition revival

The Anilao Underwater Shootout returned in December 2021 as a domestic-only event with 120 participants, described as a “successful comeback.” Philippines Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat called it “our way of announcing to the world that the Philippines’ diving industry is alive and well, and very much ready to welcome divers and underwater photographers.” ([48])

The Lembeh-Gulen Critter Shootout, which had run in 2016 and 2018, was paused by the pandemic and did not resume in its original cross-continental format.

Long-term effects

Timeline

References

Wetpixel Live

Sources

  1. Wetpixel article, Jan 31, 2020: Coronavirus Travel Updates ↩
  2. forum thread (forum) ↩
  3. Wetpixel article, Feb 18, 2020: Adex 2020 Postponed ↩
  4. Wetpixel article, Feb 20, 2020: Adex Announces New Dates ↩
  5. Wetpixel article, Feb 25, 2020: Eudi Shoe Postponed Until November ↩
  6. forum thread (forum) ↩
  7. Wetpixel article, Mar 24, 2020: Adex 2020 Deferred ↩
  8. Wetpixel article, Nov 23, 2020: Wetpixel Live Dema Predictions ↩
  9. Wetpixel article, Jan 25, 2020: Major Announcement Lembeh Vs Anilao Shootout In December 2020 ↩
  10. Wetpixel article, Oct 30, 2021: Anilao Shootout Returns ↩
  11. Wetpixel article, Mar 28, 2020: Covid 19 Retailers Need Your Support ↩
  12. Wetpixel article, May 6, 2020: Dan Extends Policies For 90 Days ↩
  13. Wetpixel article, May 27, 2020: Dan Releases Guidance For Those Returning To Diving ↩
  14. Wetpixel article, May 13, 2020: Sony Extends Pro Support Memberships ↩
  15. Wetpixel article, May 5, 2020: Dive Into The Pink Announces Sharing Our Air Photo Contest ↩
  16. forum thread (forum) ↩
  17. Wetpixel article, Mar 23, 2020: Video How To Practice Uw Photo At Home By Brent Durand ↩
  18. Wetpixel article, Mar 24, 2020: Calling All Underwater Image Makers ↩
  19. Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2020: Going Big In Little Town By Mike Bartick ↩
  20. Wetpixel article, Apr 17, 2020: Call For Entries The Underbathwater Photographer Of The Year ↩
  21. Wetpixel article, Apr 29, 2020: Final Call Underbathwater Photographer Of The Year ↩
  22. Wetpixel article, Apr 16, 2020: Covid 19 Marine Related Resources For Kids During Lockdown ↩
  23. Wetpixel article, Apr 4, 2020: Erin Quigley Announces Webinar Series ↩
  24. Wetpixel article, May 12, 2020: New Series Travel Planning For Amazing Imagery ↩
  25. Wetpixel article, May 16, 2020: Trip Planning In An Age Of Covid 19 By Stephen Frink ↩
  26. Wetpixel article, Jun 4, 2020: Full Schedule Un World Oceans Day 2020 ↩
  27. Wetpixel article, Sep 30, 2020: Sdufex Goes Virtual ↩
  28. Wetpixel article, Feb 21, 2020: Adex Announces Pixel Expo ↩
  29. Wetpixel article, Mar 24, 2020: Adex 2020 Deferred ↩
  30. Wetpixel article, Jul 10, 2020: Announcing Wetpixel Live ↩
  31. Source: wetpixel_live/001-top-5-tips-for-starting-out-as-an-underwater-photographer.md ↩
  32. Wetpixel article, Nov 23, 2020: Wetpixel Live Turns 100 ↩
  33. Wetpixel article, Dec 29, 2020: Wetpixel Live Top 5 ↩
  34. Wetpixel article, Nov 23, 2020: Wetpixel Live Turns 100 ↩
  35. Wetpixel article, Jul 11, 2020: Wetpixel Live 5 Ways To Improve Your Underwater Photography When You Cant D ↩
  36. Wetpixel article, Mar 23, 2021: Wetpixel Live Refresher Advice For Uw Image Makers ↩
  37. Wetpixel article, Nov 9, 2020: Call For Entries Upy 2021 ↩
  38. Wetpixel article, Nov 9, 2020: Call For Entries Upy 2021 ↩
  39. Wetpixel article, Feb 8, 2021: Results Upy 2021 ↩
  40. Wetpixel article, Aug 22, 2020: Covid 19 Impacts On The Marine Environment ↩
  41. Wetpixel article, Nov 16, 2021: Wetpixel Virtual Trade Show 2021 ↩
  42. forum thread (forum) ↩
  43. forum thread (forum) ↩
  44. forum thread (forum) ↩
  45. Wetpixel article, Feb 15, 2022: Indonesia Relaxes Quarantine Requirements ↩
  46. Wetpixel article, Mar 7, 2022: Report Go Diving Show 2022 ↩
  47. Wetpixel article, Jul 29, 2021: Wetpixel Under The Jungle Cenote Workshop 2021 ↩
  48. Wetpixel article, Dec 14, 2021: Results Anilao Underwater Shootout 2021 ↩
  49. Wetpixel article, Jan 31, 2020: Coronavirus Travel Updates ↩
  50. Wetpixel article, Feb 18, 2020: Adex 2020 Postponed ↩
  51. Wetpixel article, Feb 25, 2020: Eudi Shoe Postponed Until November ↩
  52. Wetpixel article, Mar 24, 2020: Adex 2020 Deferred ↩
  53. Wetpixel article, Mar 28, 2020: Covid 19 Retailers Need Your Support ↩
  54. Wetpixel article, Apr 4, 2020: Erin Quigley Announces Webinar Series ↩
  55. Wetpixel article, Apr 17, 2020: Call For Entries The Underbathwater Photographer Of The Year ↩
  56. Wetpixel article, May 5, 2020: Dive Into The Pink Announces Sharing Our Air Photo Contest ↩
  57. Wetpixel article, May 6, 2020: Dan Extends Policies For 90 Days ↩
  58. Wetpixel article, May 27, 2020: Dan Releases Guidance For Those Returning To Diving ↩
  59. Wetpixel article, Jun 4, 2020: Full Schedule Un World Oceans Day 2020 ↩
  60. Wetpixel article, Jul 10, 2020: Announcing Wetpixel Live ↩
  61. Wetpixel article, Sep 30, 2020: Sdufex Goes Virtual ↩
  62. Wetpixel article, Nov 9, 2020: Call For Entries Upy 2021 ↩
  63. Wetpixel article, Nov 23, 2020: Wetpixel Live Turns 100 ↩
  64. Wetpixel article, Feb 8, 2021: Results Upy 2021 ↩
  65. Wetpixel article, Jul 29, 2021: Wetpixel Under The Jungle Cenote Workshop 2021 ↩
  66. Wetpixel article, Nov 16, 2021: Wetpixel Virtual Trade Show 2021 ↩
  67. Wetpixel article, Oct 30, 2021: Anilao Shootout Returns ↩
  68. Wetpixel article, Feb 15, 2022: Indonesia Relaxes Quarantine Requirements ↩
  69. Wetpixel article, Mar 7, 2022: Report Go Diving Show 2022 ↩
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  72. ADEX 2020 Postponed (article) ↩
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  74. ADEX announces Pixel Expo (article) ↩
  75. EUDI Show postponed until November (article) ↩
  76. Video: How to practice UW Photo at home by Brent Durand (article) ↩
  77. Calling all Underwater Image Makers (article) ↩
  78. ADEX 2020 deferred (article) ↩
  79. COVID-19: Retailers need your support (article) ↩
  80. Going Big in Little Town by Mike Bartick (article) ↩
  81. Erin Quigley announces Webinar series (article) ↩
  82. Call for Entries: The Underbathwater Photographer of the Year (article) ↩
  83. Final Call: Underbathwater Photographer of the Year (article) ↩
  84. Dive into the Pink: Sharing Our Air Photo Contest (article) ↩
  85. DAN extends policies for 90 days (article) ↩
  86. New Series: Travel planning for amazing imagery (article) ↩
  87. Sony extends PRO Support memberships (article) ↩
  88. Trip planning in an age of COVID-19 by Stephen Frink (article) ↩
  89. DAN releases guidance for those returning to diving (article) ↩
  90. Full Schedule: UN World Oceans Day 2020 (article) ↩
  91. COVID-19: Marine related resources for kids during lockdown (article) ↩
  92. Announcing Wetpixel Live (article) ↩
  93. Wetpixel Live: 5 Ways to Improve your Underwater Photography when you Can’t Dive (article) ↩
  94. World Photography Day 2020 (article) ↩
  95. COVID-19: Impacts on the Marine Environment (article) ↩
  96. SDUFEX Goes Virtual (article) ↩
  97. Call for Entries: UPY 2021 (article) ↩
  98. Wetpixel Live: DEMA Predictions (article) ↩
  99. Wetpixel Live turns 100 (article) ↩
  100. Wetpixel Live: 5 Most Watched Episodes of 2020 (article) ↩
  101. Wetpixel Live: 2020 UW Photography Round-Up (article) ↩
  102. Major Announcement: Lembeh vs Anilao Shootout in December 2020 (article) ↩
  103. Results: UPY 2021 (article) ↩
  104. Wetpixel Live: Refresher Advice for UW Image-Makers (article) ↩
  105. Wetpixel/Under The Jungle Cenote Workshop 2021 (article) ↩
  106. Anilao Shootout Returns (article) ↩
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