Each Sea Hero featured in Scuba Diving receives a Seiko Prospex SRPA21 watch valued at $550. For our December issue, judges select a Sea Hero of the
Year, who receives a $5,000 cash award from Seiko to further his or her work. Nominate a sea hero at scubadiving.com/seaheroes.Honeyborne (above) makes an underwater ac-
ceptance speech for a United Nations award
for Blue Planet II. His team logged more than
1,000 hours in submersibles (top left); a BPII
cameraman films kelp off South Africa.22 / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 SCUBADIVING.COMASCEND:^
SEAHERODespite freezing temperatures
making the sub’s hatch seals more
brittle—and being on constant look-
out for icebergs bearing down on
us—we made repeated dives in Ant-
arctic waters, where our team was
the first to reach 3,300 feet, discov-
ering a world more colorful and rich
than we might have ever imagined.Q: What are you most proud of?
A: On the issue of plastics, Blue
Planet II helped catalyze a wave of
public consciousness around the world.
It’s great to make a TV series that both
entertains half a billion people and
creates genuine impact at a societal
and even global level. That’s something
everyone associated with our series
should feel proud of.
For me, the thousand or so people
around the world who contributed to
filming the series are our real sea heroes.
It’s also an experience that has given our
new TV production company, Freeborne
Media, a sense of real purpose, which
is a good thing as there are many other
pressing issues for us all to engage with!Q: How did you get involved in diving?
A: In our industry, it’s good to have a spe-
cialist skill. Some choose rope access,
or high-altitude climbing; I have no head
for heights, so I chose to go deep. Be-
ing a diver allowed me to make a series
of freediving films with world championQ: How has underwater filmmaking
changed in the past five to 10 years?
A: One significant change is the rise
of the next generation of ocean-sci-
ence and exploration vessels—both
private, such as OceanX’s Alucia2,
and government-owned, such as the
U.K.’s polar research vessel RRS Sir
David Attenborough. These vessels,
their submarines and autonomous
vehicles promise an exciting future.
Rebreathers are more readily ac-
cessible nowadays, and most of our
teams prefer them to open-circuit scuba
as they allow for increased dive times as
well as helping you to be less obtrusive.
That in turn maximizes your opportunity
to capture new natural behaviors.
Bu t t echnolog y onl y ge t s us so f ar. Ir on-
ically, when it comes to encounters with
large, fast-moving species, freediving is
often the best way. Sometimes you can
have all the latest gadgets and still get
the best shots with just a mask and fins!Q: What innovations in photography
make you excited for the future?
A: The increasing sensitivity of camera
chips in low-light conditions is making a
real impact. We can now see biolumines-
cence that we could not capture previ-
ously. In the past, we tended to build new
equipment if it was required for the story.
We are innovating loads more as we turn
our attention to our next big series, which
we’re making for Netflix.CLOCKWISEFROMTOP^ LEFT:^ LUISLAMAR;^JOHNCHAMBERS;^ COURTESY^ JAMESHONEYBORNETanya Streeter, diving with humpbacks
in the Caribbean and iguanas and sea
lions in Galapagos as well as a variety of
sharks in the Maldives and Bahamas.
Rebreather diving allowed me to
experience a world where fish are more
accepting of divers, which, back in 2013,
helped convince me that we could make
a new T V series on the scale and breadth
of ambition of the original Blue Planet.
At work, I’m surrounded by ocean
lovers all day, because our teams are
already planning their next great dive
adventures. Recreationally, in our cold
and kelpy British waters, I tend to snor-
kel in the summer because the best light
is near the top—and because I relish
having as little kit as possible.