Diving Underneath Drifting Ice

• Photographer
  Shota Ishino
• Agency / Studio
  Gorilla House
• Technical Info
  Canon Eos 5dmk4, Tokina Fisheye 10-17 F3.5-4.5 Dx
• Photo Date
  22/Feb/2023

The eastern tip of Hokkaido facing the Sea of Okhotsk, the Shiretoko Peninsula, is hit by drift ice from February to March every year. The nutrient-rich drift ice is the source of the rich aquatic resources of the Shiretoko Peninsula, which has been designated as a World Heritage Site. However, due to global warming, the amount of ice that reaches the shore is decreasing year by year. I can only hope that this wonderful sight can be seen forever.

I've been running a scuba diving shop on the main island of Okinawa in Japan for five years. While working as a scuba diving instructor for ten years, I'm aiming to become an underwater photographer. I spend much of the year diving under the sea. My principal object of shooting is mysterious biology of underwater creatures, for example, coral and fish spawning. Lately, I've been joining a team of scuba diving instructors to take pictures that introduce landscapes in the sea to ordinary people who cannot approach underwater.