A BRIEF BIO:
Mark Strickland’s life-long interest in the sea has included over 10,000 dives and careers as a lifeguard, boat captain, and scuba instructor. His passion for underwater photography has led him to many top dive locales, including the Virgin Islands, Australia, and Thailand, where he spent 17 years as Cruise Director on a series of liveaboards. Mark now resides in Ventura County, California.
An avid marine naturalist, Mark has discovered several nudibranch species. He is co-author and principal photographer for Lonely Planet’s award-winning book, “Diving and Snorkeling Thailand”, and his work appears in many magazines, books, and displays around the world. Currently, Mark leads several dive trips each year to his favorite destinations, while working on a career-spanning large-format pictorial book.
Mark's photos and articles have appeared in magazines and books around the world, including Action Asia, BBC Wildlife, National Geographic World, Natural History, Scuba Diving, Skin Diver, Sport Diver, Sportdiving, Unterwasser, and many others.
UPCOMING TRIPS:
- Triton Bay & East Banda Underwater Photo Workshop 2023
- Apr 2 - 13, 2023
- Arguably the best diving in the world: highest number of fish and coral species in the world, great macro, amazing reefs, and much more
- Great itinerary covering Indonesian dive sites.
- FREE NITROX!
- 11N starting from $5,850
- Dumaguete Underwater Photo Workshop 2023
- July 22 - 29, 2023
- Amazing muck diving and an up-close look at Apo Island's coral reefs!
- Opportunities to photograph rare critter action
- Stunning night dives
- 7N for only $2,669
- Fiji on the Nai'a Underwater Photo Workshop 2023
- Oct 28 - Nov 7, 2023
- A unique destination, dive into the coral capital of the world
- Unforgettable reefs, pinnacles, breathtaking soft corals, and awesome visibility - a must-visit for all scuba divers
- Amazing destination for shark diving
- 10N for only $6,450
- Socorro Big Animal Underwater Photo Workshop 2024
- Feb 15 - 24, 2024
- Interact with large pelagics up close and personal
- As many as 4 guided dives per day (conditions permitting)
- Fun, engaged trip leaders who care about the guest experience
- 9N for only $4,095
- Galapagos Underwater Photo Workshop 2025
- May 1 - 11, 2025
- Timed for the best hammerhead encounters, best visibility, and best water temps
- FREE daily photo workshops and tutorials.
- All inclusive accommodation aboard the Galapagos Master
- 10N for only $10,400
- Early Booking Discount: Get $1,000 off for the first 5 sign-ups!
TESTIMONIALS:
- " What an amazing trip! Mark made it for us, and I so much appreciate that. I can't thank him enough. We really enjoyed meeting him and spending time with him, and learning from him. He is a wonderful instructor and his sessions were great. You can be assured that we will cross paths again on another workshop." - Greg Clifton, Fiji October 2018 photo workshop guest
- "Thanks to Mark for a great trip. It was a lot of fun sharing the Naia and all the diving with him. His workshop presentations are incredible, I cannot believe the scope and depth he presents. He's really good at it, I’m impressed." - Phillip Colla, Fiji October 2018 photo workshop Guest
- "Over many decades of diving, I've gone on a number of photo workshops on liveaboard trips, but none come close to the standard set by Mark Strickland! Every day we had an hour or more discussion about some aspect of underwater photography, including some specialized topics that helped a lot, plus an image review of three or four shots each diver had taken that day. Mark's critiques were always constructive and our photos got steadily better. Mark is also a great guy, fun to travel with, fun to dive with. He never minded being asked for help, either! All in all one of the best trips ever! And we for sure will go on another of his trips soon!" - Tom Baker
- "I'm a better shooter as a result of Mark's instruction." - Mark Hatter
- "Mark was patient, knowledgeable, organized, and friendly. He had a concern for all of us--travel-wise and photography-wise. He was one of the best." and "Mark and Adam made me tremendous fan of Blue Water Travel and will absolutely guarantee that I will book another trip with them again. You guys more than rock." - Dr. Ray T
