Imagine photographing the underwater magic of our marine life on a regular basis in locations like stunning Cabbage Tree Bay! We chatted with Peter Hutchins whose Instagram account is filled with incredible encounters…
What is your connection to the Northern Beaches?
The Northern Beaches is home. I live locally and spend a significant part of my life in and around the ocean here. It’s where I swim, free dive, photograph, and reset. The coastline, the marine environment, and the community are deeply woven into my daily routine.
How long have you been an underwater photographer?
I’ve been doing underwater photography for years now. While landscape photography has always been part of my life, underwater photography introduced a completely new way of seeing and working with light, movement, and subject matter.
What’s your professional background when not in the water?
My professional background is in product marketing and product management. Alongside that, I’ve been a landscape photographer all my life, with underwater photography opening up an entirely new creative dimension for me. I think my professional and photography lives share a common thread: storytelling.
How did you get into underwater photography?
It grew naturally from spending time in the ocean. Once I began free diving regularly, I realised how rich and alive the underwater world is, especially so close to shore. I still remember the day I saw a turtle, a cuttlefish, and an eagle ray all at the same time. I wanted to document what I was seeing and share it with people who may never experience it themselves.
Where is your favourite underwater place to take images?
Cabbage Tree Bay is my favourite place to photograph underwater. It’s protected, accessible, and incredibly diverse. The difference protection makes is obvious, both in the quantity of marine life and in how relaxed the animals are around humans.
How often do you go out?
Several times a week, mostly early in the mornings. Occasionally I’ll head out very early, even around 4am, to do night dives in the protected pools and experience the more active and vibrant nightlife underwater.
What marine life do you regularly see on the Northern Beaches?
Green sea turtles, Port Jackson sharks, seahorses, cuttlefish, octopus, rays, wobbegongs, blue gropers, nudibranchs, the occasional grey nurse shark or seal. I once even captured footage of a penguin, and sometimes you’ll see a fever of rays moving through. The variety we have along the Northern Beaches is extraordinary.
What has been your favourite encounter or moment underwater?
Without question, the day a manta ray appeared in Cabbage Tree Bay. I spent around three hours with it as it moved throughout the bay, close to the surface, along the bottom, and circling calmly around swimmers and free divers. Normally you’d have to fly somewhere remote to experience something like that, yet here it was in my own backyard.
What is your favourite subject out of all of our wonderful sea creatures?
Green sea turtles. They have a calm presence, distinct personalities, and a way of interacting with their environment that translates beautifully into images. Quietly swimming with them still amazes me.
What is your favourite image from underwater?
It changes over time, but it’s usually an image where the animal appears completely at ease. Those quiet, natural moments are far more powerful to me than dramatic or forced scenes. The Manly manta towering above me would be one, while another would be Basil the turtle, motionless, suspended, and simply looking back at me.
Have there been any frightening moments with our wonderful marine life?
The most confronting moments haven’t been about danger to me, but about seeing injured wildlife. When Brownie the turtle was hooked, that single hook nearly led to a fatal infection. I’ve seen worse injuries as well, some caused by carelessness, and they can be deeply upsetting to witness.
With all of your wonderful experiences and encounters is there anything you’d most like the community to know?
That what we have here is rare and precious. Protection works, respect matters, and our actions have real consequences. These animals are not attractions, they’re residents. If we care for the ocean properly, it rewards us in incredible ways.
How can others get into underwater photography if they’re interested?
Start by spending time in the water without a camera. Learn how to move calmly, manage your breathing, and observe without disturbing marine life. You don’t need expensive equipment to begin. Patience, respect, and awareness are far more important than technology.
You can follow Peter’s amazing underwater encounters on his Instagram account: @peterjhutchins or via his website: https://peterhutchins.com/
Main image: Philippa Gow
