Storyteller in Residence

Photojournalism bringing critical ocean stories to life.

Mads St Clair

2024

Henley Spiers

2023

Henley Spiers

2023

Henley Spiers is a highly decorated wildlife photographer, writer, and expedition leader. An avid waterman, he started out as a dive instructor, before falling in love with underwater imagery and making the transition to full-time photojournalism. Henley lives in Devon, UK, with his wife, Jade, and their two young daughters. Henley spent 2023 as Oceanographic’s Storyteller in Residence.

All Storytellers About SiR

Despatches: From the field

During his residency, Henley produced a series of digital diaries, articles and behind-the-scenes insights, 'Despatches: From the field'. You can read these below.

WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Protecting Baja

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Humpback whale research

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

From reviled to revered

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Capturing the essence of Galapagos

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Humpback whale field research diary - Part 2

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Humpback whale field research diary - Part 1

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Sea lion rescue

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Changing habitat

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Call of the California sea lion

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Endangered encounters

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Diving with guillemots

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Exploring a voluntary marine reserve

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Meeting the co-founders of COAST

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

Exploring the seagrass beds of Arran

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WORDS BY Henley Spiers

What is an ocean storyteller?

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WORDS BY Oceanographic Magazine

Storyteller in Residence: Meet Henley Spiers

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Expedition photography

All the beautiful and impactful work Henley created in the field can be seen here, along with incredible behind-the-scenes content.

From Scotland to Mexico, here's a range of the stunning photography he has created to date. Click on an image to discover the story behind it.

A small fish hides under a blue button beneath the surface. Location: Open ocean

The image was taken for ‘Open Ocean’, Henley’s final print feature in his role as Storyteller in Residence.

Feeding mahi mahis break the surface in the open ocean off Mexico. Location: Open ocean

The image was taken for ‘Open Ocean’, Henley’s final print feature in his role as Storyteller in Residence.

A super pod of spinner dolphins. The image was taken with a drone. Location: Baja California Sur, Mexico

The image was taken for ‘Cetacean Central’, one of Henley’s print features he produced as Storyteller in Residence.

A humpback whale and its calf. Location: Baja California Sur, Mexico

The image was taken for ‘Cetacean Central’, one of Henley’s print features he produced as Storyteller in Residence.

The rarest penguin in the world, the Galapagos penguin is endemic to the islands and is the only one of its kind to make its home at the equator. “To meet these small penguins against the backdrop of a white sand beach made for a bizarre scene. Climate change and invasive species pose a huge threat to the already diminished Galapagos penguin population,” remembers Spiers. Location: Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The image was taken for ‘Nature’s Last Refuge’, Henley’s third print feature in his role as Storyteller in Residence.

The only aquatic lizard in the world, the marine iguana ventures underwater to feed on algae. With cold-blooded bodies, their time in the fresh waters of the Galapagos is strictly limited or they might perish. Location: Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The image was taken for ‘Nature’s Last Refuge’, Henley’s third print feature in his role as Storyteller in Residence.

Oceanic blacktip sharks patrol around an enormous shoal of salemas and juvenile barracudas. “I dreamed of a picture with the shark framed by the smaller fish but the sharks proved uncooperative and shy when I tracked them from outside the shoal. Testing a new approach, I swam into the salemas and was swiftly engulfed – blinded by the fish around me, I waited and waited until a shark finally created a brief window through them,” says Spiers. Location: Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The image was taken for ‘Nature’s Last Refuge’, Henley’s third print feature in his role as Storyteller in Residence.

A puffed up pufferfish proves an irresistible toy for this young California sea lion. Location: Baja California Sur, Mexico

The image was taken for ‘Struggling Sea Lions’, Henley’s second print feature in his role as Storyteller in Residence.

A California sea lion protects its pup as it inspects a stone on the sandy bottom. Location: Baja California Sur, Mexico

The image was taken for ‘Struggling Sea Lions’, Henley’s second print feature in his role as Storyteller in Residence.

A group of sea lions on the hunt for their next meal. Location: Baja California Sur, Mexico

The image was taken for ‘Struggling Sea Lions’, Henley’s second print feature in his role as Storyteller in Residence.

A sea scorpion sits on protected horse mussel beds. Location: Shetland, UK

The image was taken for ‘Protecting Scottish Seas’, Henley’s first print feature in his role as Storyteller in Residence.

A wolf eel peeks out of its hiding place. Location: St Abbs, UK

The image was taken for ‘Protecting Scottish Seas’, Henley’s first print feature in his role as Storyteller in Residence.

Lush kelp fronds sway in the productive waters off Eyemouth. Location: Eyemouth, UK

The image was taken for ‘Protecting Scottish Seas’, Henley’s first print feature in his role as Storyteller in Residence.

Offering a front-row seat to the depths of our planet, the acrylic domed submersibles are not just scientific tools but vessels of inspiration, with the power to shock and awe passengers, carried in comfort to our biggest ocean blind zones. Location: Fuvahmulah Atoll, Maldives

A school of uniquely patterned spotted eagle rays passes beneath me on an unforgettable dive. Scientists have just recently confirmed that the spotting on each ray is a unique identifier, the equivalent of a human fingerprint. Location: South Male Atoll, Maldives

A Yellowhead Jawfish incubates its eggs in its mouth. The eyes on each egg are clearly visible and indicate that the eggs are almost ready to be released after a 5-10 day brooding period. Location: Anse Cochon, Saint Lucia

Face to face with plankton bloom so thick that at times I am unable to see through it, a rich tapestry of tiny, pulsating animals. Location: Shetland, UK

Northern Gannets perform fishing dives close to the tall cliffs where they visit seasonally for nesting season. Location: Shetland, UK

Printed features

Over the course of his 12 months Henley produced a range of articles for the printed version of Oceanographic Magazine. All those articles are available to read here.